Celtic toponymy
Encyclopedia
Celtic toponymy is the study of place names wholly or partially of Celtic
origin. These names are found throughout continental Europe, the British Isles
, Asia Minor
and latterly through various other parts of the globe not originally occupied by Celts.
developed into various daughter languages including Proto-Celtic. In Proto-Celtic, the Proto-Indo-European sound *p disappeared, perhaps through an intermediate *ɸ. After that, Proto-Celtic split into P-Celtic and Q-Celtic
dialects. In P-Celtic dialects, Proto-Indo-European *kw changed into *p. In Q-Celtic dialects it stayed as *kw, eventually developing into /k/ in the modern Gaelic
languages (usually written c).
Ancient P-Celtic languages include Gaulish
(continental) and Brythonic
(British Isles). Brythonic is the ancestor of Welsh
, Cornish
and Breton
.
Ancient Q-Celtic languages include Celtiberian
(continental) and Goidelic
(British Isles). Goidelic is the ancestor of the Gaelic languages Irish
, Scottish Gaelic and Manx
.
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
)
From Celtic *windo- 'white' (Welsh gwyn) + *bona 'base, foundation' (Welsh bôn 'base, bottom, stump')
From divine name Arduinna
, from Celtic *ardu- 'high' (Irish ard) + Latin silva 'forest'
Almost all the main cities everywhere in France have a Celtic name (the original Gaulish one or the name of the Gaulish tribe), except in Provence
, where there are sometimes Greek or Latin and in the Basque Country
.
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
)
From Celtic *diwo- 'god, holy, divine' (Scottish Gaelic dia 'god') + *dūro- 'fort'
From Celtic *lug- 'Lugus
' (divine name) or perhaps 'light' + *dūnon 'fortress'
First element from Celtic *lemo- 'elm'.
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd) + *magos 'field, plain'
"Bridge on the [river] Somme". River name Samara + Celtic *brīwa 'bridge'.
From Celtic alisa, s.f., 'alder
'. (Compare the modern German
Erlenbach) and Old High German
(OHG) aha, s.n., 'flowing water'.
Perhaps from Celtic ambara, 'channel, river'. Compare Indo-European *amer-, 'channel, river' > Greek
ἀμάρη (amárē), 'channel'. Or, from Celtic amara, 'spelt
, a type of grain'.
From Celtic *onno-, 'ash tree
' plus a OHG bach, 'small river'.
First element is Celtic *Boio-, tribal name (Boii
)), possibly 'cattle-owner' (cf. Irish bó 'cow') or 'warrior'. Second element is Celtic *dūro- 'fort'.
From Celtic *bona 'base, foundation' (Welsh bôn 'base, bottom, stump')
From Gaulish Boudobriga, "hill of victory". Containing the elements *boudo- 'victory' (Welsh budd 'gain, benefit') + *briga, 'hill'.
From Celtic *dūro- 'fort'
From Celtic *(φ)erkunos 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin silva 'forest'
Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
From Celtic *mogunt-, 'mighty, great, powerful', used as a divine name (see Mogons
)
From Celtic *mago-, 'plain, field'
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd) + *magos 'field, plain'
Some have seen this toponym as a hybrid form comprising a Celtic form and a Germanic suffix -ingen. This may be so since in the area between the second and fourth centuries the area around the present day German university town of Tübingen was settled by a Celtic tribe with Germanic tribal elements mixed in. The element tub- in Tübingen could possibly arise from a Celtic dubo-, s.m., 'dark, black; sad; wild'. As found in the Anglo-Irish
placenames of Dublin, Devlin
, Dowling, Doolin
and Ballindoolin. Perhaps the reference is to the darkness of the river waters that flow near the town; if so then the name can be compared to the English Tubney, Tubbanford, Tub Mead and Tub Hole in England. Compare the late Vulgar Latin tubeta 'morass', from Gaulish. The root is found in Old Irish dub > Irish
dubh, Old Welsh dub > Welsh
du, Old Cornish duw > Middle Cornish du, Breton
du Gaulish dubo-, dubis, all meaning 'black; dark'
Second element from Celtic *magos, 'plain, field'
From Celtic *(φ)erkunos 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin jugum 'summit'
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
)
Perhaps from Celtic *genu- 'mouth [of a river]'. (However, this Ligurian place-name, as well as that of Genava (modern Geneva
), probably derive the Proto-Indo-European
root *ĝenu- 'knee', see Pokorny, IEW http://www.ieed.nl/cgi-bin/response.cgi?flags=eygtnrl&single=1&basename=/data/ie/pokorny&text_recno=571&root=leiden.)
Unclear. First element looks like Latin medius 'middle'. Second element may be Celtic *landā 'land, place' (Welsh llan); or, *plan- > *lan-, a Celtic cognate of Latin plānus 'plain', with typical Celtic loss of /p/.
From Celtic *lug- 'Lugus
' (divine name) or perhaps 'light' + *dūnon 'fortress'
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd) + *magos 'field, plain'
Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
).
Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
From Celtic *diwā- 'goddess; holy, divine' (Scottish Gaelic dia 'god').
Castile
From *segu-, conjectured to be Celtic for 'victorious', 'strength' or 'dry' (theories).
Galicia
Possibly from Celtic *tames- 'dark' (cf. Celtic *temeslos > Welsh tywyll 'darkness'). Other theories.
From Celtic *ok-ro- 'acute; promontory' and Celtic *brigs 'hill'.
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated', or divine name Brigantia
, or from Celtic *brigantīnos 'chief, king'.
From Celtic *dūnon 'fortress' + Celtic *brīwa 'bridge'.
From Celtic *dubr- 'water', *dubrās 'waters' (Welsh dwfr).
From Celtic *lemo- 'elm'.
From Celtic *nemeton 'sanctuary'.
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd).
, has many Celtic (Gaulish
) toponyms. This oldest layer of names was overlaid with Latin names in the Gallo-Roman period and from the medieval period with Alemannic German
names and Romance ones.
For some names, there is uncertainty whether they are Gaulish or Latin in origin.
In some rare cases, such as Frick
, there have even been competing suggestions of Gaulish, Latin and Alemannic etymologies.
Examples of toponyms with established Gaulish etymology:
are anglicized Irish language
names.
of Scotland
(part of the United Kingdom
) are either Scottish Gaelic or anglicized Scottish Gaelic. Gaelic-derived placenames are very common in the rest of mainland Scotland
also. Pictish
-derived placenames can be found in the northeast, while Brythonic-derived placenames can be found in the south.
(a Crown Dependency
) are Manx
or anglicized Manx. For examples, see List of places in the Isle of Man.
town of Wisbech hint at this. West Walton
, Walsoken
, and the Walpoles indicate the continued presence of an indigenous population, and Wisbech
, King's Lynn
and Chatteris
retain proto-Celtic topographical elements. Villages which exhibit Tydd in their name, e.g. Tydd St. Giles
may obtain that element from the Brythonic word for "small holding". Compare the Welsh "tyddyn". Saxon Etheldreda
's 'Liber Eliensis
' documents the Fenland
tribe of the Girvii (Gywre), who are cited elsewhere as being an independent people with dark hair and their own (Brythonic?) language. It is entirely possible that the Girvii were formed in part by migrating Britons, displaced by Saxon settlers after the legions left the Isles.
