Names of Britain and Ireland’s largest towns and cities

Here you can find brief notes on the names of the fifty largest towns and cities in Britain and Ireland, by population (following a list available at The Geographist). Some of the explanations given are quite certain (for example Blackpool is what it seems), but in other cases there are multiple possibilities, and we give the option that seems most likely and is currently most widely accepted. Interestingly, England’s capital city London has the most enigmatic name.

For each of the place-names below we give the following information:

• the name, with its National Grid Reference, if there is more than one place with the same name, e.g. Bradford SE1633
• the meaning of the name, e.g. ‘Broad ford’
• the element(s) in the name and their language of origin, e.g. Old English: brād ‘broad’ + ford ‘ford’
• at least one early spelling, with its date, e.g. Bradeford 1086

These names are also used as examples in Introducing the place-names of England, and Introducing the place-names of Scotland, which are guides to some of the main periods and themes. Similar guides to the place-names of Ireland and Wales are in preparation. For notes on the languages used in the names, please go to Languages in the place-names of Britain and Ireland.

For names of cities, towns and villages not included here, the Selected sources below will be helpful, and online resources include: Key to English Place-Names (offering explanations for around 14,000 names and mapping their locations), Logainm.ie (Placenames Database of Ireland), and PlacenamesNI.org (The Northern Ireland Place-Names Project).

Bolton SD7108

‘Settlement with a distinctive building’

Old English, from bōthl ‘(?important) building’ + tūn ‘settlement, village, estate’

Early spelling: Boelton 1185

Bournemouth

‘Mouth of the Bourne’

Middle English bourn ‘stream’ (as a name or noun) + mouth ‘mouth, estuary’

Early spelling: la Bournemowthe 1407

Bradford SE1633

‘Broad ford’

Old English, from brād ‘broad’ + ford ‘ford’

Early spelling: Bradeford 1086

Brighton

‘Brihthelm’s settlement’

Old English, from a man’s name Brihthelm + tūn ‘settlement, village, estate’

Early spelling: Bristelmestune 1086

Bristol

‘Place at the bridge’

Old English: brycg ‘bridge’ + stōw ‘place, assembly place, holy place’

Early spelling: Brycgstow 11th century

Cambridge TL4658

‘Roman fort on (later bridge over) the (River) Granta’

Celtic river-name Granta (now called Cam in Cambridge itself) + Old English ceaster ‘Roman fort’ replaced by brycg ‘bridge’

Early spellings: Grantacaestir 730s, grontabricc about 745 (in later copy), Caumbrigge, Caumbrige 1348-1458

Canterbury

‘Fortified site of the people of Kent’

Old English Cantware (inflected form Cantwara) ‘the people of Kent’ + burh (inflected form byrig) ‘fortified site’

Early spelling: Cantwaraburg 754

Cardiff ~ Caerdydd

‘Fort on the (River) Taf’

Old Welsh cair ‘fort’ + river-name Taf, probably ‘flowing one’, in an inflected form Tyf

Early spelling: Kairdif 1106; Tamion 8th century

Chester

‘Roman fort’

Old English ceaster ‘Roman fort’

Early spelling: Ceaster 1094

Coventry

‘Cofa’s tree’

Old English, from a man’s name *Cofa + trēo ‘tree’ (where * means not directly recorded)

Early spelling: Cofantreo about 1060

Derby

‘Deer farmstead’

Old Scandinavian, from djúr ‘deer’ + bý ‘farmstead, village’ (formerly Northuuorthige (Northworthy))

Early spelling: Deoraby about 1000

Dublin ~ Dubh Linn

‘Dark pool’

From Old Irish dub ‘dark, black’ + linn ‘pool’

Early spelling: Dyflin about 1000 

The capital of Ireland, whose Irish name is Baile Átha Cliath

Dundee                         

‘Fort of Daigh‘

From Gaelic  dún ‘fort’ + Daigh, possibly a personal name

Early spelling: Dunde about 1180

Durham

‘hill island’

Old English dūn ‘hill’ and Old Norse holm ‘island, land in a river bend’.

Early spelling: Dunholm circa 1000.

Edinburgh

‘Stronghold at Eidyn(?)’

