The study of place names is called toponymy; for a more detailed examination of this subject in relation to British place names, please refer to Toponymy in Great Britain. This article lists a number of common generic forms found in place names in Great Britain and Ireland, their meanings and some examples of their use.
Contents |
Elements
Key to languages: Bry. Brythonic; C - Cumbric; K - Cornish; I - Irish; L - Latin; ME - Middle English; NF - Norman French; OE - Old English; ON - Old Norse; P - Pictish; SG - Scots Gaelic; W - Welsh
| Term | Origin | Meaning | Example | Position | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aber [1] | C, W, P, K | mouth (of a river), confluence, a meeting of waters | Aberystwyth, Aberdyfi, Aberdeen, Aberuthven | prefix |
Further information: Aber and Inver as place-name elements
|
| ac, acc, ock | OE | acorn, or oak tree | Accrington[2], Acomb, Acton, Matlock[3] | ||
| afon [1] | W, SG, K, I | river | River Avon, Glanyrafon | W afon is pronounced "AH-von"; several English rivers are named Avon. In Irish the word, spelled "abhann", is mainly (though not exclusively) pronounced OW-en | |
| ar, ard [4] | I, SG | height | Armagh, Ardglass | ||
| ash | OE | ash tree | Ashton-under-Lyne[5] | ||
| ast | OE | east | Aston[6] | prefix | |
| auch(en)-, ach- [4] | I, SG | field | Auchendinny, Auchenshuggle, Achnasheen | prefix | anglicised from achadh. Ach- is generally the Highland form, and Auch- the lowland. Auchen- "means field of the X" (Achadh nan X) |
| auchter- [4] | I, SG | height, top of something | Auchtermuchty, Auchterarder | prefix | anglicised from Uachdar |
| axe, exe, usk | Bry. | from isca, meaning water | Exeter, River Axe (Devon), River Exe, River Usk, Axminster. | ||
| ay, y, ey [7] | ON | island | Ramsay, Westray, Lundy[8], Orkney | suffix (usually) | |
| bal, balla, bally, ball [4] | SG, I | farm, homestead | Ballachulish, Balerno, Ballymena, Ballinamallard | prefix | anglicised from baile |
| beck [7] | OE,ON | stream | Holbeck[9], Beckinsale, Troutbeck, Cod Beck | ||
| berg, berry [7] | OE/ON | hill (cf. 'iceberg') | Roseberry Topping, | In Farnborough (OE Fernaberga) [10], berg has converged toward borough | |
| bex | OE | box, the tree | Bexley, Bexhill-on-Sea [11] | The OE name of Bexhill-on-Sea was Bexelei, a glade where box grew.[11] | |
| blen, blaen | C, W | fell, hill, upland | Blencathra, Blencogo, Blaenau Ffestiniog | ||
| bost [7] | ON | farm | Leurbost | suffix | cf. ster, (bol)staðr; this form is usually found in the Outer Hebrides |
| bourne, burn | OE | brook, stream | Bournemouth, Eastbourne[12], Ashbourne, Blackburn | see also Bourne (placename) | |
| brad | OE | broad | Bradford[13] | prefix | |
| bre [1] | C, W, K | hill | Bredon, Carn Brea | prefix | |
| bury, borough, brough, burgh | OE | fortified enclosure | Aylesbury, Dewsbury, Bury[14], Middlesbrough[15], Edinburgh, Bamburgh, Peterborough | (usually) suffix | See Borough for further information and other uses. Burgh is primarily Northumbrian and Scots. |
| by [7] | ON | settlement, village | Grimsby[16], Tenby | usually suffix but compare Bicker (the town marsh) | also survives in bylaw and by-election |
| carden | P | thicket | Kincardine, Cardenden | suffix | |
| caster, chester, cester, ceter | OE (<L) | camp, fortification (of Roman origin) | Lancaster[17], Doncaster, Gloucester, Caister, Manchester, Worcester, Chester, Exeter | suffix | |
| caer, car [1] | C, W (<L) | camp, fortification | Caerdydd, Caerleon, Carlisle[18], Caerfyrddin | prefix | derived from Brythonic "caer" cf Chester (OE.)/Castra (L.) |
| cheap, chipping | OE | market | Chipping Norton[19], Chipping Campden, Chepstow | also as part of a street name, e.g. Cheapside. 'Chippenham' is from a personal name. | |
| combe | OE (<W) | valley | Woolacombe (Devon), Doccombe, Ilfracombe[20] | usually pronounced 'coo-m' or 'cum', cognate with cwm | |
| coed [1] | W | wood, forest | Betws-y-coed | ||
| cot, cott | OE,W | cottage, small building or derived from Bry/W Coed or Coet meaning a wood | Ascot, Draycott in the Clay, Swadlincote [21] | suffix | |
| cul | C | narrow | Culcheth[22] | prefix | |
| cwm, cum [1] | W, C | valley | Cwmaman, Cumdivock, Cwmann, Cwmbran | prefix | Borrowed into old English as suffix "coombe". 'Cwm' in Welsh and 'Cum', in Cumbric. |
| cum | L | with | Salcott-cum-Virley | hyphenated between two other names | Used where two parishes were combined into one. Unrelated to Cumbric cum. |
| dal [4] | SG, I | meadow, low lying area by river | Dalry, Dalmellington | prefix | Cognate with and probably influenced by P Dol |
