Generally, there's no authoritative resource, unless it was so recent that a resolution of the city council or county board is on file. City streets in the US are generally named at the whim of the developer when the plat is filed, but he need give no explanation. Rural roads mostly acquired their names gradually from common usage, and were never officially named. The common names may have, in the last 20 years, been officially recognized and listed as rural areas have moved to city-style addressing to make 911 service easier. But the listing will not tell the source of the name.

In a few cities, local history buffs have put together books purporting to give the source of streetnames, but the scholarship often amounts to educated guesses. I have such books for Philadelphia, Chicago, Santa Fe, and San Francisco.

hi! Could you specify which city/region/country you're interested in? That will help prospective respondents identify appropriate resources for you.