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Celtic toponymy is the study of place names wholly or partially of
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
origin. These names are found throughout continental Europe,
Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
,
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
and, latterly, through various other parts of the globe not originally occupied by
Celts The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
.


Celtic languages

The
Proto-Indo-European language Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. No direct record of Proto-Indo-European exists; its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-Eu ...
developed into various daughter languages, including the
Proto-Celtic language Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the hypothetical ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a descendant of Proto-Indo-European. It is not attested in writing but has been partly reconstructed through the comparative method. ...
. In Proto-Celtic ("PC"), the Proto-Indo-European ("PIE") sound *''p'' disappeared, perhaps through an intermediate *'. It is a common point between all the Celtic languages. Examples : Latin ''pater'' "father", but Gaulish ''*atir'' / ''ater'' (''atrebo'',
dativ In grammar, the dative case (abbreviated , or sometimes when it is a core argument) is a grammatical case used in some languages to indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action, as in "", Latin for "Maria gave Jacob a drink". In this exampl ...
plural), (Old) Irish ''athair'' / ''athir''.
Pierre-Yves Lambert Pierre-Yves Lambert (born 30 May 1949) is a French linguist and scholar of Celtic studies. He is a researcher at the CNRS and a lecturer at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Celtic linguistics and philology. Lambert is the director of the j ...
, ''La Langue gauloise'', Editions Errance, 1994, p. 16 - 17
After that, languages derived from Proto-Celtic changed PC *''kw'' into either *''p'' or *''k'' (see: P-Celtic and Q-Celtic languages). In P-Celtic languages, PC *''kw'' changed into *''p''. In Q-Celtic dialects it developed into /''k''/. P-Celtic languages include the Continental
Gaulish language Gaulish is an extinct Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switzerl ...
and the Brittonic branch of Insular Celtic.
Common Brittonic Common Brittonic (; ; ), also known as British, Common Brythonic, or Proto-Brittonic, is a Celtic language historically spoken in Britain and Brittany from which evolved the later and modern Brittonic languages. It is a form of Insular Cel ...
is the ancestor of Welsh, Cornish and
Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...
. Ancient Q-Celtic languages include the Continental Celtiberian and the
Goidelic The Goidelic ( ) or Gaelic languages (; ; ) form one of the two groups of Insular Celtic languages, the other being the Brittonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from Ireland through the Isle o ...
branch of Insular Celtic. Goidelic is the ancestor of the Gaelic languages Irish,
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
and Manx. Examples : PIE ''*kʷetwóres'' "four" > * Proto-Italic ''kʷettwōr'' "four" > Latin ''quattuor'' * Proto-Celtic ''kʷetwares'' "four" > Irish ''ceathair'', Scottish Gaelic ''ceithir'' "four", but Gaulish ''petuar os' "fourth", Welsh ''pedwar'' "four", Old Breton ''petguar'' > Breton ''pevar'' "four"


Frequent elements in place-names and their cognates in modern Celtic languages

* Celtic ', suffix : Gaulish ''-(i)acon'' (Latin ''-(i)acum / (i)acus'') < endings ''- '', ''- '', ''-é'', ''-(i)ac'' in Gaul. Brittonic ''*-ocon / -*ogon'' 'place of, property of'; Old Breton ''-oc'' > ''-euc'' > ''-ek'' / ''-eg'' (''-ec''), Welsh ''-(i)og'', etc. * Celtic ' 'base, foundation' > Old Irish ' 'base, stem, stock', Welsh ' 'base, stem, stock' * Celtic ' 'hill, high place'Lambert, p. 37 > Welsh ' 'honourable, respected' (not directly related to Welsh ' 'hill'), Irish ' 'hill; strength, vigour, significance'. * Celtic ' 'high, lofty, elevated'; used as a feminine divine name, rendered Brigantia in Latin, Old Irish 'exalted one', name of a goddess. * Celtic ' 'bridge' * Celtic ' 'water' > Old Irish ' 'water', Welsh Welsh ', Cornish ''dur'', Breton ''dour'' 'water' * Celtic ' 'fortress' > Welsh ' 'city' and ' 'fortress', Irish ' 'fortress' * Celtic ' 'door, gate, forum' > Welsh ', Breton ''dor'' 'door' * Celtic ' 'clearing (wood), assart' > Welsh ''(tir) ial'' * Celtic ' 'head' > Gallo-Brythonic *''penn-'', Welsh ' 'head, end, chief, supreme', Breton ''penn'', but Old Irish ''cenn'' > Irish ' 'head' * Celtic ' 'field, plain' > Welsh ' 'field', Old Irish ''mag'' > Irish ' 'plain' * Celtic ' 'wood', '
sacred enclosure In the study of the history of religions and anthropology, a sacred enclosure refers to any structure intended to separate two spaces: a sacred space and a profane space. Generally, it is a separation wall erected to mark the difference between t ...
', 'sanctuary' > Old Irish ''nemed'' 'sanctuary' * Celtic ' 'ford' > Welsh ''rhyd'' 'ford' * Celtic ' 'white, fair, blessed' > Welsh ' / ' 'white, blessed', Old Irish ', Irish ' 'fair'


European connection

*Brigantes *Cambodunum > Champéon (France, ''Cambdonno'' / ''Cambindonno'' 6-7th century), Champbezon (France, ''Chambedon'' 11th century), Kempten (Germany, ''Camboduno'' 3rd century) *Mediolanum > Meulan (France), Milano (Italy).. *Noviomagus > Nouvion, Nogent, Novion, Nijon, etc. (France), Nijmegen (Netherland); former name of
Chichester Chichester ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester District, Chichester district of West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher ...
, Crayford, England *Ebur(i)acum > Ivry, Évry (France), former name of
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
, England *Epiacum > Epfig (Alsace, France, ''Epiaco'' 12th century); X (unknown location in Great-Britain) *Lugdunum > Lyon, Lion, Loudun, Laon, Lauzun (France), Leiden / Leyde (Netherlands) *Rigomagus > Riom (France), Remagen (Germany) *Segodunum > Suin, Syon (France); X unclear location near Würzburg (Germany) *Vuerodunum > several Verdun (France), Verduno (Italy, Piedmont), Verdú (Spain, Catalonia), Birten (Germany, Xanten)


Continental Celtic


Austria

*
Bregenz Bregenz (; ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost states of Austria, state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switzerland in the wes ...
,
Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( ; ; , , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with the second-highest popu ...
, Latin ''Brigantium'' : from Celtic ' 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia) *Wien, English
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, Latin
Vindobona Vindobona (; from Gaulish ''windo-'' "white" and ''bona'' "base/bottom") was a Roman military camp (or ) in the province of Pannonia, located on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. The settlement area took on a new name in the 13 ...
: from Celtic ' 'white' (Welsh ') + ' 'base, foundation' (Welsh ' 'base, bottom, stump', Irish ' 'bottom, base')


Belgium

*
Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
, Latin ''Arduenna Silva'' : from divine name '' Arduinna'' : from Celtic ' 'high' (Irish ') + Latin ' 'forest' *
Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
: from divine name '' Gontia''


