Holborn (pronounced /ˈhəʊbən/ or /ˈhəʊbɜːn/) is a place in London, named after a tributary to the river Fleet that flowed through the area, the Hole-bourne (the stream in the hollow). Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, straddling the borders of the London Borough of Camden, the City of Westminster and the City of London.

The area is traditionally the stamping ground for journalists and lawyers. Historically Fleet Street, running west-east in the southern half of Holborn, was the home of almost all the national newspapers, although these have all now moved to more spacious surroundings towards the east of the city. This area is still the home of the legal system. The Royal Courts of Justice (the Law Courts) and the Inns of Court (Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple), home to the top barristers in the country, are located in the area. Newgate prison, London's most infamous jail, was also situated in Holborn (where the Royal Courts of Justice now stand), until its demolition in 1902.

It is also the location of Barnard's Inn, the current home of Gresham College, the first college in London. King's College London and the London School of Economics can also be found in the area.

In the eighteenth century, Holborn was the location of the infamous Mother Clap's molly house.

The Metropolitan Borough of Holborn was eliminated in a 1965 local government amalgamation. It formerly included the part of Holborn now part of the London Borough of Camden, and never included The Strand, the Royal Courts of Justice, Inner Temple, Middle Temple, or Fleet Street.

Nearest places:

• Bloomsbury
• Clerkenwell
• St Pancras
• Charing Cross
• Soho
• Covent Garden

Nearest underground stations:

• Blackfriars
• Chancery Lane
• Covent Garden
• Holborn
• Mansion House
• St. Paul's
• Temple