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 British toponymy. Toponymy is the taxonomic study of toponyms (place-names), their origins and their meanings. ... British toponymy (relating to the mainland and islands closely linked to it including the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, and the Channel Islands) is the study of place names, their origins and the trends associated with naming places in specific regional areas. ...

This list gives a number of common generic forms found in British place names. It is not uncommon to find a number of them in combinative compounds. An interesting example of place naming is Torpenhow (pronounced "tra-PEN-ner") Hill, in Cumbria; the name seems to have grown by waves of new inhabitants each taking over the name given by the previous occupants, and adding to it: the three syllables, tor, pen, how, each mean 'hill' in a different language. Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ...

Factors like changes in spelling over the years, shifts of meaning, and other ambiguities may further complicate the issue. For example, in places where the Danelaw prevailed and where there is uncertainty over the origin of a place name, it is common sense to prefer the Old Norse meaning to the Old English one; often, however, they are the same. Taking, for instance, Askrigg in Yorkshire, 'a place where ash trees grew': while the first element is indubitably the Norse asc (pronounced "ask"), Danelaw ask- can easily well represent a "Norsification" of the Old English form æsc (pronounced "ash"). Both asc and æsc, in any case, mean 'ash' (tree). Green: Danelaw The Danelaw (from the Old English Dena lagu, Danish: Danelagen ) is an 11th century name for an area of northern and eastern England under the administrative control of the Vikings (or Danes, or Norsemen) from the late 9th century. ... Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... Askrigg is a small village and civil parish in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Sometimes, however, it was a case of incomers changing a name to match their own pronunciation habits without reference to the original meaning. Thus Skipton, Yorkshire, had it not been for settlement of the area by Norse speakers, would have come down to us as "Shipton" (Old English scip(e)tun - "sheep farm"). The Old Norse word for 'sheep' was quite different (it produced the name Faroes - the "sheep islands"), so the new settlers were not translating the name, but simply reflecting the way the English "sh-" sound regularly corresponded to Norse "sk-" in words which were cognate (as we already saw with asc and æsc). Statistics Population: 14,313 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SD986516 Administration District: Craven Shire county: North Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: North Yorkshire Historic county: Yorkshire (West Riding) Services Police force: North Yorkshire Police Ambulance service: Yorkshire Post office... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The terms "Old English" and "Anglo-Saxon" are fundamentally equivalent in meaning, and represent the hybrid West Germanic language in use between the Roman abandonment of Britain and up to about 100 years after the Norman invasion of 1066. Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ...

Note that in comparison to Old English and Old Norse place names, those in the Celtic languages (Cornish, Welsh, etc.) are almost always composed in reverse order, e.g. Tregonebris is tre + Conebris i.e. "the settlement of Cunebris". This is not true, however, of the very oldest Celtic names: e.g. Malvern, from elements represented by Modern Welsh "Moelfryn" (moel + bryn - "bald hill"). Malvern is the name of a town in Worcestershire, England. ...