France

Most of the main cities in France have a Celtic name (the original Gaulish one or the name of the Gaulish tribe). *
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...
: from Ambiani, a Celtic tribe, replaces ''Samarobriva'' 'bridge on the river Somme' *
Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...
: from
Andecavi The Andecavi (also Andicavi, Andegavi, or Andigavi) were a Gallic tribe dwelling in Aremorica during the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Andecavi'' (var. ''andic''-, ''andeg''-, ''andig''-) by Pliny (1st c. AD), ''Andecavi'' and ...
, a Celtic tribe, replaces ''Juliomagus'' 'market place dedicated to Julius' *
Argentan Argentan () is a commune and the seat of two cantons and of an arrondissement in the Orne department in northwestern France. As of 2019, Argentan is the third largest municipality by population in the Orne department.
: from ''Argentomagus'' 'silver market', based on ''arganto-'' 'silver' cognate to Old Welsh ''argant'' > ''ariant'', Old Breton ''argant'' > Breton ''arc'hant'' 'silver' + ''magos'' 'market' **several places called '' Argenton'' * Argentorate, now
Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
*
Arles Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...
: from ''Arelate'' *
Arras Arras ( , ; ; historical ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a ...
: from
Atrebates The Atrebates (Gaulish: *''Atrebatis'', 'dwellers, land-owners, possessors of the soil') were a Belgic tribe of the Iron Age and the Roman period, originally dwelling in the Artois region. After the tribes of Gallia Belgica were defeated by Ca ...
, a Celtic tribe, replaces ''Nemetacum'', ''nemeto-'' 'sacred place' + suffix ''-acon'' *Augustonemetum, now
Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, , ; or simply ; ) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area () had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 ...
*
Autun Autun () is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the e ...
: from ''Augustodunum'', 'town dedicated to Augustus' *
Bayeux Bayeux (, ; ) 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 in 1066. It is also known as the fir ...
: from '' Badiocassi'' / ''Bodiocassi'', a Celtic tribe, replaces ''Augustodurum''. ' forum dedicated to
Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...
' *
Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...
: from Biturigi, a Celtic tribe, replaces ''Avaricum'' *
Briançon Briançon (, ) is the sole Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hautes-Alpes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is the highest city in France at an a ...
< ''Brigantium'', from Celtic ' 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia) **several places called ''Briançon'' * Brive < ''Briva'' 'bridge' **several places called '' Brives'' *
Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...
< ''Catumagos'' : from Old Celtic ' 'battle' 'fight' 'combat', Old Irish ' 'battle, battalion, troop', Breton ' /', Welsh ' 'combat, troop'; ' 'field, plain', Old Irish '. The general meaning seems to be 'battlefield' **several places called '' Cahan'', '' Cahon'' *
Cahors Cahors (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the western part of Southern France. It is the smallest prefecture among the 13 departments that constitute the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Region. The capital and main city of t ...
*
Carentan Carentan () is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France, with a population of about 6,000. It is a former commune in the Manche department. On 1 January 2016, it was m ...
: from ''Carentomagus'' **several places called '' Charenton'', etc. * Chambord **several places called '' Chambord'', '' Chambors'', ''Chambourg'' *
Chartres Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...
: from Carnuti, name of a Celtic tribe, replaces Autricum *
Condom A condom is a sheath-shaped Barrier contraception, barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a Sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both external condo ...
: from ''Condatomagus'' **other place : '' Condom-d'Aubrac'' *Divodurum (Latin), now
Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...
,
Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...
, from Celtic ' 'god, holy, divine' (Scottish Gaelic ' 'god') + *' 'fort' *
Douvres Douvres () is a commune in the eastern French department of Ain. Population See also * Communes of the Ain department * Battle of Douvres Radar Station References Communes of Ain Ain communes articles needing translation from F ...
(also the French name of
Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
) from Celtic ''dubron'', ''dubra'' 'water' **several places called ''Douvres'' *Drevant : from ''Derventum'', Celtic ''dervo'' 'oak tree' + suffix ''-entu'' *
Évreux Évreux () is a commune in and the capital of the department of Eure, in the French region of Normandy. History Antiquity In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century AD, was named '' Mediolanum Aulercorum'', "the central town ...
: from Eburovici replaces ''Mediolanum'' (see below) *
Issoudun Issoudun () is a commune in the Indre department, administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is also referred to as ''Issoundun'', which is the ancient name. Geography Location Issoudun is a sub-prefecture, located in the eas ...
* Jort : from ''Divoritum'' 'ford on the river Dives' (Dives from Celtic ''*dewo'' 'stream') *
Lillebonne Lillebonne () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in Northern France. It lies north of the Seine and east of Le Havre. History Before the Roman conquest of Gaul, the site was the capital of the Caletes tribe ...
: from ''Juliobona'' 'foundation dedicated to Julius' *
Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...
*
Lisieux Lisieux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region in northwestern France. It is the capital of the Pa ...
< ''(Civitas) Lexoviensis''; former ''Noviomagus'' 'new market', Old Celtic ' 'new', ' 'field, plain'. *
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
,
Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
, Latin ''
Lugdunum Lugdunum (also spelled Lugudunum, ; modern Lyon, France) was an important Colonia (Roman), Roman city in Gaul, established on the current site of Lyon, France, Lyon. The Roman city was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus, but cont ...
'' : from Celtic ' '
Lugus Lugus (sometimes Lugos or Lug) is a Celtic god whose worship is attested in the epigraphic record. No depictions of the god are known. Lugus perhaps also appears in Ancient Rome, Roman sources and medieval Insular Celts, Insular mythology. Va ...
' (divine name) or perhaps 'light' + *''dūnon'' 'fortress' **several places called ''Lugdunum'' : ''
Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The Ancient Diocese of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held s ...
'', '' Lion-en-Beauce'', ''
Loudun Loudun (; ; Poitevin: ''Loudin'') is a commune in the Vienne department and the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, western France. It is located south of the town of Chinon and 25 km to the east of the town Thouars. The area south of Loudun ...
'', ''
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges (, literally ''Saint-Bertrand of Comminges''; Gascon language, Gascon: ''Sent Bertran de Comenge'') is a Communes of France, commune (municipality) and former episcopal see in the Haute-Garonne Departments of France, ...
'', etc. *Mediolanum : from Celtic **several places called '' Meillant'', ''
Meulan Meulan-en-Yvelines (, before 2010: ''Meulan'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. It hosted part of the Sailing at the 1900 Su ...
'', etc. * Nant **several places called ''Nant'', '' Nans'' *
Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
* Nanteuil **several places called '' Nanteuil'', '' Nantheuil'', '' Nampteuil'', ''Nanteau''.. *
Nanterre Nanterre (; ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807. The eastern part of Nanterre, b ...
(''Nemptu doro'' 5th century) : from ''nemeto-'' 'sacred place' + ''duro-'' 'gate', 'forum' *
Noyon Noyon (; ; , Noviomagus of the Viromandui, Veromandui, then ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department, Northern France. Geography Noyon lies on the river Oise (river), Oise, about northeast of Paris. The ...
, Latin ''Noviomagus Veromanduorum'', from Celtic ' 'new' (Welsh ') + ' 'field, plain' **several places called ''Noviomagus'' : '' Nouvion'', ''Noyen'', ''
Nyons Nyons (; ) is a subprefecture of the Drôme department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. In 2021, the commune had a population of 6,771. Nyons is a sub-prefecture of the department. Its olives have PDO status.
'', '' Nijon'', ''Nojeon'', ''
Lisieux Lisieux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region in northwestern France. It is the capital of the Pa ...
'', ''
Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (; ), sometimes known as -en-Tricastin, is a commune, an administrative region, in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Name The settlement is attested as ''Augusta Tricastinorum'' (1st c. AD), ''Trikastinoi ...
'', etc. *
Oissel Oissel () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. Geography A suburban and light industrial town situated by the banks of the river Seine, just south of Rouen at the junction of the D18 and the ...
**several places called ''
Oisseau Oisseau () is a Communes of France, commune in the Mayenne Departments of France, department in north-western France. See also *Communes of Mayenne References External links Oisseau website
Communes of Mayenne {{Mayenne-geo-stub ...
'', '' Ussel'', etc. * Orange : from
Arausio Orange (; Provençal: ''Aurenja'' or ''Aurenjo'' ) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It is about north of Avignon, on the departmental border with Gard, which follows t ...
, a water god *
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
: from
Parisii (Gaul) The Parisii (; ) were a Gallic tribe that dwelt on the banks of the river Seine during the Iron Age and the Roman era. They lived on lands now occupied by the modern city of Paris, that name a derivation of their ethnonym. Name They ar ...
, name of a Celtic tribe, replaces ''Lukotekia'' / ''Lutetia'' *
Périgueux Périgueux (, ; or ) is a commune in the Dordogne department, in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Périgueux is the prefecture of Dordogne, and the capital city of Périgord. It is also the seat of ...
/ ''
Périgord Périgord ( , ; ; or ) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne department, now forming the northern part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is divided into f ...
'' : from ''Petrocorii'' 'the four armies' * Pierremande < ''Petromantalum'' < ''petro-mantalo-'' 'four road' = 'crossing' *
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
: from Redones, a Celtic tribe, replaces ''Condate'' **several places called Condé, Condat, Candé, etc. *
Riom Riom (; Auvergnat ''Riam'') is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. History Until the French Revolution, Riom was the capital of the province of Auvergne, and the ...
: from ''Rigomagus'' *
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
< ''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 ' (gen. ') 'field' 'plain', Old Breton ' 'place'. The whole thing could mean 'hippodrome', 'racecourse' or 'wheel market'. **several places called ''
Rouans Rouans (; ) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. Population See also *Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department The following is a list of the 207 communes of the Loire-Atlantique department of France. ...
'', '' Ruan'', ''
Rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...
'', etc. * Vandœuvre < ''*vindo-briga'' 'white fortress' **several places called ''Vandœuvres'', '' Vendeuvre'', '' Vendœuvres'' *
Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...
, ''Virodunum'' or ''Verodunum'', from Celtic ' 'high' and ' 'hill, fortress' **several places called ''Verdun'' * Verneuil : from ''verno-'' + ''ialo-'' 'clearing, plain with alder-trees' **several places called '' Verneuil'' * Vernon < ''Vernomagus''. There are other Vernons in France, but they come directly from ''Vernō'' 'place of the alder-trees'. 'plain of the alder-trees'. ''uernā'' 'alder-tree', Old Irish ', Breton, Welsh ', dial. French ' / '. **several places called '' Vernon'' * Veuves : from ''vidua'' 'forest' Voves, Vion **several places called Voves, Vove * Vion : from ''Vidumagus'' 'forest market' **several places called Vion, Vions