From Eidyn (meaning unknown) + OE burh ‘stronghold’

Early spellings: Eidyn about 600, Edenburge 1126              

Exeter

‘Roman fort on the river called Exe’

British *Escā, a river-name, probably just meaning ‘water’, + Old English ceaster ‘Roman fort’.

Early spelling: Escanceaster 876

Glasgow ~ Glaschu

‘Green hollow’

From Northern Brittonic glas ‘green’ + ceu ‘hollow’

Early spelling: Glasgu 1136

Glaschu is the Gaelic form of the name

Gloucester             

‘Glevum Roman fort’

Romano-British place-name Glevum ‘bright, famous’ + Old English ceaster ‘Roman fort’

Early spellings: Gloecester about 800, Gleawan ceaster late 9th century; Glevi late 2nd century

Hereford            

‘army ford’

Old English here ‘army’ + ford ‘ford’.

Early spelling: Hereford 958

Huddersfield

‘Open land of Hudræd’ or ‘open land with a shelter’

Old English, from man’s name *Hudrǣd (where * means not directly recorded) or *hūder ‘shelter’

Early spelling: Odresfeld 1086

Hull (Kingston upon Hull)

‘King’s estate on the (River) Hull’

Middle English kinges-toun ‘king’s town, estate’ + upon + river-name Hull (of uncertain origin); known as Wyk ‘trading place’ in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries

Early spellings: Hul 1228; Kyngeston super Hul late 13th century

Ipswich

‘Trading-place of Gip or at the opening’

Old English man’s name *Gip, or perhaps *gip ‘opening, estuary’ + wīc ‘trading place or other specialised place’

Early spelling: Gypeswich 942–51 (in later copy)

Leeds

‘(Place of) people living by the (River) Lat’

Brittonic river-name *Lāt ‘strong-flowing’, with a suffix

Early spelling: Loidis 730s

Leicester

‘Roman fort of the Ligore, the people living by the river Leire’

Old English folk-name *Ligore from Brittonic river-name *Ligor (of uncertain meaning; now Leire) + Old English ceaster ‘Roman fort’

Ligera ceastre about 924

Lincoln

‘Roman colony on the place called Lindon, the pool’

British *lindon ‘pool’ + Latin colonia ‘settlement of immigrants, colony’

Early spelling: Lindum colonia circa 650

Liverpool

‘Creek with thick water’

Old English, from lifer, here meaning ‘thick water’ + pōl ‘pool, tidal creek’

Early spelling: Liuerpul pre-1194

London

Meaning uncertain.

A recent suggestion is ‘navigable or unfordable river’, from Celtic roots meaning ‘boat’ and ‘river’. An earlier proposal, still favoured by some experts, was ‘town of *Londinos‘ (a postulated man’s name), but no solution so far found is without problems.

Early spelling: Londinium about 115 AD (in later copy)

Luton TL0921

‘Settlement on the (River) Lea’

River-name Lyge ‘bright’ or ‘dedicated to Lug (a god)’ + Old English tūn ‘settlement, village, estate’

Early spelling: Lygetun 795 (in later copy)

Manchester

‘Mamucium Roman fort’

Romano-British place-name, suggested to be from *Mamma ‘breast-shaped hill’ + a suffix, + Old English ceaster ‘Roman fort’

Early spellings: Mamucio 4th century (in later copy), Mameceaster 923

Middlesbrough

‘Middlemost stronghold’

Old English, from midlest ‘middlemost’ + burh ‘stronghold’

Midelesburc about 1165

Milton Keynes

‘Middle settlement’ (family name Keynes added later)

Old English middel ‘middle’ + tūn ‘settlement, village, estate’ +  family name Keynes (from Cahaignes or Cahagnes, both in Normandy)

Early spellings: Middeltone 1086, Middeltone Kaynes 1227

Newcastle upon Tyne

‘New castle on the (River) Tyne’

Middle English neue ‘new’ + castel ‘castle’ + upon ‘upon’ + Celtic or earlier river-name Tyne ‘flowing’

Early spellings: Novum Castellum super Tinam 1168; Tinea about 700 (in later copy)

Northampton

‘Homestead enclosure’ (‘North’ added later)

Old English, from hām-tūn ‘homestead enclosure’ + north ‘north’

Early spellings: Hamtun 10th century, Northantone 1086

Norwich

‘North trading place’