From Celtic *ardu- 'high' (Irish ard)
From Brythonic *abona 'river' (Welsh afon)
From Celtic *iska 'water' (Irish uisce)
First element from Celtic *briga 'hill'
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
)
From *kamulos 'Camulus
' (divine name) + Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
First element from Brythonic *crüg 'hill'
From tribal name Dumnonii
or Dumnones, from Celtic *dumno- 'deep', 'world'
From Celtic *dubr- 'water', *dubrās 'waters' (Welsh dwfr)
First element from Celtic *dūro- 'fort'; in Dūrobrīvae, Celtic *brīwa 'bridge'
From Celtic *iska 'water' (Irish uisce); second element in Isca Dumnoniorum (Exeter) is a tribal name (see Devon)
From Brythonic *lēd- [from Celtic *leito-] + *rïd- [from Celtic *(φ)ritu-] = "Grey Ford"
From Celtic *lindo- 'pool' + Latin colonia 'colony'
From Celtic *mamm- 'breast' (referring to the shape of a hill)
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd) + *magos 'field, plain'
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill, top, head, chief' (Welsh pen) + possibly *kelli 'to stand' (Welsh gelli)
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill, top, head, chief' (Welsh pen) + *koid- 'wood' (Welsh coed), or *cēd- 'wood'
First element from Brythonic *penn- 'hill, top, head, chief' (Welsh pen 'head, end, chief, supreme') = Irish ceann 'head', from Proto-Celtic *kwenno-
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill' (Welsh pen)
From English lower + Brythonic *penn- 'hill'
Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
First element conjectured to be Celtic for 'victorious', 'strength' or 'dry' (theories). Second element is Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'.
From Celtic *seno- 'old' + *dūnon 'fortress'
Possibly from Celtic *tames- 'dark' (cf. Celtic *temeslos > Welsh tywyll 'darkness'). Other theories.
'Of the Trinovantes
', a tribal name, perhaps 'very energetic people' from Celtic *tri- (intensive) + *now- 'energetic', related to *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd)
From Brythonic *weru- 'broad' + *lam- 'hand' [from Celtic *(φ)lāmā] (Welsh llaw, Irish láimh)
First element from Celtic *windo- 'white' (Welsh gwyn); in Vindolanda, Celtic *landā 'land, place' (Welsh llan). In Vindomora, second element could be 'sea' (Welsh môr, Irish muir).
From Celtic *eburo- 'yew'
Linguistic evidence for Celtic place-names in present-day England can be found in names such as Leatherhead or Litchfield. In addition, evidence of Celtic populations can be found from those place-names including the Old English element 'wealh', meaning 'foreigner', 'Briton' or 'stranger'. Such names are a minority but are widespread across England. For example, a smattering of villages around the Fenland
town of Wisbech
hint at this: West Walton
, Walsoken
, and the Walpoles indicate the continued presence of an indigenous population, and Wisbech, King's Lynn
and Chatteris
retain Celtic topographical elements. Saxon
Etheldreda's 'Liber Eliensis
' documents the Fenland tribe of the Girvii (Gyrwas
), who are cited elsewhere as being an independent people with dark hair and their own (Brythonic
?) language. It is entirely possible that the Girvii were formed in part by migrating Britons, displaced by Saxon settlers after the Roman legions left the British Isles.
(part of the United Kingdom) are either Welsh
or anglicized Welsh.
(part of England) are either Cornish
or anglicized Cornish. For examples, see List of places in Cornwall.
(part of France
) are either Breton
or derived from Breton. For examples, see :Category:Towns in Brittany.
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
origin. These names are found throughout continental Europe, the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and latterly through various other parts of the globe not originally occupied by Celts.
Celtic languages
The Proto-Indo-European languageProto-Indo-European language
The Proto-Indo-European language is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans...
developed into various daughter languages including Proto-Celtic. In Proto-Celtic, the Proto-Indo-European sound *p disappeared, perhaps through an intermediate *ɸ. After that, Proto-Celtic split into P-Celtic and Q-Celtic
P-Celtic and Q-Celtic
There are two main competing schemata of categorisation of Celtic languages. The older P-Celtic/Q-Celtic hypothesis links Gaulish with Brythonic as P-Celtic and links Goidelic with Celtiberian as Q-Celtic. The difference between P and Q languages is the treatment of Proto-Celtic *kw, which became...
dialects. In P-Celtic dialects, Proto-Indo-European *kw changed into *p. In Q-Celtic dialects it stayed as *kw, eventually developing into /k/ in the modern Gaelic
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
languages (usually written c).
Ancient P-Celtic languages include Gaulish
Gaulish language
The Gaulish language is an extinct Celtic language that was spoken by the Gauls, a people who inhabited the region known as Gaul from the Iron Age through the Roman period...
(continental) and Brythonic
Brythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
(British Isles). Brythonic is the ancestor of Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
and Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
.
Ancient Q-Celtic languages include Celtiberian
Celtiberian language
Celtiberian is an extinct Indo-European language of the Celtic branch spoken by the Celtiberians in an area of the Iberian Peninsula lyingbetween the headwaters of the Duero, Tajo, Júcar and Turia rivers and the Ebro river...
(continental) and Goidelic
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
(British Isles). Goidelic is the ancestor of the Gaelic languages Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, Scottish Gaelic and Manx
Manx language
Manx , also known as Manx Gaelic, and as the Manks language, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, historically spoken by the Manx people. Only a small minority of the Island's population is fluent in the language, but a larger minority has some knowledge of it...
.
Frequent elements
- Celtic *briga 'hill, high place' > Irish brí 'hill'
- Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated'; used as a feminine divine name, rendered BrigantiaBrigantia (goddess)Brigantia was a goddess in Celtic religion of Late Antiquity.In the interpretatio Romana, she was equated with Victoria...
in Latin - Celtic *brīwa 'bridge'
- Celtic *dūnon 'fortress' > Irish dún 'fortress', cf. Welsh dinas 'city'
- Celtic *dūro- 'fort'
- Celtic *kwenno- 'head' > Brythonic *penn-, Welsh pen 'head, end, chief, supreme', Irish ceann 'head'
- Celtic *magos 'field, plain', Irish magh 'plain'
- Celtic *windo- 'white, fair, blessed' > Welsh gwyn / gwen 'white, blessed', Old Irish find, Irish fionn 'fair'
Austria
- BregenzBregenz-Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team....
, VorarlbergVorarlbergVorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
, Latin Brigantium
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
Brigantia (goddess)
Brigantia was a goddess in Celtic religion of Late Antiquity.In the interpretatio Romana, she was equated with Victoria...
)
- Wien, English ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Latin VindobonaVindobonaVindobona was originally a Celtic settlement, and later a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. Around 15 BC, the kingdom of Noricum was included in the Roman Empire...
From Celtic *windo- 'white' (Welsh gwyn) + *bona 'base, foundation' (Welsh bôn 'base, bottom, stump')
Belgium
- ArdennesArdennesThe Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
, Latin Arduenna Silva
From divine name Arduinna
Arduinna
In Celtic mythology, Arduinna was the eponymous goddess of the Ardennes Forest and region, represented as a huntress riding a boar . Her cult originated in what is today known as Ardennes, a region of Belgium, Luxembourg and France...
, from Celtic *ardu- 'high' (Irish ard) + Latin silva 'forest'
France
It has such a large number of Celtic place-names, that it is quite impossible to list them all, even in a specific article.Almost all the main cities everywhere in France have a Celtic name (the original Gaulish one or the name of the Gaulish tribe), except in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, where there are sometimes Greek or Latin and in the Basque Country
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....
.
- AmiensAmiensAmiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
- AngersAngersAngers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
- ArgentanArgentanArgentan is a commune, and the seat of two cantons and of an arrondissement in the Orne department in north-western France.Argentan is located NE of Rennes, ENE of the Mont Saint-Michel, SE of Cherbourg, SSE of Caen, SW of Rouen and N of Le Mans....
, Argenton (Argenton, Lot-et-GaronneArgenton, Lot-et-GaronneArgenton is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Lot-et-Garonne department...