Germany

*
Alzenau Alzenau (; until 31 December 2006 officially ''Alzenau i.UFr.'') is a town in the north of the Aschaffenburg (district), Aschaffenburg district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany. Until 1 July 1972 ...
From Celtic ', s.f., '
alder Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...
'. (Compare the modern
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Erlenbach) and
Old High German Old High German (OHG; ) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally identified as the period from around 500/750 to 1050. Rather than representing a single supra-regional form of German, Old High German encompasses the numerous ...
(OHG) ''aha'', s.n., 'flowing water'. *de Amarahe (?), a lost river name near
Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...
c. 800 CE *Amerbach, a stream near
Groß-Umstadt Groß-Umstadt (, , in contrast to " Little Umstadt") is a town in the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg in the Bundesland (federal state) of Hesse in Germany. It is near Darmstadt and Frankfurt, in the southeastern part of the Rhine-Main Metropolitan ...
, Babenhausen,
Ober-Ramstadt Ober-Ramstadt (, , in contrast to ":de:Nieder-Ramstadt, Lower Ramstadt") is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hessen, Germany. It is situated 9 km southeast of Darmstadt. As of 2020, its population was 15,127. Geography Locatio ...
* Ammer * Ammerbach * Ammergraben, a stream near Harpertshausen * Amorbach, a stream near Mümling and the village named after it. * Amorsbrunn * Wald-Amorbach < Perhaps from Celtic ', 'channel, river'. Compare
Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
*', 'channel, river' >
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
ἀμάρη (amárē), 'channel'. Or, from Celtic ', '
spelt Spelt (''Triticum spelta''), also known as dinkel wheat is a species of wheat. It is a relict crop, eaten in Central Europe and northern Spain. It is high in protein and may be considered a health food. Spelt was cultivated from the Neolit ...
, a type of grain'. * Annelsbach a suburb of Höchst *
Ansbach Ansbach ( , ; ) is a city in the Germany, German state of Bavaria. It is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk, administrative region of Mittelfranken, Middle Franconia. Ansbach is southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the river Fränk ...
in Mittelfranken originally Onoltesbah 837 CE : from Celtic '-, '
ash tree ''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae, and comprises 45–65 species of usually medium-to-large trees, most of which are deciduous trees, although some subtropical species are evergr ...
' plus an OHG ''bach'', 'small river'. *Boiodurum, now Innstadt, Passau, Niederbayern : first element is Celtic ', tribal name (
Boii The Boii (Latin language, Latin plural, singular ''Boius''; ) were a Celts, Celtic tribe of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul (present-day Northern Italy), Pannonia (present-day Austria and Hungary), present-day Ba ...
), possibly 'cattle-owner' (''cf''. Irish ' 'cow') or 'warrior'. Second element is Celtic ' 'fort'. *
Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
: from Celtic ' 'base, foundation' (Welsh ' 'base, bottom, stump') * Boppard : from Gaulish ', "hill of victory". Containing the elements ' 'victory' (Welsh ' 'gain, benefit') + ', 'hill'. *
Düren Düren (; Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: Düre) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne, on the river Rur (river), Rur. History Roman era The area of Düren was part of Gallia Belgica, more specifically the ter ...
, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Latin ' : from Celtic ' 'fort' * Hercynia Silva (Latin), a vast forest including the modern
Black Forest The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is th ...
: from Celtic ' 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin ' 'forest' *
Kempten im Allgäu Kempten (; ) is the largest town of Allgäu, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. The population was about 68,000 in 2016. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later taken over by the Romans, who called the town ''Cambodunum''. K ...
,
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
, Latin ''Cambodūnum'' : Celtic ''cambodūnom'', *''cambo-'' 'curved, bent, bowed, crooked', ''dūnon'' 'fortress' *
Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
,
Rheinland-Pfalz Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
, Latin ''Moguntiacum'' : from Celtic ', 'mighty, great, powerful', used as a divine name (see Mogons) + Celtic suffix ''-(i)acon'' * Meggingen : from Celtic ' 'plain, field' * Neumagen-Dhron, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin ''Noviomagus Trevirorum'' *Noviomagus Nemetum (Latin), now
Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...
, Rheinland-Pfalz : from Celtic ' 'new' (Welsh ') + ' 'field, plain' *
Remagen Remagen () is a town in Germany in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Ahrweiler (district), Ahrweiler. It is about a one-hour drive from Cologne, just south of Bonn, the former West Germany, West German seat of government. It i ...
, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin ''Rigomagus'' or ''Ricomagus'' : second element is from Celtic ' 'field, plain'. The first may be a variant of Celtic ' 'king, chief of *touta' *
Tübingen Tübingen (; ) is a traditional college town, university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer (Neckar), Ammer rivers. about one in ...
: maybe hybrid form comprising a Celtic element and a Germanic suffix -''ingen''. 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 people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...
placenames of
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, Devlin, Dowling,
Doolin Doolin () is a coastal village in County Clare, Ireland, on the Atlantic coast. It is southwest of the spa town of Lisdoonvarna and 4 miles from the Cliffs of Moher. It is a noted centre of traditional Irish music, which is played nightly in ...
and Ballindoolin. Perhaps the reference is to the darkness of the river waters that flow near the town cf. river
Doubs Doubs (, ; ; ) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.Tubney, Tubbanford, Tub Hole in England. Compare the late Vulgar Latin ' 'morass', from
Gaulish Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, ...
. The root is found in
Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...
' > Irish ',
Old Welsh Old Welsh () is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic around 550, ha ...
''dub'' > Welsh ',
Old Cornish Cornish ( Standard Written Form: or , ) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. Along with Welsh and Breton, Cornish descends from Common Brittonic, a language once spoken widely across Great Britain. For much o ...
''duw'' >
Middle Cornish Cornish (Standard Written Form: or , ) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. Along with Welsh and Breton, Cornish descends from Common Brittonic, a language once spoken widely across Great Britain. For much of ...
''du'',
Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...
',
Gaulish Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, ...
', ', all meaning 'black; dark' *
Worms The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...
, Rheinland-Pfalz, Latin ''Borbetomagus'' : second element from Celtic ', 'plain, field', first perhaps related to Old Irish 'fierce, violent, rough, arrogant; foolish'


Hungary

* Hercynium jugum (Latin) : from Celtic ' 'oak' or divine name Perkwunos + Latin ' 'summit'


Italy

* Brianza, Lombardy, Latin ''Brigantia'' : from Celtic ' 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia) *
Genova Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitants ...
, Liguria, English
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
, Latin ' : Perhaps from Celtic ' 'mouth f a river. (However, this Ligurian place-name, as well as that of ''Genava'' (modern
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
), probably derive the
Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. No direct record of Proto-Indo-European exists; its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-Euro ...
root *' 'knee'.) *Milano, Lombardy, English
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, Latin ''
Mediolanum Mediolanum, the ancient city where Milan now stands, was originally an Insubres, Insubrian city, but afterwards became an important Ancient Rome, Roman city in Northern Italy. The city was settled by a Celts, Celtic tribe belonging to the Ins ...
'' : from Celtic ''medio-'' 'middle, central' > Old Irish ''mide'' 'middle, centre', Old Breton ''med'', ''met'' > Breton mez 'middle', etc.Xavier Delamarre, ''Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise'', Paris (éditions errance) 2001, p. 221. and ' > ', a Celtic
cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...
of Latin ' 'plain', with typical Celtic loss of /p/ or ' > Old Irish ''lán'', Welsh ''llawn'', Breton ''leun'' 'full' *
Belluno Belluno (; ; ) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the Capital (political), capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region. W ...
, Veneto, Latin ' : from Celtic * 'bright' and *dūnon 'fortress'. *
Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...
, Lombardy, Latin ' : from Celtic ' 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia) *
Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
, Lombardy, Latin ' : from Celtic *briga- 'rocky height or outcrop'. *
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, Emilia Romagna, Latin ' : from Celtic * 'base, foundation' (Welsh 'base, bottom, stump')