Key to languages: K - Cornish; L - Latin; ME Middle English; NF - Norman; OE - Old English; ON - Old Norse; P - Pictish; SG - Scots Gaelic; W - Welsh This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th century, when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the... Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... Old Norse is the Germanic language spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300. ... A replica of the Hilton of Cadboll Stone. ... // Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Aberystwyth, viewed from the nature reserve on Penglais Hill Aberystwyth /aberˈəstwɪθ/ (Welsh Mouth of the Ystwyth) is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Mid Wales. ... Aberdyfi (sometimes Aberdovey in English) is a village on the estuary of the River Dyfi on the west coast of Wales. ... This article is about the Scottish city. ... Statistics Population: 35,203 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SD755286 Administration District: Hyndburn Shire county: Lancashire Region: North West England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Lancashire Historic county: Lancashire Services Police force: Lancashire Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: North West Post office and telephone Post... Acomb is a village in the unitary authority of City of York in the north of England, to the western side of York, Yorkshire, south of Upper Poppleton and north of Bishopthorpe. ... Acton is a place in the London Borough of Ealing. ... Avon means river. River Avon in England therefore, literally means River River as does Afon Afan (River Afan) in Welsh. ... Ashton-under-Lyne is a town in Greater Manchester with a population of 44,400 (2001 estimate). ... Aston is an area of Birmingham, England, in the north-east of the city centre. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles infobox may require cleanup. ... The River Axe is a river in Devon, in the south of England. ... The River Axe is a river in south west England. ... The River Exe rises on Exmoor in Devon, near the north (Bristol Channel) coast of the county, but flows more or less directly due south and reaches the sea at a substantial ria on the south (English Channel) coast. ... The River Usk, Afon Wysg in Welsh, rises in the mountains of mid-Wales then flows south-east through Abergavenny and the eponymous town of Usk to the Roman legionary fortress of Caerleon and the Bristol Channel at Newport. ... Location within the British Isles Arms of Axminster Town Council Axminster is a small market town on the eastern border of Devon, England. ... Map sources for Axbridge at grid reference ST4354 Axbridge is a town in Somerset, England, situated in the Sedgemoor district on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. ... Axmouth is a village and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, near the mouth of the River Axe. ... Ramsay is the Scottish spelling of Ramsey and may refer to one of the following. ... The Old Light, Lundy Lundy is an island in the Bristol Channel of Great Britain, administered as part of Torridge district of the English county of Devon. ... The Orkney Islands, usually called simply Orkney, are one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Holbeck is a district of Leeds, West Yorkshire. ... Costa Beck is a small river in the the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. ... This article is about the box tree. ... // Bexley is a place in south east London in the London Borough of Bexley. ... Bexhill-on-Sea is a town and seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, in the south of England. ... Bournemouth is a large resort town on the south coast of England. ... Sittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles (12. ... Shown within East Sussex Geography Status: Borough Region: South East England Historic County: Sussex Admin. ... Statistics Population: 293,717 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SE165325 Administration Metropolitan borough: City of Bradford Metropolitan county: West Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: West Yorkshire Historic county: Yorkshire (West Riding) Services Police force: West Yorkshire Fire and rescue... Bredon is a village in Worcestershire in England, on the banks of the River Avon. ... Statistics Population: 69,173 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SP818138 Administration District: Aylesbury Vale Shire county: Buckinghamshire Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Buckinghamshire Historic county: Buckinghamshire Services Police force: Thames Valley Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: South Central Post office... The modern Castle Quay Shopping Centre in Banbury alongside the Oxford Canal, with Banbury Museum in the background Banbury is a market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England. ... Statistics Population: 87,574 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TA279087 Administration District: North East Lincolnshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: North East Lincolnshire Historic county: Lincolnshire Services Police force: Humberside Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: East Midlands Post office... Bicker is a village in Lincolnshire, England. ... St Peters St, Canterbury, from the West Gate, 1993 Canterbury (Latin: Duroverum) is a cathedral city in the county of Kent in southeast England. ... The Cantiaci were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Islands, previous to the Roman invasion of Britain. ... Kincardine or Kincardine-on-Forth is a small town located on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, in Fife, Scotland. ... A view of Lancaster showing the Lune, the Millennium Bridge and the Ashton Memorial Lancaster (2001 census population 45,952: source ONS) is a city in Lancashire, in the north-west of England, UK. It is a commercial, cultural and educational centre. ... Statistics Population: 67,977 (2001 Census for Doncaster urban sub-area [1]) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SE5702 Administration District: Doncaster Metropolitan county: South Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: South Yorkshire Historic county: Yorkshire (West Riding) Services Police force... Shown within Gloucestershire Geography Status: City (1541) Region: South West England Admin. ... Map sources for Caister-on-Sea at grid reference TG5212 Caister-on-Sea (from Latin castra - castle) is a town (population 8756) in Norfolk, England, three miles north of Great Yarmouth. ... Cardiff (English:  Welsh: ) is the capital of Wales and its largest city. ... Caerleon is a village situated on the river Usk on the northern outskirts of Newport. ... Manchester is a major city within Greater Manchester in North West England, historically notable for being the worlds first industrialised city, and its subsequent central role in the Industrial Revolution. ... Winchester is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40,000 within a 3 mile radius of its centre. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles infobox may require cleanup. ... Statistics Population: 12,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SK0933 Administration District: East Staffordshire Shire county: Staffordshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Staffordshire Historic county: Staffordshire Services Police force: Staffordshire Police Ambulance service: Staffordshire Post office and telephone Post town: UTTOXETER Postal... Ascot (or Ascott) is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means eastern cottage. Ascot is the name of several places: In Australia: Ascot, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane Ascot, Victoria Ascot, Western Australia In Canada: Ascot, Quebec Ascot Corner, Quebec In the United Kingdom: Ascot, Berkshire North Ascot South Ascot Ascott... Chipping Norton Town Hall Chipping Norton is a town in Oxfordshire, England. ... Chipping Campden is a Cotswold town in Gloucestershire, England, famous for its beautiful terraced High Street, dating from the 14th – 17th centuries. ... Chippenham could be either of these places in the UK: Chippenham, Wiltshire Chippenham, Cambridgeshire See also: Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA Cippenham, Berkshire, UK Category: ... Cwmbran (Welsh: Cwmbrân) is a new town in Monmouthshire, Wales, established in the 1950s to provide new employment in the south eastern portion of the South Wales coalfield. ... Airedale is a geographic area in Yorkshire, United Kingdom, corresponding to the river valley of the River Aire (pronounced air). ... Statistics Population: 94,000 (2001 Census)) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SD893130 Administration District: Rochdale Metropolitan county: Greater Manchester Region: North West England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Greater Manchester Historic county: Lancashire Services Police force: Greater Manchester Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: North West... Billinghay is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, about ten miles north-east of Sleaford. ... Saxondale is a British television situation comedy programme, starring and co-written (with Neil Maclennan) by Steve Coogan. ... Croydon, Greater London is a major urban town and commercial centre 9. ... Dean Village (from dene, meaning deep valley) is a former village in the northwest of Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Todmorden is a town in the county of West Yorkshire, England. ... Bredon is a village in Worcestershire in England, on the banks of the River Avon. ... For other uses, see Dundee (disambiguation). ... This article is about the English town - see Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia for the city in Canada, and Halifax for everywhere else Halifax is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, northern England, with a population of about 90,000. ... For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... Statistics Population: 79,885 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SE335205 Administration Metropolitan Borough: City of Wakefield Metropolitan county: West Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: West Yorkshire Historic county: Yorkshire (West Riding) Services Police force: West Yorkshire Police Fire and... Findochty is a village in Scotland. ... Rutherglen (said: Rhu-ther-glehn) comes from the Gaelic An Ruadh Ghleann - the red valley. Rutherglen is a town located within the south-eastern suburbs of the city of Glasgow, Scotland near the town of Cambuslang. ... Oldham is a large town in the north-west of England. ... St Olavs, Rotherhithes Norwegian church. ... There are several places named Hythe: In England: Hythe, Kent (a large village) Hythe, Hampshire (a town) Hythe End a village, now part of Staines In Canada: Hythe, Alberta (a village in Canada) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... Erith is a place in the London Borough of Bexley, south east London, United Kingdom. ... Woolhope is a village in Herefordshire, England, about 7 miles east of Hereford. ... Welcome sign seen upon entering Glossop. ... Dewhurst can refer to: Colleen Dewhurst, Canadian-born actress David Dewhurst, American politician Dewhurst, Clark County, Wisconsin Category: ... Reading is a town and unitary authority (the Borough of Reading) in the English county of Berkshire. ... Introduction Woldingham is a village in Surrey located 700 metres above sea level just within the M25, southeast of London. ... Quadring is a small village north of Gosberton, Lincolnshire. ... Shown within East Sussex Geography Status: Borough Region: South East England Historic County: Sussex Admin. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... Cottingham is a village in Northamptonshire in the English midlands. ... Bridlington beach, from the North Pier Bridlington is a town in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. ... Inverness (Inbhir Nis in Scottish Gaelic) is the only city in the Highland council area and the Highlands of Scotland. ... Keld is the name of several locations in the United Kingdom including: Keld, Cumbria Keld, North Yorkshire This article consisting of geographical locations is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Threlkeld is a village in the north of the Lake District, to the east of Keswick, situated at grid reference NY322254. ... Kincardine or Kincardine-on-Forth is a small town located on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, in Fife, Scotland. ... Kings Norton is an area of Birmingham, England . ... Places called Kingston include: in Australia Kingston, Tasmania Kingston, Victoria Kingston on Murray, South Australia Kingston SE, South Australia (named to differentiate it from Kingston on Murray) Kingston, Australian Capital Territory Kingston, Norfolk Island, the capital of the territory in Canada Kingston, New Brunswick Kingston, Nova Scotia Kingston, Ontario in... Kingston Bagpuize is a village in the Vale of the White Horse in Oxfordshire, England. ... Coningsby is a town in Lincolnshire, England. ... Kyle of Lochalsh (from the Scottish Gaelic Caol Loch Aillse) is a small village on the North-West coast of Scotland, which developed in the late 19th century with the arrival of the railway. ... Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (58 Letters long) is a village on the island of Anglesey in Wales, situated on the Menai Strait close to Menai Bridge and Bangor. ... Great Langdale seen from the top of Rossett Pike. ... Kings Langley is a village in the borough of Dacorum in the county of Hertfordshire, England on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills. ... Warden Law is a village and civil parish in the metropolitan borough of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. ... Lewes is a town in the Lewes district of East Sussex in South East England. ... Statistics Population: 9,850 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO517750 Administration District: South Shropshire Shire county: Shropshire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Shropshire Historic county: Shropshire Services Police force: West Mercia Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: West Midlands Post office and telephone... Burial of Oleg of Novgorod in a tumulus in 912. ... Wembley is a place in the London Borough of Brent. ... Appleby Magna is a village and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England. ... Moniaive is a village in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, near Thornhill. ... Map sources for Sheerness at grid reference TQ919749 Sheerness is a town on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England. ... Skegness is a seaside resort town in Lincolnshire, England, with a permanent population of about 30,000. ... Orford Ness, described by a BBC documentary as half wilderness, half military junkyard, is a peninsula on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching along the coast to Orford. ... // Norton may refer to: Norton, County Durham Norton, East Sussex Norton, Gloucestershire Norton, Halton Norton, Hertfordshire Norton, Isle of Wight Norton, Leicestershire Norton, Northamptonshire Norton, Nottinghamshire Norton, Ludlow, Shropshire Norton, Shrewsbury, Shropshire Norton, Dawley, Shropshire Norton, Suffolk Norton, Selsey, West Sussex Norton, Arundel, West Sussex Norton, Wiltshire Norton, Worcester, Worcestershire... Norbury is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, on the border with the London Borough of Lambeth and the London Borough of Merton. ... Appleby Parva, or Little Appleby, part of the parish of Appleby Magna in Leicestershire, is a hamlet about a mile south of Appleby church at the crossroads of the highways from Ashby de la Zouch to Tamworth and from Atherstone to Burton upon Trent. ... Penzances old docks with Abbey Slip and St Marys Church behind Penzance is a port in Cornwall, England, facing east onto the English Channel. ... Polperro harbour A tourist boat trip leaves Polperro harbour Polperro is a small fishing village on the south Cornwall coast in south west England. ... Pontypridd is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales. ... Marple is a village close to Stockport, Greater Manchester in England. ... The River Etherow is a river in the north west of England, and a tributary of the River Mersey. ... The River Goyt is a river in Derbyshire in north west England. ... Brythonic is one of two major divisions of Insular Celtic languages (the other being Goidelic). ... The village of Penshaw is about three miles north-by-east of Houghton-le-Spring, just over the River Wear from Washington, Tyne and Wear. ... Stanmore is a place in the London Borough of Harrow, in London, England. ... Stamford is a town on the River Welland in Lincolnshire, England. ... Hampstead is an area in the London Borough of Camden. ... Arms of Berkhamsted Town Council The walls of Berkhamsted Castle Berkhamsted is a historic town of some 19,000 people. ... This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... Map sources for Sudbury at grid reference TL8741 Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, 15 miles from Colchester and 60 miles from London. ... Sutton may mean: // Places Sutton, meaning south settlement in Saxon, is a very common place name. ... Arms of Cleethorpes Cleethorpes is a town in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated at the mouth of the River Humber. ... Thorpeness is a village in the county of Suffolk, England. ... Huthwaite developed Spin Selling. ... Burgh of Tillicoultry Seal. ... Tillydrone is an area in the north part of the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. ... Statistics Population: 57,746 (2001 Census) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TM548933 Administration District: Waveney Shire county: Suffolk Region: East of England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Suffolk Historic county: Suffolk Services Police force: Suffolk Constabulary Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: East of England Post... Tunstead may mean: Tunstead, Derbyshire Tunstead, Norfolk There is also a Tunstead Milton in Derbyshire. ... Statistics Population: 31,600 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TQ591468 Administration District: Tonbridge & Malling Shire county: Kent Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Kent Historic county: Kent Services Police force: Kent Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: South East Coast Post... Charlton may refer to: Places Charlton was a village near Filton, Bristol in England but was demolished in order to extend the runway at Filton Airfield. ... A churl, in its earliest Anglo-Saxon meaning, was simply a man, but the word soon came to mean a non-servile peasant, still spelt ceorle, and denoting the lowest rank of freemen. ... Main street in Bastrop, Texas, a small town A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. ... Tamworth town centre Tamworth is a historic town and local government district in Staffordshire, UK, located 27 km (17 miles) northeast of Birmingham and 198 km (123 miles) northwest of London. ... A (very) small market town in the west of Devon, UK, near the county border with Cornwall. ...

See also

• British toponymy
• English Place-Name Society
• Etymological list of counties of the United Kingdom
• List of places in the United Kingdom
• Place name origins

British toponymy (relating to the mainland and islands closely linked to it including the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, and the Channel Islands) is the study of place names, their origins and the trends associated with naming places in specific regional areas. ... The English Place-Name Society is a learned society based in the United Kingdom concerned with toponymy, in other words, what can be learned from the study of place-names. ... Etymological list of counties of the United Kingdom is a list of the origins of the names of counties of the United Kingdom. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England List of burghs in Scotland List of towns in Wales List of towns in Northern Ireland Lists of places List of places in England List of places in Northern Ireland List of places in Scotland List of places... This article or section should be merged with List of generic forms in British place names While modern names of towns and cities generally remain the same they have often evolved from the names of the civilisation that created the settlement. ...

External links and references

• http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/institutes/sassi/spns/index.htm - The Scottish Place-Name Society
• An Index to the Historical Place Names of Cornwall