, Argenton-les-ValléesArgenton-les-ValléesArgenton-les-Vallées is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France. It is situated in the valley of the River Argenton, from which it takes its name....
, Argenton-l'ÉgliseArgenton-l'ÉgliseArgenton-l'Église is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France. It is located on the River Argenton about northwest of Thouars and northeast of Bressuire....
, Argenton-Notre-DameArgenton-Notre-DameArgenton-Notre-Dame is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France....
, Argenton-sur-CreuseArgenton-sur-CreuseArgenton-sur-Creuse is a commune in the Indre department in central France. It lies on the Creuse River, 19 m. SSW of Châteauroux, close to the A20 motorway.-History:...
, Argenton River) - ArrasArrasArras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
- ArlesArlesArles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
- AutunAutunAutun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
- BayeuxBayeuxBayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
< (CivitasCivitasIn the history of Rome, the Latin term civitas , according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the cives, or citizens, united by law . It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities on the one hand and rights of citizenship on the other...
) Baiocassensis; former Augustodurum. 'forumForum (Roman)A forum was a public square in a Roman municipium, or any civitas, reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, along with the buildings used for shops and the stoas used for open stalls...
dedicated to AugustusAugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian... - BourgesBourgesBourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
- BriançonBriançonBriançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
< Brigantium
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
Brigantia (goddess)
Brigantia was a goddess in Celtic religion of Late Antiquity.In the interpretatio Romana, she was equated with Victoria...
)
- Brive-la-GaillardeBrive-la-GaillardeBrive-la-Gaillarde is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Corrèze department. The population of the urban area was 89,260 as of 1999. Although it is by far the biggest commune in Corrèze, the capital is Tulle.-History:...
- Brives
- CaenCaenCaen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
< Catumagus. From Old Celtic catu- 'battle' 'fight' 'combat', Old Irish cath (gen. catho) 'combat' 'batalion' 'troop', Breton -kad /-gad, Welsh cad 'combat' 'troop'. The general meaning could be 'battlefield' - CahorsCahorsCahors is the capital of the Lot department in south-western France.Its site is dramatic being contained on three sides within an udder shaped twist in the river Lot known as a 'presqu'île' or peninsula...
- ChambordChambord (disambiguation)Chambord can refer to:* Château de Chambord, a French château built in the 16th century* Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, the French commune where the château is located* Chambord, Eure, a commune in the Eure département of France...
- CarentanCarentanCarentan is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France near the port city of Cherbourg-Octeville. Carentan has a population somewhat over 6,000 and is now administratively organized as a commune in the Manche department...
< Carentomagus, Idem Charenton, etc. - Divodurum (Latin), now MetzMetzMetz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, LorraineLorraine (région)Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
From Celtic *diwo- 'god, holy, divine' (Scottish Gaelic dia 'god') + *dūro- 'fort'
- ÉvreuxÉvreuxÉvreux is a commune in the Eure department, of which it is the capital, in Haute Normandie in northern France.-History:In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century CE, was named Mediolanum Aulercorum, "the central town of the Aulerci", the Gallic tribe then inhabiting the area...
< (Civitas) Eburovicensis ; former Mediolanum - LaonLaonLaon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
, AisneAisneAisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
, Latin LugdunumLugdunumColonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum was an important Roman city in Gaul. The city was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus. It served as the capital of the Roman province Gallia Lugdunensis. To 300 years after its foundation Lugdunum was the most important city to the west part of Roman...
Clavatum - LillebonneLillebonneLillebonne is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It lies miles north of the Seine and east of Le Havre by railway.-History:...
- LimogesLimogesLimoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
- LisieuxLisieuxLisieux is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Lisieux is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland...
< (Civitas) Lexoviensis ; former Noviomagus 'new market', Old Celtic noviios 'new'. - LugdunumLugdunumColonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum was an important Roman city in Gaul. The city was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus. It served as the capital of the Roman province Gallia Lugdunensis. To 300 years after its foundation Lugdunum was the most important city to the west part of Roman...
Convenarum (Latin), now Saint-Bertrand-de-CommingesSaint-Bertrand-de-CommingesSaint-Bertrand-de-Comminges is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. It is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association.-History:...
, Haute-GaronneHaute-GaronneHaute-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city is Toulouse.-History:Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.The... - LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Rhône, Latin Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta LugdunumLugdunumColonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum was an important Roman city in Gaul. The city was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus. It served as the capital of the Roman province Gallia Lugdunensis. To 300 years after its foundation Lugdunum was the most important city to the west part of Roman...
From Celtic *lug- 'Lugus
Lugus
Lugus was a deity of the Celtic pantheon. His name is rarely directly attested in inscriptions, but his importance can be inferred from placenames and ethnonyms, and his nature and attributes are deduced from the distinctive iconography of Gallo-Roman inscriptions to Mercury, who is widely believed...
' (divine name) or perhaps 'light' + *dūnon 'fortress'
- Lemonum (Latin), now PoitiersPoitiersPoitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
, VienneVienneVienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...
First element from Celtic *lemo- 'elm'.
- NantNAntNAnt is a free and open source software tool for automating software build processes. It is similar to Apache Ant, but targeted at the .NET environment rather than Java...
, Nans - NantesNantesNantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
- NanteuilNanteuilNanteuil is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.-References:*...
- NanterreNanterreNanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
- Noviomagus Lexoviorum (Latin), now LisieuxLisieuxLisieux is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Lisieux is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland...
, CalvadosCalvadosThe French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast... - Noviomagus Tricastinorum (Latin), now Saint-Paul-Trois-ChâteauxSaint-Paul-Trois-ChâteauxSaint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-See also:*Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Cathedral*Tricastin*Communes of the Drôme department-External links:*...
, DrômeDrômeDrôme , a department in southeastern France, takes its name from the Drôme River.-History:The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution... - NoyonNoyonNoyon is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.It lies on the Oise Canal, 100 km north of Paris.-History:...
, OiseOiseOise is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise.-History:Oise is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, Latin Noviomagus Veromanduorum
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd) + *magos 'field, plain'
- Périgueux
- Samarobrīva (Latin), now AmiensAmiensAmiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, SommeSommeSomme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
"Bridge on the [river] Somme". River name Samara + Celtic *brīwa 'bridge'.
- OisselOissel-Population:-People:* Daniel Horlaville, footballer born in 1945.* Raoul Grimoin-Sanson , cinematographic inventor.* Grégory Tafforeau, footballer born in 1976.* Thierry Foucaud, 1954-, Politician.-Places of interest:...
, Oisseau-le-PetitOisseau-le-PetitOisseau-le-Petit is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-References:*...
, several Ussel, etc. - PierremandePierremandePierremande is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
- ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- RennesRennesRennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
- RouenRouenRouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
< Rotomagus, sometimes Ratómagos or Ratumacos (on the coins of the Veliocassi tribe). It can be roto-, the word for 'wheel' or 'race', cf. Old Irish roth 'wheel' 'race' or Welsh rhod 'wheel' 'race'. Magos is surer here : 'field', 'plain' or later 'market' cf. Old Irish mag (gen. maige) 'field' 'plain', Old Breton ma 'place'. The whole thing could mean 'hippodrome', 'racecourse' or 'wheel market'. - VandœuvresVandœuvresVandœuvres is a municipality of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland.-Geography:Vandoeuvres has an area, , of . Of this area, or 39.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 5.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 55.1% is settled .Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up...
, VendeuvreVendeuvre-Sites of interest:*Château de Vendeuvre and its gardens with labyrinth, cascades, kiosk, temple, cave with shells.-References:*... - VernonVernon-USA:*Vernon, Alabama*Vernon, California*Lake Vernon, California*Vernon, Colorado*Vernon, Connecticut*Vernon, Florida*Vernon, Illinois*Vernon, Indiana*Vernon Parish, Louisiana*Vernon, Michigan...