Netherlands

*
Lugdunum Batavorum Brittenburg was a Roman ruin site west of Leiden between Katwijk aan Zee and Noordwijk aan Zee, presumably identical to the even older Celtic Lugdunum fortress. The site is first mentioned in 1401, was uncovered more completely by storm erosion ...
(Latin), now
Katwijk Katwijk () is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland, which is situated in the mid-western part of the Netherlands. The Oude Rijn (Utrecht and South Holland), Oude Rijn ("Old Rhine") river flows through the town and i ...
, Zuid-Holland : from Celtic ' '
Lugus Lugus (sometimes Lugos or Lug) is a Celtic god whose worship is attested in the epigraphic record. No depictions of the god are known. Lugus perhaps also appears in Ancient Rome, Roman sources and medieval Insular Celts, Insular mythology. Va ...
' (divine name) or perhaps 'light' + *''dūnon'' 'fortress' *
Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...
, Gelderland, Latin ''Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum'' : from Celtic ' 'new' (Welsh ') + ' 'field, plain'


Poland

* Lugidunum (Latin), now (maybe)
Legnica Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Le ...
,
Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
: second element from Celtic ' 'fortress'


Portugal

*
Braga Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...
, Braga Municipality, Portugal : from Celtic ' after the
Bracari The Bracari or Callaeci Bracari were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, living in the northwest of modern Portugal, in the province of Minho Province, Minho, between the rivers Tâmega river, Tâmega and Cávado River, Cávado. After the con ...
Celts. * Bragança, Alto Trás-os-Montes, Portugal : from Celtic ' 'divine name, Brigantia'. * Beira : from Celtic ' Cailleach/ Cale's other name Cailleach-Bheura or Beira, the Celtic Goddess of mountains, water and Winter. Three Portuguese provinces: Beira-Baixa, Beira-Alta and Beira-Litoral * Vale de Cambra, Portugal : from Celtic ' 'chamber, room'. *
Conímbriga Conímbriga is one of the largest Roman settlements excavated in Portugal, and was classified as a National Monument in 1910. Located in the civil parish of Condeixa-a-Velha e Condeixa-a-Nova, in the municipality of Condeixa-a-Nova, it is situa ...
, Coimbra, Portugal : from Celtic ' 'rocky height or outcrop'. *
Évora Évora ( , ), officially the Very Noble and Ever Loyal City of Évora (), is a city and a municipalities of Portugal, municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of . It is the historic capital of the Alentejo reg ...
, Alentejo, Portugal : from Celtic ' 'plural genitive of the word eburos (trees)'. * Lacobriga, Algarve, Portugal : from Celtic ' 'Lake of Briga'.


Romania

* Băișoara and other sites in
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
* Boian in
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , , Hungarian: ''Nagyszeben'', , Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'' or ''Hermestatt'') is a city in central Romania, situated in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles th ...
,
Boianu Mare Boianu Mare () is a commune in Bihor County, Crișana, Romania with a population of 1,343 people. It is composed of five villages: Boianu Mare, Corboaia (''Korbolyatelep''), Huta (''Hutatelep''), Păgaia (''Úsztató'') and Rugea (''Ruzsatag''). ...
in
Bihor County Bihor County (, ) is a county (județ) in western Romania. With a total area of , Bihor is Romania's 6th largest county geographically and the main county in the historical region of Crișana. Its capital city is Oradea (Nagyvárad). Toponymy ...
, villages coming from
Boii The Boii (Latin language, Latin plural, singular ''Boius''; ) were a Celts, Celtic tribe of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul (present-day Northern Italy), Pannonia (present-day Austria and Hungary), present-day Ba ...
*
Călan Călan (; ; ) is a town in Hunedoara County, Romania. Twelve villages are administered by the town: Batiz (''Batiz''), Călanu Mic (''Kiskalán''), Grid, Nădăștia de Jos (''Alsónádasd''), Nădăștia de Sus (''Felsőnádasd''), Ohaba Streiul ...
city in
Hunedoara Hunedoara (; ; ) is a municipiu, city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in southwestern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, and administers five villages: Boș (''Bós''), Groș (''Grós''), Hășdat (''Hosdát ...
. *
Deva Deva may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster * Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...
, capital of Hunedoara, originally a city of the
Dacians The Dacians (; ; ) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often considered a subgroup of the Thracians. This area include ...
*
Galați Galați ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the river Danube. and the sixth-larges ...
* Noviodunum now
Isaccea Isaccea () is a small town in Tulcea County, in Northern Dobruja, Romania, on the right bank of the Danube, 35 km north-west of Tulcea. According to the 2021 census, it has a population of 4,408. The town has been inhabited for thousands o ...
means "new fortress" + . *
Timiș River The Timiș or Tamiš (, , , ) is a river that flows through the Banat region of Romania and Serbia and joins the Danube near Pančevo, in northern Serbia. Due to its position in the region, it has been labeled as the "spine of the Banat". N ...
in
Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...
.


Serbia

*
Singidunum Singidunum ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Сингидунум, Singidunum) was an ancient city which later evolved into modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. The name is of Celtic origin, going back to the time when the Celtic tribe Scordisci settled the a ...
(Latin), now ''Beograd'', English
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
: second element from Celtic ' 'fortress'


Slovenia

*
Celje Celje (, , ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, third-largest city in Slovenia. It is a regional center of the traditional Slovenian region of Styria (Slovenia), Styria and the administrative seat of the City Municipality of Celje. Th ...
, Latinized ''Celeia'' in turn from ', meaning 'shelter' in Celtic * Neviodunum (Latin), now ''Drnovo'' : second element from Celtic ' 'fortress'


Spain


Asturias and Cantabria

*
Deva Deva may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster * Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...
, several rivers in northern Spain, and Pontedeva, Galicia, Spain : from Celtic ' 'goddess; holy, divine' *Mons Vindius (now the
Cantabrian Mountains The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range () are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. They stretch for over 300 km (180 miles) across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the Galician Massif ...
), NW Spain : from Celtic ' 'white'.


Castile

*
Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...
,
Castile and León Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in Spain by area, covering 94,222 km2. It is, however, sparsely populated, with a pop ...
, Spain, Greek '' Segoubía'' : from ', conjectured to be Celtic for 'victorious', 'strength' or 'dry' (
theories A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...
).


