Abstract: The change of place names indeed represents the interest games and spatial politics of different social groups. It is also a condensation process of local historical culture and social consciousness. Based on this, this paper takes the evolution of street place names in Luoyang’s old city as an example, discusses the interactive process of spatial politics and local culture in the change of place names from the perspective of critical toponymy, and reveals the deep-seated mechanism of the evolution of spatial politics and social culture in the process of place name changes. The research finds that since modern times, the street space of renamed streets in Luoyang’s old city has gradually expanded, renaming is more frequent during periods of regime change, regime stability is closely related to the types of renaming, and renaming for economic activities and wishful blessings is used for a longer time. Regime change and the new ruling concepts of the ruling class are the key factors determining place name changes, but ultimately, place name changes still depend on the political fit and cultural consensus formed by the ruling class and the general public in the process of renaming. Driven by regime change and political struggles, market economy and commercial capital, the place name landscape shows a “cultural slimming”trend of the loss of traditional cultural elements in the process of change.