< Vernomagus. There are other Vernon in France, but they come directly from Vernō 'place of the alder-trees'. 'plain of the alder-trees'. uernā 'alder-tree', Old Irish fern, Breton, Welsh gwern, dial. French verne / vergne. - VeuvesVeuvesVeuves is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department in central France....
, VovesVovesVoves is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Vion
Germany
- AlzenauAlzenauAlzenau is a town in the north of the Aschaffenburg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. The epithet “in Unterfranken” , now dropped, was to distinguish it from another Alzenau since 1945 no longer in Germany...
From Celtic alisa, s.f., 'alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
'. (Compare the modern German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Erlenbach) and Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
(OHG) aha, s.n., 'flowing water'.
- de Amarahe (?), a lost river name near FuldaFuldaFulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
c. 800800Year 800 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. It was around this time that the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years, so from this time on, the years began being known as 800 and onwards.- Europe :* December 25 - Pope Leo III...
CE - Amerbach, a stream near Groß-UmstadtGroß-UmstadtGroß-Umstadt is a town in the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany. It is near Darmstadt and Frankfurt on the northern border of the Odenwald and is on the edge of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region. The highest point of the town is the Heidelberg .The population is...
, BabenhausenBabenhausenBabenhausen is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:It is situated on the river Gersprenz, 25 km southeast of Frankfurt, and 14 km west of Aschaffenburg. South of its general borders, the mountain range of the Odenwald is situated about 15 km away...
, Ober-RamstadtOber-RamstadtOber-Ramstadt is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 9 km southeast of Darmstadt. As of 2006, its population was 15,196.-Location:... - AmmerAmmer (Neckar)The Ammer is a small river in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, a tributary of the Neckar.It has its source southwest of Herrenberg. Along the southern edge of the Schönbuch, it flows through Herrenberg, Ammerbuch, Unterjesingen and Tübingen, before it discharges into the Neckar at Tübingen-Lustnau after...
- Ammerbach
- Ammergraben, a stream near Harpertshausen
- AmorbachAmorbachAmorbach is a town in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany, with some 4,100 inhabitants .- Location :...
, a stream near MümlingMümlingThe Mümling is a river in Germany. It is long and lends its name to the Mümlingtal in Odenwald. In Bavaria it is sometimes called Mömling in official documents.- Etymology :...
and the village named after it. - Amorsbrunn
- Wald-Amorbach
Perhaps from Celtic ambara, 'channel, river'. Compare Indo-European *amer-, 'channel, river' > Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
ἀμάρη (amárē), 'channel'. Or, from Celtic amara, 'spelt
Spelt
Spelt is a hexaploid species of wheat. Spelt was an important staple in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval times; it now survives as a relict crop in Central Europe and northern Spain and has found a new market as a health food. Spelt is sometimes considered a subspecies of the...
, a type of grain'.
- Annelsbach a suburb of Höchst
- AnsbachAnsbachAnsbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
in Mittelfranken originally Onoltesbah 837837Year 837 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Pietro Tradonico is elected Doge of Venice.* Uen succeeds Drest IV as king of the Picts....
CE
From Celtic *onno-, 'ash tree
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
' plus a OHG bach, 'small river'.
- Boiodurum, now Innstadt, Passau, Niederbayern
First element is Celtic *Boio-, tribal name (Boii
Boii
The Boii were one of the most prominent ancient Celtic tribes of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul , Pannonia , in and around Bohemia, and Transalpine Gaul...
)), possibly 'cattle-owner' (cf. Irish bó 'cow') or 'warrior'. Second element is Celtic *dūro- 'fort'.
- BonnBonnBonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
From Celtic *bona 'base, foundation' (Welsh bôn 'base, bottom, stump')
- BoppardBoppardBoppard is a town in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, lying in the Rhine Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It belongs to no Verbandsgemeinde. The town is also a state-recognized tourism resort and is a winegrowing centre.-Location:Boppard lies on the upper Middle...
From Gaulish Boudobriga, "hill of victory". Containing the elements *boudo- 'victory' (Welsh budd 'gain, benefit') + *briga, 'hill'.
- DürenDürenDüren is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, capital of Düren district. It is located between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.-Roman era:Celts inhabited Düren's area before the Romans. They called their small settlement Durum . After the Celts other Germanic tribes settled this area...
, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Latin Durum
From Celtic *dūro- 'fort'
- Hercynia SilvaHercynian ForestThe Hercynian Forest was an ancient and dense forest that stretched eastward from the Rhine River across southern Germany and formed the northern boundary of that part of Europe known to writers of antiquity. The ancient sources are equivocal about how far east it extended...
(Latin), a vast forest including the modern Black ForestBlack ForestThe Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
From Celtic *(φ)erkunos 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin silva 'forest'
- Kempten im AllgäuKempten im AllgäuKempten is the largest town in Allgäu, a region in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. The population was ca 61,000 in 2006. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later overtaken by the Romans, who called the town Cambodunum...
, BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Latin Cambodūnum
Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
- MainzMainzMainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin Moguntiacum
From Celtic *mogunt-, 'mighty, great, powerful', used as a divine name (see Mogons
Mogons
Mogons or Moguns was a god worshipped in Roman Britain and in Gaul. The main evidence is from altars dedicated to the god by Roman soldiers, but the deity is not a native Italic one. It appears to be Celtic. Inscriptional spellings include Mogetios, Mogounos, Mogti, Mounti, Mogont, Mogunt. Not all...
)
- Meggingen
From Celtic *mago-, 'plain, field'
- Neumagen-DhronNeumagen-DhronNeumagen-Dhron is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is also the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Neumagen-Dhron and a state-recognized tourism community...
, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin Noviomagus Trevirorum - Noviomagus Nemetum (Latin), now SpeyerSpeyerSpeyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, Rheinland-Pfalz
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd) + *magos 'field, plain'
- TübingenTübingenTübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
Some have seen this toponym as a hybrid form comprising a Celtic form and a Germanic suffix -ingen. This may be so since in the area between the second and fourth centuries the area around the present day German university town of Tübingen was settled by a Celtic tribe with Germanic tribal elements mixed in. The element tub- in Tübingen could possibly arise from a Celtic dubo-, s.m., 'dark, black; sad; wild'. As found in the Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
placenames of Dublin, Devlin
Devlin
Devlin may refer to:* Devlin * Devlin , a UK MC* Devlin , a 1974 animated TV series by Hanna-Barbera* Devlin, a 1988 novel by Roderick Thorp* Devlin , a 1992 TV movie based on the novel...
, Dowling, Doolin
Doolin
Doolin is a coastal village in County Clare, Ireland, on the Atlantic coast. It borders the spa town of Lisdoonvarna. It is a noted centre of traditional Irish music, which is played nightly in its pubs, making it a popular tourist destination. There are numerous nearby archaeological sites, many...
and Ballindoolin. Perhaps the reference is to the darkness of the river waters that flow near the town; if so then the name can be compared to the English Tubney, Tubbanford, Tub Mead and Tub Hole in England. Compare the late Vulgar Latin tubeta 'morass', from Gaulish. The root is found in Old Irish dub > Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
dubh, Old Welsh dub > Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
du, Old Cornish duw > Middle Cornish du, Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
du Gaulish dubo-, dubis, all meaning 'black; dark'
- WormsWorms, GermanyWorms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin Borbetomagus
Second element from Celtic *magos, 'plain, field'
Hungary
- Hercynium jugumHercynian ForestThe Hercynian Forest was an ancient and dense forest that stretched eastward from the Rhine River across southern Germany and formed the northern boundary of that part of Europe known to writers of antiquity. The ancient sources are equivocal about how far east it extended...