Galicia

* Tambre, a river in
Galicia (Spain) Galicia ( ; or ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain and nationalities and regions of Spain, historic nationality under Spanish law. Located in the northwest Iberian Peninsula, it includes the provinces o ...
, Latin ''Tamaris'' : possibly from Celtic ' 'dark' (''cf''. Celtic ' > Welsh ' 'darkness'). Other theories. * O Grove, Medieval Latin ''Ogrobre'' 912: from Celtic ' 'acute; promontory' and Celtic *''brigs'' 'hill'. * Bergantiños, Medieval Latin ''Bregantinos'' 830 : from Celtic ' 'high, lofty, elevated', or divine name Brigantia, or from Celtic *brigantīnos 'chief, king'. * Dumbría, Medieval Latin ''Donobria'' 830 : from Celtic ' 'fortress' + Celtic * 'bridge'. * Val do Dubra and Dubra River, Galicia : from Celtic ' 'water', ' 'waters' (Welsh '). *
Monforte de Lemos Monforte de Lemos is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in northwestern Spain, in the province of Lugo (province), Lugo, Galicia (Spain), Galicia. It covers an area of 200 km2 and lies 62 km from Lugo. As of 2017 it had a ...
(region), Latin ''Lemavos'', after the local tribe of the ''Lemavi'' : from Celtic ' 'elm' + suffix ''-avo''. * Nendos (region), Medieval Latin ''Nemitos'' 830 : from Celtic ' 'sanctuary'. *
Noia Noia () is a town and municipality in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It is the capital of the comarca with the same name. It has a population of 14,947 inhabitants (2010),Swiss Plateau, has many Celtic (
Gaulish Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, ...
) toponyms. This old layer of names was overlaid with Latin names in the
Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...
period, and, from the medieval period, with
Alemannic German Alemannic, or rarely Alemannish (''Alemannisch'', ), is a group of High German dialects. The name derives from the ancient Germanic tribal confederation known as the Alemanni ("all men"). Distribution Alemannic dialects are spoken by approxi ...
and Romance names. For some names, there is uncertainty as to whether they are Gaulish or Latin in origin. In some rare cases, such as Frick, Switzerland, there have even been competing suggestions of Gaulish, Latin and Alemannic etymologies. Examples of toponyms with established Gaulish etymology: *
Solothurn Solothurn ( ; ; ; ; ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains. The town is ...
, from ''Salodurum''. The ' element means "doors, gates; palisade; town". The etymology of the ' element is unclear. *
Thun Thun () is a List of towns in Switzerland, town and a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the administrative district of Thun (administrative district), Thun in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Canton of Bern, Bern in Switzerland. ...
, Bern: ' "fort" * Windisch, Aargau, Latin ''
Vindonissa Vindonissa (from a Gaulish toponym in *''windo-'' "white") was a Roman legion camp, vicus and later a bishop's seat at modern Windisch, Switzerland. The remains of the camp are listed as a heritage site of national significance. The city of B ...
'': first element from ' "white" *
Winterthur Winterthur (; ) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. With over 120,000 residents, it is the country's List of cities in Switzerland, sixth-largest city by population, as well as its ninth-largest agglomeration with about 14 ...
, Zürich, Latin '' Vitudurum'' or ''Vitodurum'', from ' "willow" and ' *
Yverdon-les-Bains Yverdon-les-Bains () (called Eburodunum and Ebredunum during the Ancient Rome, Roman era) is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Jura-North Vaudois District, Jura-Nord vaudois of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It ...
, from ''Eburodunum'', from ' " yew" and ' "fort". *
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
, Latin '' Turicum'', from a Gaulish personal name ''Tūros'' *
Limmat The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, continuing a further 35 km until it reaches the river A ...
, from ''Lindomagos'' "lake-plain", originally the name of the plain formed by the
Linth The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Switzerland, Swiss river that rises near the Linthal, Glarus, village of Linthal in the mountains of the cantons of Switzerland, canton of canton of Glarus, Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee (Züri ...
and
Lake Zurich Lake Zurich (, ; ) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or can be used to describe the lake as a whole, or just that part of the lake downstream of the Hurden peninsula and ...
.


Insular Celtic


Brittonic


England (excluding Cornwall)