| dale [7] | OE/ON | valley OE, allotment OE | Airedale i.e valley of the River Aire, Rochdale, Saxondale | suffix | Cognate with thal (Ger.), dalr (ON) |
| dean, den, don | OE - denu | valley (dene) | Croydon[23], Dean Village, Horndean, Todmorden[24] | suffix | the geography is often the only indicator as to the original root word (cf. don, a hill) |
| din, dinas [1] | W | fort | Dinas Powys | prefix | homologous to 'dun'; see below |
| don, den | OE | hill | Abingdon[25], Bredon, Willesden | suffix | |
| drum [4] | SG, I | ridge, back | Drumchapel, Drumnacanvy, Drumnadrochit | prefix | anglicised from druim |
| dun, dum [4] | SG, I | fort | Dundee, Dumbarton, Dungannon | prefix | derived from dùn |
| ey, ea, eg, eig | OE eg | island | Romsey[26], Athelney, Ely | ||
| ey | OE haeg | enclosure | Hornsey[27], Hay (-on-Wye) | separate meaning to -ey 'island' - see above | |
| field | OE | open land, a forest clearing | Sheffield[28], Wakefield, Huddersfield | suffix | |
| fin | SG | white, holy | Findochty | prefix | anglicised from 'fionn' |
| firth | OE | wood or woodland | Holmfirth, Chapel-en-le-Frith [29] | suffix | |
| firth [7] | ON | fjord, inlet | Burrafirth, Firth of Forth | from Norse fjorðr | |
| ford, forth | OE | ford, crossing | Bradford, Ampleforth, Watford | ||
| fos, foss | L, OE | ditch | River Foss, Fangfoss[30] | Separate from ON 'foss, force' - see below | |
| foss, force [7] | ON | waterfall | Aira Force, High Force | Separate from L/OE 'fos, foss' - see above | |
| gate | ON | road | Gate Helmsley[31], Holgate | ||
| garth [7] | ON | enclosure | Aysgarth | ||
| gill, ghyll [7] | ON | ravine, narrow gully | Gillamoor, Garrigill, Dungeon Ghyll | ||
| glen [4] | SG, I | narrow valley, dale | Rutherglen, Glenarm, Corby Glen | anglicised from gleann | |
| gowt [32] [33] | Water outfall, sluice, drain | Guthram Gowt, Anton's Gowt | First ref gives the word as the local pronunciation of 'Go Out'; Second as 'A water-pipe under the ground. A sewer. A flood-gate, through which the marsh-water runs from the reens into the sea.'. Reen is a Somerset word, not used in the Fens. Being recorded in both Lincolnshire and Wales, is it possible that Gowt is a really old word? | ||
| ham | OE | farm, homestead, [settlement] | Rotherham[34], Newham, Nottingham[35] | suffix | often confused by hamm, an enclosure |
| hithe, hythe | OE | wharf, place for landing boats | Rotherhithe[36], Hythe, Erith | ||
| holm | OE | island | Holmfirth, Hempholme [37] | ||
| hope | OE | valley, enclosed area | Woolhope, Glossop [38] | ||
| hurst | OE | (wooded) hill | Dewhurst, Woodhurst [39] | ||
| ing | OE ingas | people of | Reading [40], the people (followers) of Reada, Spalding, the people of Spald[41] | suffix | sometimes survives in an apparent plural form e.g. Hastings[42]; also, often combined with 'ham' or 'ton'; 'homestead of the people of' (e.g. Birmingham, Bridlington) |
| ing | OE | place, small stream | Lockinge[43] | suffix | difficult to distinguish from -ingas without examination of early place-name forms. |
| inver [4] | SG | mouth of (a river), confluence, a meeting of waters | Inverness | prefix | cf. 'aber'. Further information: Aber and Inver as place-name elements
|
| keld | ON | spring | Keld, Threlkeld[44] | ||
| keth, cheth | C | wood | Penketh, Culcheth[22] | suffix | cf. W. 'coed' |
| kil [4] | SG, I | monastic cell, old church | Kilmarnock, Killead | prefix | anglicised from Cill |
| kin [4] | SG, I | head | Kincardine, Kinallen | prefix | anglicised from Ceann |
| king | OE/ON | king, tribal leader | King's Norton, King's Lynn[45], Kingston, Kingston Bagpuize, Coningsby[46] | ||
| kirk [7] | ON | church | Kirkwall, Ormskirk, Colkirk | ||
| kyle [4] | SG | narrows | Kyle of Lochalsh | prefix | anglicised from Caol |
| lan, lhan, llan [1] | C, K, P, W | church, churchyard, village with church, parish | Lanteglos (Cornwall), Lhanbryde (Moray), Lanercost, Llanbedr Pont Steffan, Llanybydder, Llanwenog, Llannwnen | prefix, |
Further information: Llan place name element
|
| lang | OE | long | Langdale[47], Great Langton, Kings Langley | prefix | |
| law, low | OE | from hlaw, a rounded hill | Charlaw, Tow Law, Lewes, Ludlow[48] | often standalone | often a hill with a barrow or hillocks on its summit |
| le | NF? | the | Chester-le-Street | interfix | Hartlepool appears to contain le by folk etymology; older spellings show no such element. |
| lea, ley, leigh | OE | from leah, a woodland clearing | Barnsley[49], Hadleigh, Leigh | (usually) suffix | |
