Search results
Interpreting individual place-names, or finding their meaning, is first and foremost a search for the etymology or origin: the root words or names that make up the place-name. These may or may not have survived into modern usage.
You can use the Key to search for a particular place-name, or to browse through the names of a particular county. It will provide you with a name's meaning and a break-down of the different parts of the name (its 'elements') and the language (s) of those elements.
5 days ago · Even place names from quite different linguistic backgrounds can turn out to have identical meanings. Like Blackpool in Lancashire, the name Dublin means ‘the black pool’ (referring no doubt to the dark waters of the River Liffey), and the Cornish name Penzance means ‘holy headland’ just like Holyhead in Wales.
The majority of place names of Viking origin can be found in the north and east of England, in the region known as the Danelaw, the west and north of Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Although the origin of many place names is now forgotten, it is often possible to establish likely meanings through consideration of early forms of the name. [1] Some general conclusions about the nature of place names, and the way in which place names change, can be made and are examined below.
This revised edition of the Dictionary of British Place-Names includes over 17,000 engaging and informative entries, tracing the development of the featured place-names from earliest times to the present day. Included place-names range from the familiar to the obscure, among them 'Beer', 'Findlater', 'Broadbottom', and 'Great Snoring'.
People also ask
Does a place name still have a meaning?
Why is a place name called a 'place name'?
How old is a place name?
Why do place names change over time?
Why are place names important?
How do place names change?
Discover what we love about them, then plan your own adventure. In this article, we’ll give you a brief history of how English places got their names and highlight the origins of some of our favourites.