The main survey of Celtic place-names in this region is by
Richard Coates Richard Coates (born 16 April 1949, in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, and educated at Wintringham School) is an English linguist. He was professor of Linguistics (alternatively professor of Onomastics) at the University of the West of England, Bristo ...
and
Andrew Breeze Andrew Breeze FRHistS FSA (born 1954), has been professor of philology at the University of Navarra since 1987. Early life Breeze was born in 1954 and educated at Sir Roger Manwood's School, Emmanuel College, Cambridge (where he took a fi ...
. Evidence for a Celtic root to place names in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
is widely strengthened by early monastic charters, chronicles and returns: examples relate to Leatherhead and Lichfield. To describe a place as of the Celts, the Old English '' wealh'' becoming ''Wal/Wall/Welsh'' is often used. This was the main Germanic term for Romano-Celtic peoples, such as the
Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, w ...
. Such names are a minority, but are widespread across England. For example, a smattering of villages around the heart and east of
The Fens The Fens or Fenlands in eastern England are a naturally marshy region supporting a rich ecology and numerous species. Most of the fens were drained centuries ago, resulting in a flat, dry, low-lying agricultural region supported by a system o ...
hint at this:
West Walton West Walton is a village and civil parish in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk District of Norfolk, England. The parish of West Walton, in the 2001 Census, had a population of 1,659, increasing to 1,731 at the 2011 Census. History The name We ...
,
Walsoken Walsoken is a settlement and civil parish in Norfolk, England, which is conjoined as a suburb at the northeast of the town of Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire. The parish of Walsoken in the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 census, had a popu ...
, and the Walpoles indicate their continued presence. Nearby
Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bordering Norfolk and ...
,
King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...
and Chatteris have Celtic topographical elements. *'' Amwythig'' (Welsh;
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...
), Shropshire, from Brittonic ("little defense"). * Arden (forest of), Warwickshire - from Celtic ' 'high' (Irish ') *From Brythonic ' 'river' (Welsh '): ** Avon (river), Gloucestershire/Wiltshire/Somerset ** Avon (river), Wiltshire/Hampshire/Dorset ** Avon (river), Northamptonshire/Warwickshire/Worcestershire/Gloucestershire ** Avon or Aune (river), Devon *From Celtic ' 'water' (Irish ''uisce''): **
Axe An axe (; sometimes spelled ax in American English; American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for thousands of years to shape, split, a ...
(river), Devon/Dorset **
Axe An axe (; sometimes spelled ax in American English; American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for thousands of years to shape, split, a ...
(river), Somerset **
Axminster Axminster is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the eastern border of the county of Devon in England. It is from the county town of Exeter. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe, Devon, River Axe which ...
, Devon ** Axmouth, Devon *
Beverley Beverley is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is located north-west of Hull city centre. At the 2021 census the built-up area of the town had a population of 30,930, and the smaller civil parish had ...
, East Riding of Yorkshire, from Brittonic ' ("beaver") + ' ("lair"). *First element from Celtic ' 'hill': ** Brean, Somerset **
Bredon Bredon is a 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. Location and geography Bredon is located northwest of the ...
, Worcestershire ** Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire **
Brewood Brewood is an ancient market town in the civil parish of Brewood and Coven, in the South Staffordshire district, in the county of Staffordshire, England. Brewood lies near the River Penk, north of Wolverhampton and south of Stafford. Brewoo ...
, Staffordshire **
Brill Brill may refer to: Places * Brielle (sometimes "Den Briel"), a town in the western Netherlands * Brill, Buckinghamshire, a village in England * Brill, Cornwall, a small village to the west of Constantine, Cornwall, UK * Brill, Wisconsin, an un ...
, Buckinghamshire *From Celtic ' 'high, lofty, elevated' (or divine name, Brigantia): ** Brent (river), Greater London **
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
, Greater London * Bryn, Greater Manchester - from Welsh ''bryn'', 'hill'. *
Burslem Burslem ( ) is one of the six towns that along with Hanley, Staffordshire, Hanley, Tunstall, Staffordshire, Tunstall, Fenton, Staffordshire, Fenton, Longton, Staffordshire, Longton and Stoke-upon-Trent form part of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in ...
, Stoke-on-Trent, the ''-lem'' element is a Celtic district name from ' ("elm"). *''
Camulodunum Camulodunum ( ; ), the Roman Empire, Ancient Roman name for what is now Colchester in Essex, was an important Castra, castrum and city in Roman Britain, and the first capital of the province. A temporary "wikt:strapline, strapline" in the 1960s ...
'' (Latin), now
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...
, Essex - from ' ' Camulus' (divine name) + Celtic *''dūnon'' 'fortress' * Catterick, North Riding of Yorks., ' ("battle") + ' ("rampart") + ''onjon'' (suffix). From ' (root associated with ''cefn'' below) + ' (suffix) **
Chevet In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. In Byzan ...
, West Riding of Yorkshire ** Cheviot, Northumberland * Chevin, Wharfedale, equivalent to Welsh ''cefn'' ("ridge"). * Crayke, North Riding of Yorkshire, equivalent to Welsh ''craig'' ("rock"). *From Brythonic *''crüg'' 'hill'Mills, AD. ''Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names''. Oxford University Press, 1991. (Irish ''cruach'') ** Creech St Michael, Somerset **
Crewkerne Crewkerne ( ) is a town and electoral ward in south Somerset, England, southwest of Yeovil and east of Chard. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Coombe, Woolminstone and Henley, and borders the county of Dorset to the s ...
, Somerset **
Crich Crich is a village and civil parish in the English county of Derbyshire. Besides the village of Crich, the civil parish includes the nearby villages of Fritchley, Whatstandwell and Wheatcroft, Derbyshire, Wheatcroft. The population of the civi ...
, Derbyshire ** Cricket St Thomas, Somerset **Crickheath, Shropshire **
Cricklade Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire, England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester. It is the first downstream town on the Thames. The parish population at the 2011 census was 4,227. History Cricklade ...
, Wiltshire *
Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...
, Cheshire - from Old Welsh *''criu'' 'river crossing' *''Cunececestre'' (Old English), now
Chester-le-Street Chester-le-Street () is a market town in County Durham, England. It is located around north of Durham and is close to Newcastle. The town holds markets on Saturdays. In 2021, the town had a population of 23,555. The town's history is ancient; ...
, County Durham, from Latin ''
Concangis Concangis was an auxiliary castra in the Roman province of Lower Britain (''Britannia Inferior''). Its ruins are located in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, in England, and are now known as Chester-le-Street Roman Fort. It is situated north ...
'', from ', a root of uncertain meaning. *
Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
, Latin ''
Dumnonia Dumnonia is the Latinised name for a Brythonic kingdom that existed in Sub-Roman Britain between the late 4th and late 8th centuries CE in the more westerly parts of present-day South West England. It was centred in the area of modern Devon, ...
'' - from tribal name ''
Dumnonii The Dumnonii or Dumnones were a Britons (historical), British List of ancient Celtic peoples and tribes, tribe who inhabited Dumnonia, the area now known as Cornwall and Devon (and some areas of present-day Dorset and Somerset) in the further pa ...
'' or ''Dumnones'', from Celtic ' 'deep', 'world' *From Celtic ' 'water', ' 'waters' (Welsh '; Breton '): **
Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
, Kent, Latin ''Dubris'' **
Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andov ...
, Hampshire **
Wendover Wendover is a town and civil parish at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated at the point where the main road across the Chilterns between London and Aylesbury intersects with the once important road along t ...
, Buckinghamshire ** Dever (river), Hampshire **Deverill (river), Wiltshire * Durham, County Durham, Latin ''Dunelm'' - first element is possibly ''dun'', ' hill fort' (Welsh , 'fort'). *First element from Celtic ' 'fort'; in ''Dūrobrīvae'', Celtic ' 'bridge': **'' Durobrivae'' (Latin), now Rochester, Kent and Water Newton, Cambridgeshire **''
Durovernum Cantiacorum Durovernum Cantiacorum was a town and British hillforts, hillfort () in Roman Britain at the site of present-day Canterbury in Kent. It occupied a strategic location on Watling Street at the best local crossing of the River Stour, Kent, Stour, wh ...
'' (Latin), now
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
, Kent *From Celtic ' 'water' (Irish '); second element in ''Isca Dumnoniorum'' (Exeter) is a tribal name (see ''Devon''): **
Exe Exe or EXE may refer to: * .exe, a file extension * exe., abbreviation for Executive (disambiguation)#Role, title, or function, executive Places * River Exe, in England * Exe Estuary, in England * Exe Island, in Exeter, England Transportation a ...
(river), Devon/Somerset ** Nether Exe, Devon ** Up Exe, Devon ** Exebridge, Devon ** Exford, Somerset **
Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...
, Devon, Latin '' Isca Dumnoniorum'' **
Exminster Exminster is a village west of the Exeter Canal, Exeter ship canal and River Exe in Devon, England, south of Exeter, with a population of 4,379 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. Exminster is an ancient village associated with a A ...
, Devon **
Exmouth Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort situated on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe, southeast of Exeter. In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of settl ...
, Devon ** Exton, Somerset **
Exwick Exwick is an historic parish and Manorialism, manor in Devon, England, which today is a north-western suburb of the City of Exeter. Its name is derived from the River Exe, which forms its eastern boundary. It is also an Ecclesiastical parish and ...
, Devon ** Eskeleth, North Yorkshire *
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...
, Gloucestershire, from Latin ''Glevum'' (+ Old English '' ceaster''), from ' ("bright place"). *
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
, Lincolnshie, possibly from ''haiw-'' ("a swamp") (+ OE ''land''). * From the equivalent of Welsh ''ynys'' ("island"). ** Ince, Cheshire **
Ince Blundell Ince Blundell is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in the ceremonial county of Merseyside and historic county of Lancashire, England. It is situated to the north of Liverpool on the A565 road and to the east of ...
, Sefton **
Ince-in-Makerfield Ince-in-Makerfield or Ince is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. The population of the Ince ward at the 2011 census was 13,486, but a southern part of Ince was also listed under the Abram ward (north o ...
, Wigan * Inskip, Lancashire, equivalent to ''ynys-cyb'' ("bowl-shaped island"). * Kesteven, Lincolnshire, from '' cēt-'' ("a wood") (+ Old Norse ''stefna'' ("a meeting place") added later). *
Leatherhead Leatherhead is a town in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England, about south of Central London. The settlement grew up beside a ford on the River Mole, from which its name is thought to derive. During the late Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon ...
, Surrey - from Brythonic *''lēd-'' rom Celtic '+ ' rom Celtic '= "Grey Ford" * Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Latin ''Lindum Colonia'' - from Celtic ' 'pool' + Latin ' 'colony' * From Brittonic ' 'breast' **
Mamble Mamble is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills (district), Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is located on the A456 road, A456 between Bewdley and Tenbury Wells. Notable buildings include the 13th ...
, Worcestershire **
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, Latin ''
Mamucium Mamucium, also known as Mancunium, is a former Roman fort in the Castlefield area of Manchester in North West England. The ''Castra, castrum'', which was founded c. AD 79 within the Roman province of Roman Britain, was garrisoned by a ...
'' or ''Mancunium'' (referring to the shape of a hill) ** Morville, Shropshire, ''Mamerfeld'' (c. 1138) (+ OE ''feld''). *''Noviomagus'' (Latin), now
Chichester Chichester ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester District, Chichester district of West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher ...
, West Sussex and
Crayford Crayford is a town and Wards of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in South London, South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley. It lies east of Bexleyheath and north west of Dartford. Crayford was in the Historic countie ...
, Kent - from Celtic ' 'new' (Welsh ') + ' 'field, plain' * Onn, Staffordshire, from '' *onnā'' ("ash trees"). *From ' and its descendants (Welsh ''pant'', Cumbric ''pant''). **Pant, Austwick, West Riding of Yorkshire **Pant Foot, Ingleton, West Riding of Yorkshire **Pantend, Westmorland ** Pauntley, Gloucestershire **Pont (river),
Ponteland Ponteland ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is northwest of Newcastle upon Tyne. Built on marshland near St Mary's Church and the old bridge, most marshland has now been drained to make way for housing. In the ind ...
, Northumberland * Pen y Ghent, Yorkshire - equivalent with Welsh ' ("summit of the border") or ' ("summit of the heathen"). *Pengethley, Herefordshire - from Brythonic *''penn-'' 'hill, top, head, chief' (Welsh ') + possibly *''kelli'' 'to stand' (Welsh ''gelli'') *From Brythonic ' 'hill, top, head, chief' (Welsh ') + ' 'wood' (Welsh ''coed''), or ' 'wood': ** Pencoyd, Herefordshire **
Penge Penge () is a suburb of South East Greater London, London, England, now in the London Borough of Bromley, west of Bromley, north east of Croydon and south east of Charing Cross. Etymology The name ''Penge'' is first attested in charter of ...
, Greater London ** Penketh, Cheshire *First element from Brittonic *''penn-'' 'hill, top, head, chief' (Welsh ' 'head, end, chief, supreme') = Irish ' 'head', from Proto-Celtic ': **Pencraig, Herefordshire **
Pendlebury Pendlebury is a town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,069. It lies north-west of Manchester, north-west of Salford, Greater Manchester, Salford and south-east of Bolton. Histori ...
, Greater Manchester ** Pendleton, Lancashire ** Pendock, Worcestershire ** Pensnett, West Midlands ** Penn, Buckinghamshire ** Penn, West Midlands ** Lower Penn, Staffordshire **
Penshaw Penshaw , formerly known as ''Painshaw'' or ''Pensher'' is a village in the metropolitan district of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically, Penshaw was located in County Durham. Name and etymology The name ''Penshaw'' was recor ...
, Sunderland *Pen Bal Crag,
Tynemouth Tynemouth () is a coastal town in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne, England, River Tyne, hence its name. It is east-northeast of Newcastle up ...
, from ''pen'' ("head") + ''wāl'' ("wall") (+ English ''crag''). *
Old Sarum Old Sarum, in Wiltshire, South West England, is the ruined and deserted site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury. Situated on a hill about north of modern Salisbury near the A345 road, the settlement appears in some of the earliest recor ...
, Wiltshire, Latin ''Sorviodūnum'' - second element from Celtic ' 'fortress' *''
Segedunum Segedunum was a Roman fort at modern-day Wallsend, North Tyneside in North East England. The fort lay at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall near the banks of the River Tyne. It was in use for approximately 300years from around 122AD to almost ...
'' (Latin), now
Wallsend Wallsend () is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 43,842 and lies east of Newcastle upon Tyne. History Roman Wallsend In Roman times, this was the site of the fort of ...
, Tyne and Wear - from Celtic for 'victorious', 'strength' or 'dry' (
theories A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...
). Second element is Celtic ' 'fortress'. * Sinodun Hills, south Oxfordshire - from Celtic ' 'old' + ' 'fortress' *Possibly from Celtic ' 'dark' (''cf''. Celtic ' > Welsh ' 'darkness'): ** Tamar (river), Devon/Cornwall ** Tame (river), Greater Manchester ** Tame (river), North Yorkshire ** Tame (river), West Midlands **
Team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to in ...
(river), Tyne and Wear ** Teme (river), Welsh ''Tefeidiad'', Wales/Shropshire/Worcestershire **
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...
(river), Latin Tamesis *''
Trinovantum Trinovantum is the name in medieval British legend that was given to London, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'', when it was founded by the exiled Troy, Trojan Brutus of Troy, Brutus, who called it ''Troia Nova'' ("N ...
'' (Latin), now London - 'Of the
Trinovantes The Trinovantēs (Common Brittonic: *''Trinowantī'') or Trinobantes were one of the Celtic tribes of Pre-Roman Britain. Their territory was on the north side of the Thames estuary in current Essex, Hertfordshire and Suffolk, and included land ...
', a tribal name, perhaps 'very energetic people' from Celtic ' (intensive) + ' 'energetic', related to ' 'new' (Welsh ') *''
Verulamium Verulamium was a town in Roman Britain. It was sited southwest of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, England. The major ancient Roman route Watling Street passed through the city, but was realigned in medieval times to bring trad ...
'' (Latin), now
St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...
, Hertfordshire - from Brittonic *''weru-'' 'broad' + *''lam-'' 'hand' rom Celtic '(Welsh ', Irish ') *
Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...
, from ' ("Roman
vicus In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (plural ) designated a village within a rural area () or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement. During the Republican era, the four of the city of Rome were subdivided into . In the 1st century BC, Augustus ...
") + ''ann'' (suffix). *First element from Celtic ' 'white' (Welsh '); in ''Vindolanda'', Celtic ' 'land, place' (Welsh '). In ''Vindomora'', second element could be 'sea' (Welsh ', Irish '): **'' Vindobala'' (Latin), Roman fort in Northumberland **''
Vindolanda Vindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort ('' castrum'') just south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England, which it pre-dated. Archaeological excavations of the site show it was under Roman occupation from roughly 85 AD to 370 AD. Located near th ...
'' (Latin), Roman fort in Northumberland **'' Vindomora'' (Latin), Roman fort in
County Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...
. * Yeavering, Northumberland, formerly ''Gefrin'', equivalent to Welsh ''gafrfryn'' ("goat hill"). *
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
, Greek ''Ebōrakon'', Latin ' or ' - from Celtic ' 'yew'