(Latin)
From Celtic *(φ)erkunos 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin jugum 'summit'
Italy
- BrianzaBrianzathumb|250px|The [[Corni di Canzo]].Brianza is a geographical area at the foot of the Alps, in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy.-Geography:...
, Lombardy, Latin Brigantia
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
Brigantia (goddess)
Brigantia was a goddess in Celtic religion of Late Antiquity.In the interpretatio Romana, she was equated with Victoria...
)
- GenovaGénovaGénova may refer to:* Spanish spelling of the city of Genoa, Italy* Génova, Quindío, a municipality in the department of Quindío, Colombia* Génova, Quetzaltenango, a municipality in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala...
, English GenoaGenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Latin Genua
Perhaps from Celtic *genu- 'mouth [of a river]'. (However, this Ligurian place-name, as well as that of Genava (modern Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
), probably derive the Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European language
The Proto-Indo-European language is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans...
root *ĝenu- 'knee', see Pokorny, IEW http://www.ieed.nl/cgi-bin/response.cgi?flags=eygtnrl&single=1&basename=/data/ie/pokorny&text_recno=571&root=leiden.)
- Milano, English MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Latin MediolanumMediolanumMediolanum, the ancient Milan, was an important Celtic and then Roman centre of northern Italy. This article charts the history of the city from its settlement by the Insubres around 600 BC, through its conquest by the Romans and its development into a key centre of Western Christianity and capital...
Unclear. First element looks like Latin medius 'middle'. Second element may be Celtic *landā 'land, place' (Welsh llan); or, *plan- > *lan-, a Celtic cognate of Latin plānus 'plain', with typical Celtic loss of /p/.
Netherlands
- Lugdunum Batavorum (Latin), now KatwijkKatwijkKatwijk is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. It has a population of 61,292.-Location:...
, Zuid-Holland
From Celtic *lug- 'Lugus
Lugus
Lugus was a deity of the Celtic pantheon. His name is rarely directly attested in inscriptions, but his importance can be inferred from placenames and ethnonyms, and his nature and attributes are deduced from the distinctive iconography of Gallo-Roman inscriptions to Mercury, who is widely believed...
' (divine name) or perhaps 'light' + *dūnon 'fortress'
- Nijmegen, Gelderland, Latin Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd) + *magos 'field, plain'
Poland
- LugidunumLegnicaLegnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
(Latin), now LegnicaLegnicaLegnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
, SilesiaSilesiaSilesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
Portugal
- Bragança, Alto Trás-os-Montes, Portugal, Medieval Latin Bregantia 957
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
Brigantia (goddess)
Brigantia was a goddess in Celtic religion of Late Antiquity.In the interpretatio Romana, she was equated with Victoria...
).
Serbia
- SingidunumSingidunumSingidunum is the name for the ancient city in Serbia which became Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It was recorded that a Celtic tribe Scordisci settled the area in the 3rd century BC following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans. The Roman Empire conquered the area in 75 BC and later garrisoned...
(Latin), now Beograd, English BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
Slovenia
- CeljeCeljeCelje is a typical Central European town and the third largest town in Slovenia. It is a regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle at the confluence of the Savinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna...
, latinized Celeia in turn from *keleia, meaning 'shelter' in Celtic
Spain
Asturias and Cantabria- Deva, several rivers in northern Spain, and Ponte DevaPontedevaPontedeva is a small municipality in Ourense in the Galicia region of north-west Spain. It is located to the very west of the province....
, Galicia, Spain.
From Celtic *diwā- 'goddess; holy, divine' (Scottish Gaelic dia 'god').
- Mons Vindius (now Cantabrian MountainsCantabrian MountainsThe Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.They extend for more than approximately 180 miles across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the edges of the Galician Massif close to Galicia, along the coast of the...
), NW Spain. From Celtic *windo- 'white' (Welsh gwyn).
Castile
- SegoviaSegoviaSegovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
, Castile and LeónCastile and LeónCastile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
, Spain, Greek Segoubía.
From *segu-, conjectured to be Celtic for 'victorious', 'strength' or 'dry' (theories).
Galicia
- Tambre river, Galicia (Spain), Latin Tamaris.
Possibly from Celtic *tames- 'dark' (cf. Celtic *temeslos > Welsh tywyll 'darkness'). Other theories.
- O GroveO GroveO Grove , Ogrobe is a municipality belonging to the province of Pontevedra, in Galicia, Spain.A peninsula that faces the Atlantic Ocean and the shores of O Salnés valley, enclosed by the southern Galician estuaries, the so-called "Rías Baixas"....
, Galicia, Spain, Medieval Latin Ogrobre 912
From Celtic *ok-ro- 'acute; promontory' and Celtic *brigs 'hill'.
- BergantiñosBergantiñosBergantiños is a comarca in the Galician Province of A Coruña. The overall population of this local region is 70,698 .-Municipalities:Cabana de Bergantiños, Carballo, Coristanco, A Laracha, Laxe, Malpica de Bergantiños and Ponteceso....
(region), Galicia, Spain, Medieval Latin Bregantinos 830
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated', or divine name Brigantia
Brigantia (goddess)
Brigantia was a goddess in Celtic religion of Late Antiquity.In the interpretatio Romana, she was equated with Victoria...
, or from Celtic *brigantīnos 'chief, king'.
- DumbríaDumbríaDumbría is a municipality of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia....
, Galicia, Spain, Medieval Latin Donobria 830
From Celtic *dūnon 'fortress' + Celtic *brīwa 'bridge'.
- Val do DubraVal do DubraVal do Dubra is a municipality in the autonomous community of Galicia , in the Province of A Coruña....
municipality, and Dubra river, Galicia, Spain
From Celtic *dubr- 'water', *dubrās 'waters' (Welsh dwfr).
- LemosMonforte de LemosMonforte de Lemos is a city and municipality in northwestern Spain, in the province of Lugo, Galicia. It covers an area of 200 km² and lies 62 km from Lugo. As of 2005 it had a population of 19,472. It is located in a valley between the shores of Sil River and Miño River, in the area...
(region), Galicia, Spain, Latin Lemavos, after the local tribe of the Lemavi.
From Celtic *lemo- 'elm'.
- NendosNendosNendos or Nemitos was the name of a historic Galician county in northern Galicia. Its existence is documented from the 6th century in the Suebic Kingdom of Galicia, but due to its etymology, -derived from the celtic name Nemeton, there are insidious of its existence in pre-Roman times. Nendos is...
(region), Galicia, Spain, Medieval Latin Nemitos 830
From Celtic *nemeton 'sanctuary'.
- NoiaNoiaNoia is a town and municipality in Galicia, Spain. It has a population of 14,947 inhabitants , being situated in the Province of A Coruña, some 20 miles west of Santiago de Compostela near the mouth of the Tambre river....
, Galicia, Spain, Greek Nouion.
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd).
Switzerland
Switzerland, especially the Swiss plateauSwiss plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface...
, has many Celtic (Gaulish
Gaulish language
The Gaulish language is an extinct Celtic language that was spoken by the Gauls, a people who inhabited the region known as Gaul from the Iron Age through the Roman period...
) toponyms. This oldest layer of names was overlaid with Latin names in the Gallo-Roman period and from the medieval period with Alemannic German
Alemannic German
Alemannic is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy...
names and Romance ones.
For some names, there is uncertainty whether they are Gaulish or Latin in origin.
In some rare cases, such as Frick
Frick, Switzerland
Frick is a municipality in the district of Laufenburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. A dinosaur graveyard containing more than 100 Plateosaurus was found there in August 2007.-History:...
, there have even been competing suggestions of Gaulish, Latin and Alemannic etymologies.