| lin, llyn [1] | C, W | lake (or simply water) | Lindow, Lindefferon, Llyn Brianne, Pen Llyn | usually prefix | |
| ling, lyng | OE | heather | Lingmell | ||
| magna | L | great | Appleby Magna,Chew Magna, Wigston Magna | Primarily a medieval affectation | |
| mere | OE | lake, pool | Windermere[50], Grasmere, Cromer[51] | ||
| minster | OE | large church, monastery | Westminster, Wimborne Minster[52] | ||
| moss | OE | Swamp, bog | Mossley, Lindow Moss, Moss Side[53] | ||
| mynydd [1] | W | mountain | Mynydd Moel | prefix | |
| nan, nans | K | valley | Nancledra (Cornwall) | prefix | |
| nant [1] | C, W | ravine or the stream in it | Nantgarw, Nantwich | prefix | same origin as nan, nans above |
| ness [7] | OE, ON | promontory, headland (literally 'nose') | Sheerness, Skegness, Inverness, Furness | suffix | |
| nor | OE | north | Norton, Norbury, Norwich [54] | prefix | |
| pant [1] | W | a hollow | Pantmawr | ||
| parva | L | little | Appleby Parva, Wigston Parva | ||
| pen [1] | C, K, W | head (headland or hill) | Penzance, Pendle, Penrith | prefix | also Pedn in W. Cornwall |
| pit | P | portion, share, farm | Pitlochry (Perthshire), Pitmedden, Pittodrie | prefix | homologous with K peath |
| pol | C, K | pool or lake | Polperro (Cornwall), Poltragow | prefix | |
| pont [1] | L, K, W | bridge | Pontypridd, Pontheugh | prefix | can also be found in its mutated form bont, e.g., Pen-y-bont (Bridgend); originally from Latin pons |
| pool | harbour | Liverpool, Blackpool, Hartlepool [55] | suffix | ||
| porth [1] | K, W | harbour | Porthcawl, Porthaethwy | prefix | |
| shaw | OE | a wood | Penshaw, Openshaw [56] | standalone or suffix | a fringe of woodland |
| shep, ship | OE | sheep | Shepshed, Shepton Mallet, Shipton, North Yorkshire | prefix | |
| stan | OE | stone, stony | Stanmore, Stamford[57], Stanlow | prefix | |
| stead | OE | place, enclosed pasture | Hampstead, Berkhamsted [58] | suffix | |
| ster [7] | ON | farm | Lybster, Scrabster | suffix | cf. -bost from (bol)staðr |
| stoke | OE stoc | dependent farmstead, secondary settlement | Stoke-on-Trent[59], Stoke Damerell, Basingstoke | (usually) standalone | |
| stow | OE | (holy) place | Stow-on-the-wold[60], Padstow, Chepstow, Stowmarket | ||
| strath [4] | SG | wide valley, vale | Strathmore (Angus) | prefix | derived from srath (but conflated with Brythonic "Ystrad") |
| streat, street | L, OE | road (Roman) | Spittal-in-the-Street, Chester-le-Street, Streatham | derived from strata, L. 'paved road' | |
| sud, sut | OE | south | Sudbury[61], Sutton | prefix | |
| swin | OE | pigs, swine | Swindon, Swinford (Leicestershire)[62] | ||
| tarn | ON | lake | In modern English, usually a glacial lake in a coombe. | ||
| thorp, thorpe | ON | secondary settlement | Cleethorpes[63], Thorpeness | an outlier of an earlier settlement | |
| thwaite, twatt [7] | ON thveit | a forest clearing with a dwelling, or parcel of land | Huthwaite, Twatt | suffix | |
| tre [1] | C, K, W | settlement | Trevose Head, Tregaron, Trevercraig | prefix | |
| tilly [4] | SG | hillock | Tillicoultry, Tillydrone | prefix | |
| toft [7] | ON | homestead | Lowestoft | usually suffix | |
| treath | K | beach | |||
| tun, ton | OE tun | enclosure, estate, homestead | Tunstead, Brighton[64], Coniston | OE pronunciation 'toon'. Compare en. town, nl. tuin (garden) and ger. Zaun (fence); all derived from Germanic root 'tun | |
| weald, wold | OE | high woodland | Wealdstone, Stow-on-the-Wold[60], Southwold | ||
| wick, wich, wych, wyke | L, OE | place, settlement | Norwich, Ipswich, Alnwick | suffix | related to Latin 'vicus'(place), cf. nl. 'wijk' |
| wick [7] | ON vik | bay | Runswick, Wick, Lerwick | suffix | cf. Jorvik (modern York) |
| whel | C | mine or cave | Wheldrake | ||
| worth, worthy, wardine | OE | enclosure | Tamworth[65], Farnworth, Holsworthy, Bredwardine | usually suffix | |
| ynys [1] | W | Island | Ynys Mon (Anglesey) |
See also
- Place name origins
- Toponymy in Great Britain
- Welsh placenames
- Place names in Irish
- Toponymical list of counties of the United Kingdom
- English Place-Name Society, publisher of a comprehensive list of the elements used in forming English place names: English Place Name Elements by A. H. Smith, 1957.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Guide to Welsh origins of place names in Britain. Ordnance Survey (http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/freefun/didyouknow/placenames/welsh.html)