Scotland

The post-6th century AD Brittonic languages of Northern England and Scotland were
Cumbric Cumbric is an extinct Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup spoken during the Early Middle Ages in the ''Hen Ogledd'' or "Old North", in Northern England and the southern Scottish Lowlands. It was closely related to Old Welsh and the ot ...
and
Pictish Pictish is an extinct Brittonic Celtic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from late antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited number of geog ...
. Cumbric place-names are found in Scotland south of the River Forth, while Pictish names are found to the north. *
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
, Aberdeenshire - from ''*'' ("river mouth"). *
Applecross Applecross ( , 'The Sanctuary', historically anglicized as 'Combrich') is a peninsula in Wester Ross, in the Scottish Highlands. It is bounded by Loch Kishorn to the south, Loch Torridon to the north, and Glen Shieldaig to the east. On its wes ...
, Ross-shire - formerly ''Abercrosan'', from ''aber'' ("river mouth"). * Arran - possibly equivalent to Middle Welsh ''aran'' ("high place"). *
Aviemore Aviemore (; ) is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and ...
, Inverness-shire - ''An Aghaidh Mhòr'' in Gaelic, possibly involving Brittonic ''*ag-'' ("a cleft"). *
Ben Lomond Ben Lomond (, ), , is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. Situated on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, it is the most southerly of the Munros. Ben Lomond lies within the Ben Lomond National Memorial Park and the Loch Lomond and The Trossach ...
, Stirlingshire - ''Lomond'' is equivalent to Welsh ' ("beacon"). *
Blantyre Blantyre is Malawi's centre of finance and commerce, and its second largest city, with a population of 800,264 . It is sometimes referred to as the commercial and industrial capital of Malawi as opposed to the political capital, Lilongwe. It is ...
, Lanarkshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("extremes, source, front") + ' ("land"). * Blebo, Fife - formerly ''Bladebolg'', from Brittonic ''*blawd'' ("meal") + ''*bolg'' ("sack"). *Burnturk, Fife - formerly ''Brenturk'', equivalent to Welsh ' ("boar hill"). *
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, Moray - equivalent to Welsh ' ("haugh, meadow") + ' ("abode"). *Darnaway, Moray - possibly from ancient Brittonic ''Taranumagos'' ("thunder-plain"). * Daviot, Inverness-shire - perhaps from Brittonic ''*dem-'' meaning "sure, strong". * Dull, Perthshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("haugh, meadow"). *
Ecclefechan Ecclefechan (Scottish Gaelic: ''Eaglais Fheichein'') is a village located in Dumfries and Galloway in the south of Scotland. The village is famous for being the birthplace of Thomas Carlyle. Ecclefechan lies in the valley of the Mein Water, a ...
, Dumfriesshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("small church"). *
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, Midlothian - from ''Din Ediyn'', from a Brittonic form meaning "fort of Ediyn" (cf. Welsh '). * Esslemont, Aberdeenshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("low hill"). *Glasgo, Aberdeenshire - see Glasgow, Lanarkshire below. *
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, Lanarkshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("blue hollow"). *
Hebrides The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, off the west coast of the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Ou ...
- ''Ebudes'' in Ptolemy (c. 140 AD), possibly from ancient Brittonic ''ep-'' ("a horse"; cf. Welsh '). Woolf, Alex (2012
''Ancient Kindred? Dál Riata and the Cruthin''
Academia.edu. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
* Keith, Banffshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("wood, forest"). *
Lanark Lanark ( ; ; ) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a populatio ...
, Lanarkshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("a glade"). *Landrick, Perthshire - see Lanark, Lanarkshire. *Lanrick, Perthshire - see Lanark, Lanarkshire. *
Lauder The former Royal Burgh of Lauder (, ) is a town in the Scottish Borders in the historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies southeast of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills. Etymology Alt ...
, Berwickshire - equivalent either to Middle Breton ' or Welsh '. *Lendrick, Kinross-shire - see Lanark, Lanarkshire. *Lendrick, Perthshire - see Lanark, Lanarkshire. *
Lomond Hills The Lomond Hills are a group of hills on the border of Fife and Kinross-shire in central Scotland, including East Lomond, West Lomond, and also Bishop Hill. At , West Lomond is the highest point in the Lomonds as well as the highest point in Fif ...
, Fife - see Ben Lomond, Stirlingshire. *Mayish, Arran - possibly from Brittonic ''maɣes'' ("field"; Welsh '). * Meggernie, Perthshire - from an element cognate with Welsh ' ("boggy meadow"). * Methven, Perthshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("meadstone"). * Midmar, Aberdeenshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("bog, swamp") + '' Mar'' (a district name). * Migvie, Aberdeenshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("bog, swamp"). *
Mounth The Mounth ( ) is the broad upland in northeast Scotland between the Highland Boundary and the River Dee, at the eastern end of the Grampians. Name and etymology The name ''Mounth'' is ultimately of Pictish origin. The name is derived from ...
, Perthshire, Angus and Aberdeenshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("mountain, moor, hill"). *
Ochil Hills The Ochil Hills (; ) is a range of hills in Scotland north of the River Forth, Forth valley bordered by the cities of Stirling, Perth, Scotland, Perth and the towns of Alloa, Kinross, and Auchterarder . The only major roads crossing the hil ...
, Fife - probably from Common Brittonic ''*okelon'' ("a ridge"). * Orchy, Argyll (river) - in Gaelic ''Urchaidh'', from ancient Brittonic ''are-cētia'' ("on the wood"). *
Panbride Panbride is a village and civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish in the subdivisions of Scotland, council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated north-east of Carnoustie and west of Arbroath. Etymology The name ''Panbride'' may be Pictish i ...
, Angus - from ''pant'' ("a hollow"). *Panlathy, Angus - from ''pant'' ("a hollow"). *Panmure, Angus - equivalent to Welsh ' ("big hollow"). *Pendewen, Angus - first element is possibly equivalent to Welsh ' ("head, top, summit, source"). *
Penicuik Penicuik ( ; ; ) is a town and former Police burgh, burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River Esk, Lothian, River North Esk. It lies on the A701 road, A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hil ...
, Midlothian - equivalent to Welsh ' ("summit of the cuckoo"). * Pennan, Aberdeenshire - probably equivalent to Welsh ' ("head, top, summit, source"). *Pennygant Hill, Roxburghshire - see Pen y Ghent, Yorkshire, England. *
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, Perthshire - probably equivalent to Welsh ' ("bush"). *Pinderachy, Angus - first element is possibly equivalent to Welsh ' ("head, top, summit, source"). *Pinnel, Fife - possibly equivalent to Welsh ' ("head, top, summit, source"). * Pulrossie, Sutherland - possibly equivalent to Welsh ' ("promontory pool"). * Rattray, Aberdeenshire - equivalent to Welsh ' ("ramparts town"). *Urquhart, Ross-shire - formerly ''Airdchartdan'', equivalent to Middle Welsh ' ("on the enclosure"). * Yell, Shetland - probably from Common Brittonic ''iâla'' ("unfruitful land, pasture").