Examples of toponyms with established Gaulish etymology:
- SolothurnSolothurnThe city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
, from Salodurum. The -durum element means "doors, gates; palisade; town". The etymology of the salo- element is unclear. - ThunThunThun is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland with about 42,136 inhabitants , as of 1 January 2006....
, Berne: dunum "fort" - WindischWindischWindisch is a municipality in the district of Brugg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.-History:Windisch is situated at the site of the Roman legion camp Vindonissa. In 1064 the current municipality was mentioned as Vinse, and in 1175 as Vindisse. Until the 19th Century the official name was...
, Aargau, Latin VindonissaVindonissaVindonissa was a Roman legion camp at modern Windisch, Switzerland. It was probably established in 15 AD. In an expansion around 30, thermal baths were added....
: first element from *windo- "white" - WinterthurWinterthurWinterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti...
, Zürich, Latin Vitudurum or Vitodurum, from vitu "willow" and durum - Yverdon, from Eburodunum, from eburo- "yewTaxus baccataTaxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
" and dunum "fort". - ZürichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Latin Turicum, from a Gaulish personal name Tūros
Ireland
The vast majority of placenames in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
are anglicized Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
names.
Scotland
The majority of placenames in the HighlandsScottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(part of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) are either Scottish Gaelic or anglicized Scottish Gaelic. Gaelic-derived placenames are very common in the rest of mainland Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
also. Pictish
Pictish language
Pictish is a term used for the extinct language or languages thought to have been spoken by the Picts, the people of northern and central Scotland in the Early Middle Ages...
-derived placenames can be found in the northeast, while Brythonic-derived placenames can be found in the south.
Isle of Man
The majority of placenames on the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
(a Crown Dependency
Crown dependency
The Crown Dependencies are British possessions of the Crown, as opposed to overseas territories of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea....
) are Manx
Manx language
Manx , also known as Manx Gaelic, and as the Manks language, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, historically spoken by the Manx people. Only a small minority of the Island's population is fluent in the language, but a larger minority has some knowledge of it...
or anglicized Manx. For examples, see List of places in the Isle of Man.
England (excluding Cornwall)
Evidence for Celts in England (part of the United Kingdom) can be found in place names, such as those including the Old English element, 'wealh', meaning 'foreigner' or 'stranger'. A smattering of villages around the FenlandFenland
Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in March, and covers the neighbouring market towns of Chatteris, Whittlesey, and Wisbech, often called the "capital of the fens"...
town of Wisbech hint at this. West Walton
West Walton
West Walton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of NorfolkThe village is west of Norwich, west-south-west of King's Lynn and north of London. The nearest town is Wisbech which is south of the village. The nearest railway station is at Watlington, Norfolk for the Fen Line...
, Walsoken
Walsoken
Walsoken is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is west of Norwich, west-south-west of King's Lynn and north of London. The nearest town is Wisbech which is east-north-east of the village. The Village straddles the route of the B198 which was the old A47...
, and the Walpoles indicate the continued presence of an indigenous population, and Wisbech
Wisbech
Wisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
, King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
and Chatteris
Chatteris
Chatteris is a civil parish and one of four market towns in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England, situated in The Fens between Huntingdon, March and Ely...
retain proto-Celtic topographical elements. Villages which exhibit Tydd in their name, e.g. Tydd St. Giles
Tydd St. Giles
Tydd St. Giles is a village in Cambridgeshire, England. It was founded in the late 1000s with the building of the church of St. Giles in 1084 on a natural rise in the land of the Fens...
may obtain that element from the Brythonic word for "small holding". Compare the Welsh "tyddyn". Saxon Etheldreda
Æthelthryth
Æthelthryth is the proper name for the popular Anglo-Saxon saint often known, particularly in a religious context, as Etheldreda or by the pet form of Audrey...
's 'Liber Eliensis
Liber Eliensis
The Liber Eliensis is a 12th-century English chronicle and history, written in Latin. Composed in three books, it was written at Ely Abbey on the island of Ely in the fenlands of eastern Cambridgeshire. Ely Abbey became the cathedral of a newly formed bishopric in 1109...
' documents the Fenland
Fenland
Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in March, and covers the neighbouring market towns of Chatteris, Whittlesey, and Wisbech, often called the "capital of the fens"...
tribe of the Girvii (Gywre), who are cited elsewhere as being an independent people with dark hair and their own (Brythonic?) language. It is entirely possible that the Girvii were formed in part by migrating Britons, displaced by Saxon settlers after the legions left the Isles.
- ArdenArden, WarwickshireArden is an area, mainly located in Warwickshire, England, traditionally regarded as stretching from the River Avon to the River Tame.-History:...
(forest), Warwickshire
From Celtic *ardu- 'high' (Irish ard)
- Avon (river), Gloucestershire/Wiltshire/Somerset
- Avon (river), Wiltshire/Hampshire/Dorset
- Avon (river), Northamptonshire/Warwickshire/Worcestershire
- AvonRiver Avon, DevonThe River Avon, also known as the River Aune, is a river in the county of Devon in the south of England. It rises in the southern half of Dartmoor National Park in an area of bog to the west of Ryder's Hill. Close to where the river leaves Dartmoor a dam was built in 1957 to form the Avon reservoir...
or Aune (river), Devon
From Brythonic *abona 'river' (Welsh afon)
- Axe (river), Devon/Dorset
- Axe (river), Somerset
- AxminsterAxminsterAxminster is a market town and civil parish on the eastern border of Devon in England. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe which heads towards the English Channel at Axmouth, and is in the East Devon local government district. It has a population of 5,626. The market is still...
, Devon - AxmouthAxmouthAxmouth is a village and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, near the mouth of the River Axe. The village itself is about 1 km inland, although the parish extends to the sea. The village is near Seaton and Beer...
, Devon
From Celtic *iska 'water' (Irish uisce)
- BreanBreanBrean is a village and civil parish between Weston-super-Mare and Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, England. The name is derived from "Bryn" Brythonic and Modern Welsh for a hill....
, Somerset - BredonBredonBredon is a large village and civil parish in Wychavon District at the southern edge of Worcestershire in England. It lies on the banks of the River Avon on the lower slopes of Bredon Hill, at “the beginning of the Cotswolds”...
, Worcestershire - Breedon on the HillBreedon on the HillBreedon on the Hill is a village and civil parish about north of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in North West Leicestershire, England. The parish adjoins the Derbyshire county boundary and the village is only about south of the Derbyshire town of Melbourne. The 2001 Census recorded a parish population of 958...
, Leicestershire - BrewoodBrewoodBrewood refers both to a settlement, which was once a town but is now a village, in South Staffordshire, England, and to the civil parish of which it is the centre. Located around , Brewood village lies near the River Penk, eight miles north of Wolverhampton city centre and eleven miles south of...
, Staffordshire - BrillBrillBrill is a village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, close to the boundary with Oxfordshire. It is about north-west of Long Crendon and south-east of Bicester...
, Buckinghamshire
First element from Celtic *briga 'hill'
- BrentRiver BrentThe Brent is a river within Greater London which is a tributary of the River Thames. It is 17.9 miles long, running north-east to south-west, and it joins the Thames on the Tideway at Brentford, Hounslow.- Hydronymy and etymology :...
(river), Greater London - BrentfordBrentfordBrentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
, Greater London
From Celtic *brigant- 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia
Brigantia (goddess)
Brigantia was a goddess in Celtic religion of Late Antiquity.In the interpretatio Romana, she was equated with Victoria...
)
- CamulodunumCamulodunumCamulodunum is the Roman name for the ancient settlement which is today's Colchester, a town in Essex, England. Camulodunum is claimed to be the oldest town in Britain as recorded by the Romans, existing as a Celtic settlement before the Roman conquest, when it became the first Roman town, and...
