What 27 UK place names mean

Educational

Posted by Hannah Jury on 3rd July 2017

The literal meaning of 27 place names in the UK

The history of Britain stretches back thousands of years. We’ve all heard about the Romans, the Normans, and the Victorians, but the local stories about how places came to be can sometimes be forgotten.

But what do those strange place names truly refer to? Skip to our selection of place name meanings below to find out more.

From Follifoot to the town of Pity Me, from Bangor to the record-breaking Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (the longest place name in Europe!), there’s a story behind each of these places.

Take the woeful-sounding Pity Me in County Durham, for example. In some tales, it is said that St Cuthbert’s coffin was dropped here by wandering monks – with the late saint pleading with them to take pity on him and treat his corpse more gently. More likely, Pity Me started as an informal name given by a farmer to his most desolate stretch of land, and the name stuck as the area grew into a village.

Our infographic interprets 27 such baffling British place names to give you a better insight into the culture of these rainy isles, covering everything from the depths of Cornwall, to the Peak District at the heart of England, and the outer reaches of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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1 - Glasgow

Scotland’s largest city’s name translates to ‘Green Hollow.’

2 - Muck

Scotland’s strangest place name translates to 'Island of pigs.’

3 - Perth

This pretty Scottish town’s name translates to ‘Place by a dense group of bushes.’

4 - Lisburn

Lisburn in Northern Ireland’s name translates to ‘The burning town of the gamblers’ shallow river.’

5 – Newry

The Northern Ireland town’s name translates to ‘The Yew Tree.’

6 – Coleraine

This coastal gem in Northern Ireland’s name translates to ‘Nook of the ferns.’

7 – Pity Me

This village near Durham’s sad name translates to 'A place considered desolate.’

8 – Durham

Quiet aptly, this northern place’s name translates to ‘City on the hill.’

9 – Bishop Auckland

This town’s intriguing name translates to ‘Rock on the cleansing river.’

10 – Leeds

This famous West Yorkshire city’s name translates to ‘People living by the strongly flowing river.’

11 – Wakefield

This West Yorkshire town’s name translates to ‘Open land where festivals take place.’

12 – Follifoot

This North Yorkshire village’s mystifying name translates to ‘Place of the horse-fighting.’

13 – Manchester

Famous Manchester’s name translates to ‘The Roman town of a breast-like hill.’

14 – Liverpool

Legendary Liverpool’s name translates to 'Pool with muddy water.’

15 – Crewe

This Cheshire town’s name translates to 'A fish-trap.’

16 – Birmingham

England’s second largest city’s name translates to 'The head of a beer homestead.’

17 – Nottingham

Hilariously, this East Midland city’s name translates to ‘Homestead of the family of a man called Snot.’

18 – Worcester

This wonderful city’s name translates to ‘Place of the winding river tribe.’

19 – Cardiff

The Welsh capital’s name translates to 'Fort on the dark river.’

20 – Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

This Anglesey village has one of the longest places names in the world, and it translates to ‘Church of St Mary in the pool of white hazels fairly near the rapid whirlpools by the Church of St Tysillo at the red place.’

21 – Bangor

This North Wales town’s name translates to ‘Wattled Fence.’

22 – London

England’s capital city’s name translates to ‘Beside the river that cannot be waded.’

23 – Croydon 

This Surrey towns name translates to ‘Valley where wild saffron grows.’

24 – Oxford

One of England’s pinnacles of academia, its name translates to ‘The shallow river for cattle.’

25 – Bristol 

This southwestern city’s name translates to ‘Assembly place by the bridge.’

26 – Bath

This ancient historical city’s name translates to ‘Where the Roman baths are.’

27 – Truro 

The Cornish capital’s name translates to ‘Place of great water turbulence.’


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Sources

  1. Mills, A. (2011). A Dictionary of British Place Names. Oxford University Press
  2. Simpson, D. (2016). Place-Name Meanings P to S. englandsnortheast.co.uk
  3. Hoeller, S. (2015). Here's the story behind the 58-letter town name in Wales that everyone is talking about. businessinsider.com

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing, please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.