Wales

The vast majority of placenames in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
(part of the United Kingdom) are either Welsh or anglicized Welsh.


Cornwall

The vast majority of placenames in
Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
are either Cornish or anglicized Cornish. For examples, see List of places in Cornwall.


Brittany

The vast majority of placenames in the west of
Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
(part of
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
) are either
Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...
or derived from Breton. For examples, see :Populated places in Brittany.


Goidelic


England

Place names in England derived partly or wholly from Goidelic languages include: *Aireyholme, Yorkshire (
Great Ayton Great Ayton is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The River Leven (a tributary of the River Tees) flows through the village, which lies just north of the North York Moors. According to the 2021 Census, the parish has a popu ...
), recorded as ''Erghum'' (1138), from Old Irish ''airgh'' ("summer pastures"). * Ben, Yorkshire (
Sedbergh Sedbergh ( or ) is a town and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Cumbria. It falls within the historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Since April 2023, it has been administered by Westmorland and Furness local authority. Th ...
), probably from the Gaelic ''benn'' ("a peak"). * Cambois, Northumberland, possibly from Old Irish ' ("bay, creek") * Carkin, Yorkshire, possibly from Old Irish ''carric'' ("a rock"). * Castle Eden, County Durham, possibly from Old Irish ''étan'' ("forehead, hill-brow"). Mawer, Allen, The Place-Names of Northumberland and Durham (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1920), p. 71. * †Crosskelloc, Lancashire (
Ulverston Ulverston is a market town and civil parish in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, it lies a few miles south of the Lake District Lake District National Park, National Park and j ...
), from Irish ''cros'' ("a cross") + ''Chelloc'' (personal name). * Dunmallard, Cumberland, possibly from Middle Irish ''dùn-mallacht'' ("fort of curses") * Durdar, Cumberland ( St Cuthbert Without), from Gaelic ''doiredarach'' ("oak copse"). * Greysouthen, Cumberland, from Irish ''craicc-Suthan'' ("Suthán's rock/cliff"). * Kilmond, Yorkshire (
Bowes Bowes is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England. Located in the Pennine hills, it is situated close to Barnard Castle. It is built around the medieval Bowes Castle. In 2021 the parish had a population of 442.Table PP002 - Se ...
), possibly from Gaelic ''ceann-monadh'' ("head of the hill"). * Knockupworth, Cumberland ( Grinsdale), from Irish ''cnocc'' ("hillock") (+ the Germanic personal-name ''Hubert''). *
Latrigg Latrigg is one of the lowest fells in the Lake District in North West England, but is a popular climb due to its convenient location overlooking the town of Keswick and the beautiful views down the valley of Borrowdale from the summit. It is th ...
, Cumberland, possibly from Old Irish ''lettir'' ("a slope"). * Latterbarrow, Lancashire ( Hawkshead), possibly from Irish ''lettir ("a slope"). *
Liscard Liscard is an area of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The most centrally located of Wallasey's townships, it is the main shopping area of the town, with many shops located in the Cherry Tree Sh ...
, Cheshire, possibly from Irish Gaelic ' meaning "fort of the rock".A. D. Mills, ''A Dictionary of British Place Names'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), s.v. * Noctorum, Cheshire, from Irish ''cnocc-tírim'' ("dry hill"). * Pool Darkin, Westmorland (
Beetham Beetham is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England. It is situated on the border with Lancashire, north of Carnforth. It is part of the Arnside and Silverdale, Arnside and Silverdale ...
), possibly from Gaelic ''poll'' ("pool") + the personal name ''*Dercan''. * Ravenglass, Cumberland, from Irish ''rann-Glas'' ("Glas's part/share"). * Torkin, Cumberland (
Thursby Thursby is a village in the Cumberland (district), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It is near to the city of Carlisle. Thursby was Historic counties of England, historically part of the county of Cumberland. History Thursby lies on ...
), from Irish ''tor-cheann'' ("peak-head"). Furthermore, some non-Goidelic place-names in mainly Northern and Midland England reference Irish personal names, due to Norse-Gaelic settlement Britain during the 10th century. * Carperby, Yorkshire containing the Irish Gaelic given-name ''Cairpe'' * Dovenby, from personal name Dufan of Irish origin (OIr 'Dubhán') * Dunkenhalgh, Lancashire (
Hyndburn Hyndburn is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington, the largest town, and the borough also covers the outlying ...
), from the Gaelic personal name ''Donnchad'' (> English Duncan) (+ Old English ''halh'', "haugh"). * Fixby, Yorkshire, from the Gaelic Irish personal name Fiach * Gatenby, Yorkshire, from the Irish personal name ''Gaithen'' (+ Old Norse ''byr'', "farm"). * Glassonby, from the Irish personal name Glassan * †Iocemhil, Lincolnshire ( Killingholme), possibly contains the Irish personal name ''Eogan''. *
Malmesbury Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the upp ...
, Wiltshire, from the Irish founder of the abbey
Máel Dub Máel Dub (the Gaelic name ''Máel'' meaning "disciple" and ''Dub'' being a byname, "dark"; Latinized as ''Maildubus'', anglicized as ''Maildulf'' and other variants) was a Saint and reputed Irish monk of the 7th century, said to have founded a ...
* Mellishaw, Lancashire (
Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...
), possibly the Irish personal name ''Mdeldn'' (+ Old Norse ''haugr''). * Melmerby, Yorkshire, from the Old Irish personal name Máel Muire * Yockenthwaite, Yorkshire, contains the Irish personal name ''Eogan'' (+ Old Norse ''þveit'', "clearing"). Place names that directly reference the Irish include
Irby Irby may refer to: People * Irby (given name), a list of people * Irby (surname), a list of people Places * Irby, Merseyside, England, a village * Irby, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community * Irby, Washington, United States, a ...
,
Irby upon Humber Irby upon Humber or Irby-on-Humber is a small village and (as just Irby) a civil parish in North East Lincolnshire, England. The village is situated on the A46 road, south-west of Laceby. Village population at the 2001 census was 124, incr ...
, Ireby and Ireleth. Place names with ''Scot-'' or similar, such as Scothern in Lincolnshire or Scotton in the North Riding of Yorkshire, may refer to Gaelic speakers from Scotland or Ireland, since Old English ''Scottas'' originally had connotations of Irish Gaels.


Ireland

The vast majority of placenames in
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
are anglicized
Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
names.


Scotland

The majority of placenames in the
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...
of
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
(part of the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
) are either
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
or anglicized Scottish Gaelic. Gaelic-derived placenames are very common in the rest of mainland
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
also.
Pictish Pictish is an extinct Brittonic Celtic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from late antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited number of geog ...
-derived placenames can be found in the northeast, while Brythonic-derived placenames can be found in the south.


Isle of Man

Many placenames on the
Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
(a
Crown dependency The Crown Dependencies are three offshore island territories in the British Islands that are self-governing possessions of the British Crown: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey, both located in the English Channel and toge ...
) are Manx or anglicised Manx, although there are also many Norse-derived place names.


See also

* Aber and Inver as place-name elements * Celtic onomastics * List of Celtic place names in Portugal


Notes

{{reflist * Toponymy Place name etymologies