(Latin), now ColchesterColchesterColchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, Essex
From *kamulos 'Camulus
Camulus
In the ancient Celtic pantheon, Camulus or Camulos was a theonym for a god whom the Romans equated with Mars by interpretatio romana. He was an important god of early Britain and Gaul, especially among the Belgae and the Remi, a Gaulish tribe who lived in the area of modern Belgium. At Rindern,...
' (divine name) + Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
- Creech St MichaelCreech St MichaelCreech St. Michael is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated three miles east of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The village has a population of 2,464...
, Somerset - CrewkerneCrewkerneCrewkerne is a town in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil and east of Chard in the South Somerset district close to the border with Dorset. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Woolminstone and Henley...
, Somerset - CrichCrichCrich is a village in Derbyshire in England. It has the National Tramway Museum inside the Crich Tramway Village, and at the summit of Crich Hill above, a Memorial Tower for those of the Sherwood Foresters regiment who died in battle, particularly in World War I.Built in 1923 on the site of an...
, Derbyshire - Cricket St ThomasCricket St ThomasCricket St Thomas is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated in a valley beside the A30 road between Chard and Crewkerne in the South Somerset district.The village has a population of 50...
, Somerset - Crickheath, Shropshire
- CrickladeCrickladeCricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire in England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester.On 25 September 2011 Cricklade was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's 'Champion of Champions' award in the Britain in Bloom competition.Cricklade is twinned with...
, Wiltshire
First element from Brythonic *crüg 'hill'
- DeverRiver DeverThe River Dever is a river in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Test.The river rises alongside the A33 at around and flows west through the villages of Micheldever, Weston Colley, Stoke Charity, Wonston, Sutton Scotney, Upper and Lower Bullington, Barton Stacey, and...
(river), Hampshire - Deverill (river), Wiltshire
- DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, Latin DumnoniaDumnoniaDumnonia is the Latinised name for the Brythonic kingdom in sub-Roman Britain between the late 4th and late 8th centuries, located in the farther parts of the south-west peninsula of Great Britain...
From tribal name Dumnonii
Dumnonii
The Dumnonii or Dumnones were a British Celtic tribe who inhabited Dumnonia, the area now known as Devon and Cornwall in the farther parts of the South West peninsula of Britain, from at least the Iron Age up to the early Saxon period...
or Dumnones, from Celtic *dumno- 'deep', 'world'
- DoverDoverDover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, Kent, Latin Dubris
From Celtic *dubr- 'water', *dubrās 'waters' (Welsh dwfr)
- Durobrivae (Latin), now Rochester, Kent and Water NewtonWater NewtonWater Newton is a village on the northern border of the English county of Cambridgeshire.It is in the district of Huntingdonshire between the River Nene and the A1 trunk road...
, Cambridgeshire - Durovernum CantiacorumDurovernum CantiacorumDurovernum Cantiacorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Canterbury, located in the English county of Kent. It occupied a strategic location on Watling Street, at the convergence of the roads coming from the rest of the Roman Empire via the ports of Dubris ,...
(Latin), now CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Kent
First element from Celtic *dūro- 'fort'; in Dūrobrīvae, Celtic *brīwa 'bridge'
- ExeRiver ExeThe River Exe in England rises near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, near the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south coast of Devon...
(river), Devon/Somerset - Nether ExeNether ExeNether Exe or Netherexe is a very small village and civil parish in Devon, England. It lies near the River Exe, as its name suggests, about north of Exeter....
, Devon - Up ExeReweRewe is a village and civil parish in the county of Devon in England. It lies on the river Culm, north of the city of Exeter and south of the town of Tiverton. Rewe is a linear village, with most of its buildings lying along the A396 road about north of the larger village of Stoke Canon...
, Devon - ExebridgeExebridgeExebridge is a village that lies on the border between Devon and Somerset, England. It lies at the confluence of the Barle and Exe rivers. Exebridge is named so because of the bridge over the River Exe that also marks the border between Devon and Somerset. It is located at ....
, Devon - ExfordExford, SomersetExford is a rural village at the centre of Exmoor, north-west of Dulverton, and south-west of Minehead, in Somerset, England. Less than a mile away is the hamlet of Lyncombe....
, Somerset - ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Devon, Latin Isca DumnoniorumIsca DumnoniorumIsca Dumnoniorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia and the capital of Dumnonia in the sub-Roman period. Today it is known as Exeter, located in the English county of Devon.-Fortress:... - ExminsterExminsterExminster is a village situated on the southern edge of the City of Exeter on the western side of the Exeter ship canal and River Exe in the county of Devon, England. It is around south of the centre of Exeter, and has a population of 3,084 . Exminster is an ancient village associated with a Saxon...
, Devon - ExtonExton, SomersetExton is a village and civil parish north-east of Dulverton and south-west of Dunster in Somerset, England. It lies on the River Exe on Exmoor...
, Somerset - ExwickExwickExwick is a suburb of Exeter, England, in the north-west of the City. Its name is derived from the River Exe, which forms its eastern boundary. It is also an Ecclesiastical parish and an electoral ward.-Population:...
, Devon
From Celtic *iska 'water' (Irish uisce); second element in Isca Dumnoniorum (Exeter) is a tribal name (see Devon)
- LeatherheadLeatherheadLeatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
, Surrey
From Brythonic *lēd- [from Celtic *leito-] + *rïd- [from Celtic *(φ)ritu-] = "Grey Ford"
- LincolnLincoln, LincolnshireLincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, Lincolnshire, Latin Lindum Colonia
From Celtic *lindo- 'pool' + Latin colonia 'colony'
- ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Latin Mamucium or Mancunium
From Celtic *mamm- 'breast' (referring to the shape of a hill)
- Noviomagus (Latin), now ChichesterChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, West Sussex and CrayfordCrayfordCrayford is a town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bexley that was an important bridging point in Roman times across the River Cray, a tributary of the River Darent, which is itself a tributary of the River Thames.-History:...
, Kent
From Celtic *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd) + *magos 'field, plain'
- Pengethley, Herefordshire
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill, top, head, chief' (Welsh pen) + possibly *kelli 'to stand' (Welsh gelli)
- Pencoyd, Herefordshire
- PengePengePenge is a suburb of London in the London Borough of Bromley. It is located south east of Charing Cross.-History:Penge was once a small town, which was recorded under the name Penceat in a Saxon deed dating from 957...
, Greater London - PenkethPenkethPenketh is a civil parish in the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is about west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 8,699.The emblem/badge of Penketh is three kingfishers.-History:...
, Cheshire
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill, top, head, chief' (Welsh pen) + *koid- 'wood' (Welsh coed), or *cēd- 'wood'
- Pencraig, Herefordshire
- PendleburyPendleburyPendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
, Greater Manchester - PendletonPendleton, LancashirePendleton is a small village in Ribble Valley, within the county of Lancashire, England. It is close to the towns of Whalley and Clitheroe. The village used to be a secluded village two miles from the A59, Liverpool to York main road, on the north west side of Pendle Hill at the bottom of the Nick...
, Lancashire - PendockPendockPendock is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England, situated about halfway between Tewkesbury and Ledbury.Pendock has two churches, a shop, and a primary school...
, Worcestershire
First element from Brythonic *penn- 'hill, top, head, chief' (Welsh pen 'head, end, chief, supreme') = Irish ceann 'head', from Proto-Celtic *kwenno-
- PennPenn, BuckinghamshirePenn is a village and civil parish in Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of Beaconsfield and east of High Wycombe...