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=12672. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=3357. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Guide to Gaelic origins of place names in Britain. Ordnance Survey (http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/freefun/didyouknow/placenames/Gaelic.html)
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=12870. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=4907. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Guide to Scandinavian origins of place names in Britain. Ordnance Survey (http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/freefun/didyouknow/placenames/scan.html)
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=15623. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=14568. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=6662. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ a b http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=7138. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=7117. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=14576. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=12884. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=5865. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=10469. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=12827. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=4358. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=3717. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=15473. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=3515. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ a b http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=12983. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=8264. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=14564. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=3160. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=6738. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=4777. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=14349. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=3218. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=8593. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=5656. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. 1913.
- ^ John Hobson Matthews, ed (1905). Cardiff Records. 5,'Glossary'. pp. 557-598.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=14342. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=2541. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=8252. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=8451. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=3239. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=4169. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=3065. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=10183. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=7161. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ Margaret Gelling, Signposts to the Past (Phillimore, 3rd edition, reprinted 2000, chapter 5)
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=4454. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ previously Bishop's Lynn and Lynn Regis
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=10633. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=5121. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=13532. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=14734. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=5177. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ Name recorded after 1262 http://www.geocities.com/cromerhistory/medieval.html
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=977. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=12928. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=9606. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=7745
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=12932. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=10392. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=4583. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=9871. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ a b http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=6302. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=15375. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=8902. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=10467. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=7041. Retrieved 3/7/08.
- ^ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/kepn/detailpop.php?placeno=9877. Retrieved 3/7/08.
External links
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