, Buckinghamshire - PennPenn, West MidlandsPenn is an area now divided between Wolverhampton in the West Midlands and South Staffordshire. Originally, it was a village in the historic county of Staffordshire. There is considerable confusion about exactly which areas fall within Penn...
, West Midlands
From Brythonic *penn- 'hill' (Welsh pen)
- Lower PennLower PennLower Penn is a village in South Staffordshire, situated to the south-west of Wolverhampton, West Midlands.The Civil Parish covers the area of the historic Parish of Penn that is not now covered by the city of Wolverhampton and thus covers a wider area than that immediately surrounding the village...
, Staffordshire
From English lower + Brythonic *penn- 'hill'
- Old SarumOld SarumOld Sarum is the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury, in England. The site contains evidence of human habitation as early as 3000 BC. Old Sarum is mentioned in some of the earliest records in the country...
, Wiltshire, Latin Sorviodūnum
Second element from Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'
- Segedunum (Latin), now WallsendWallsendWallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
, Tyne and Wear
First element conjectured to be Celtic for 'victorious', 'strength' or 'dry' (theories). Second element is Celtic *dūnon 'fortress'.
- Sinodun Hills, Berkshire
From Celtic *seno- 'old' + *dūnon 'fortress'
- TaffRiver TaffThe River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...
(river), Welsh Taf, Wales - TamarRiver TamarThe Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
(river), Devon/Cornwall - TameRiver Tame, Greater ManchesterThe River Tame flows through Greater Manchester, England.-Source:The Tame rises on Denshaw Moor in Greater Manchester, close to the border with West Yorkshire but within the historic West Riding of Yorkshire.-Course:...
(river), Greater Manchester - Tame (river), North Yorkshire
- TameRiver Tame, West MidlandsThe River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
(river), West Midlands - TeamRiver TeamThe River Team is a tributary of the River Tyne in Gateshead, England.Its source is near Annfield Plain, where it is known as Kyo Burn. Then changing its name again to Causey Burn as it flows underneath the famous Causey Arch. It then flows past Beamish Museum in County Durham then crosses the...
(river), Tyne and Wear - TemeRiver TemeThe River Teme rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown in Powys, and flows through Knighton where it crosses the border into England down to Ludlow in Shropshire, then to the north of Tenbury Wells on the Shropshire/Worcestershire border there, on its way to join the River Severn south of Worcester...
(river), Welsh Tefeidiad, Wales/Shropshire/Worcestershire - ThamesRiver ThamesThe River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
(river), Latin TamesisTamesisTamesis was the ancient name for the River Thames.Sculptures entitled Tamesis and Isis by Anne Seymour Damer can be found on the bridge at Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. The original terracotta and plaster models were exhibited at the Royal Academy, London, in 1785. They are now on show at the...
Possibly from Celtic *tames- 'dark' (cf. Celtic *temeslos > Welsh tywyll 'darkness'). Other theories.
- TrinovantumTrinovantumTrinovantum, in medieval British legend, is the name given to London in earliest times. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae it was founded by the exiled Trojan Brutus, who called it Troia Nova , which gradually corrupted to Trinovantum...
(Latin), now London
'Of the Trinovantes
Trinovantes
The Trinovantes or Trinobantes were one of the tribes of pre-Roman Britain. Their territory was on the north side of the Thames estuary in current Essex and Suffolk, and included lands now located in Greater London. They were bordered to the north by the Iceni, and to the west by the Catuvellauni...
', a tribal name, perhaps 'very energetic people' from Celtic *tri- (intensive) + *now- 'energetic', related to *nowijo- 'new' (Welsh newydd)
- VerulamiumVerulamiumVerulamium was an ancient town in Roman Britain. It was sited in the southwest of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, Great Britain. A large portion of the Roman city remains unexcavated, being now park and agricultural land, though much has been built upon...
(Latin), now St AlbansSt AlbansSt Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, Hertfordshire
From Brythonic *weru- 'broad' + *lam- 'hand' [from Celtic *(φ)lāmā] (Welsh llaw, Irish láimh)
- VindobalaVindobalaVindobala was a Roman fort at the modern-day hamlet of Rudchester, Northumberland. It was the fourth fort on Hadrian's Wall, after Segedunum , Pons Aelius and Condercum. It was situated about to the west of Condercum. The name Vindobala means “White Strength”...
(Latin), Roman fort in Northumberland - VindolandaVindolandaVindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort just south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England. Located near the modern village of Bardon Mill, it guarded the Stanegate, the Roman road from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth...
(Latin), Roman fort in Northumberland - VindomoraVindomoraVindomora was an auxiliary castra on Dere Street, in the Roman province of Britannia Inferior...
(Latin), Roman fort in County Durham
First element from Celtic *windo- 'white' (Welsh gwyn); in Vindolanda, Celtic *landā 'land, place' (Welsh llan). In Vindomora, second element could be 'sea' (Welsh môr, Irish muir).
- YorkYorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, Greek Ebōrakon, Latin Eboracum or Eburacum
From Celtic *eburo- 'yew'
Linguistic evidence for Celtic place-names in present-day England can be found in names such as Leatherhead or Litchfield. In addition, evidence of Celtic populations can be found from those place-names including the Old English element 'wealh', meaning 'foreigner', 'Briton' or 'stranger'. Such names are a minority but are widespread across England. For example, a smattering of villages around the Fenland
Fenland
Fenland is a local government district in Cambridgeshire, England. Its council is based in March, and covers the neighbouring market towns of Chatteris, Whittlesey, and Wisbech, often called the "capital of the fens"...
town of Wisbech
Wisbech
Wisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
hint at this: West Walton
West Walton
West Walton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of NorfolkThe village is west of Norwich, west-south-west of King's Lynn and north of London. The nearest town is Wisbech which is south of the village. The nearest railway station is at Watlington, Norfolk for the Fen Line...
, Walsoken
Walsoken
Walsoken is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is west of Norwich, west-south-west of King's Lynn and north of London. The nearest town is Wisbech which is east-north-east of the village. The Village straddles the route of the B198 which was the old A47...
, and the Walpoles indicate the continued presence of an indigenous population, and Wisbech, King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
and Chatteris
Chatteris
Chatteris is a civil parish and one of four market towns in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England, situated in The Fens between Huntingdon, March and Ely...
retain Celtic topographical elements. Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
Etheldreda's 'Liber Eliensis
Liber Eliensis
The Liber Eliensis is a 12th-century English chronicle and history, written in Latin. Composed in three books, it was written at Ely Abbey on the island of Ely in the fenlands of eastern Cambridgeshire. Ely Abbey became the cathedral of a newly formed bishopric in 1109...
' documents the Fenland tribe of the Girvii (Gyrwas
Gyrwas
Gyrwas was the name of an Anglo-Saxon population of the Fens, divided into northern and southern groups and recorded in the Tribal Hidage; related to the name of Jarrow....
), who are cited elsewhere as being an independent people with dark hair and their own (Brythonic
Brythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
?) language. It is entirely possible that the Girvii were formed in part by migrating Britons, displaced by Saxon settlers after the Roman legions left the British Isles.
Wales
The vast majority of placenames in WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(part of the United Kingdom) are either Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
or anglicized Welsh.
Cornwall
The vast majority of placenames in CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
(part of England) are either Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
or anglicized Cornish. For examples, see List of places in Cornwall.
Brittany
The majority of placenames in the west of BrittanyBrittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
(part of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) are either Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
or derived from Breton. For examples, see :Category:Towns in Brittany.
See also
- Aber and Inver as place-name elementsAber and Inver as place-name elementsAber and Inver are common elements in place-names of Celtic origin. Both mean "confluence of waters" or "river mouth". Their distribution reflects the geographical influence of the Brythonic and Goidelic language groups respectively.-Aber:...
- List of Celtic place names in Portugal