Old English, from north ‘north’ + wīc ‘trading place or other specialised place’

Early spellings: Northwic, Norwic  early 10th century

Nottingham

‘Homestead of Snot’s people’

Old English, from *Snotingas, the people of Snot + hām ‘homestead’

Early spelling: Snotengaham late 9th century

Oxford SP5106             

‘Oxen’s ford’

Old English, from oxa ‘ox’  (inflected form oxna ‘oxen’s’) + ford ‘ford’

Oxnaford about 925

Peterborough

‘Stronghold’ (‘(of) Peter’ added later)

Saint’s name Peter + Old English burh ‘stronghold’ (formerly Medeshamstede)

Early spellings: Burh 972–92, Burgus sancti Petri 1225, Petreburgh 1333

Plymouth

‘Mouth of the (River) Plym’

River-name Plym (a back-formation from Plymton and Plymstock, where plum means ‘plum-tree’)  + Middle English mouthe ‘mouth’

Early spelling: Plimmue 1230

Poole

‘Pool’

Old English pōl ‘pool, creek, harbour’

Early spelling: Pole 1183

Portsmouth

‘Mouth of Port, the harbour’

Old English, from port ‘harbour’ (as name or noun) + mūtha ‘mouth’

Early spelling: Portes mutha about 890

Reading

‘(Settlement of) Reada’s people’

Old English, from *Rēadingas ‘*Rēada’s people’

Early spelling: Readingum about 900

Shrewsbury

‘Fortified site of the place called scrobb, the scrubland’

Old English, probably from *scrobb (inflected form *scrobbes), a variant of scrybb ‘scrub’, + burh ‘fortification’ (inflected form byrig).

Early spelling: Scropesbyrig 1006

Slough     

‘Slough, muddy place’

Old English, from slōh ‘slough, muddy place’

Early spelling: Slo 1195

Southampton

‘Settlement on waterside land’ (‘South’ added later)

Old English, from hamm (in a dialect form homm) ‘land beside water’ + tūn ‘settlement, village, estate’ + sūth ‘south’

Early spellings: Homtune 825 (in later copy), suthamtunam 962 (in later copy)

Southend-on-Sea

‘The south end’ (of Prittlewell; on-Sea added later)

Middle English south ‘south’ + ende ‘end’ +  Modern English on + sea

Early spelling: Sowthende 1481

Stoke-on-Trent 

‘Outlying settlement’ (‘on the Trent’ added later)

Old English stōc ‘outlying settlement’ + Modern English on + Brittonic river-name Trent (possibly ‘great wanderer’, ‘river liable to flood’)

Early spellings: Stoche 1086, Stoke super Trent 1686; Treenta, Treanta 730s

Sunderland NZ3957

‘Detached land’

Old English, from sundorland ‘land set apart for special purpose, detached land’

Early spelling: Sunderland about 1168

Swansea

‘Sveinn’s island’

From an Old Scandinavian man’s name Sveinn + ey ‘island’.

Early spelling: Swensi about 1140

The Welsh name is Abertawe.

Swindon SU1585

‘Swine hill’

Old English, from  swīn ‘pig’ + dūn ‘hill, high ground’

Early spelling: Svindune 1086

Telford

‘(Place called after) Telford’

Surname of engineer Thomas Telford (1757–1834)

Early spelling: Telford 1968

Warrington SJ6088

‘Weir settlement’

Old English, from wer ‘weir, river-dam’ + particle –ing– + tūn ‘settlement, village, estate’

Early spellings: Walintune 1086, Werington 1246

Winchester           

‘Roman fort at the place called Venta’

British Venta (uncertain meaning) + Old English ceaster ‘Roman fort’

Early spelling: Wintanceaster 744

Wolverhampton

‘High settlement’ (‘Wulfrun’s’ added later)

Old English, from hēah ‘high’ + tūn ‘settlement, village, estate’ + woman’s name Wulfrūn

Early spellings: Heantune 985 (in later copy), Wolvrenehamptonia 1074–8

Worcester             

‘Roman fort of the Wigoran‘

Old English tribal name Wigoran (related to the name of the Wyre Forest) + Old English ceaster ‘Roman fort’

Early spelling: Wigorna ceastre 779

York

‘Place with yew trees or of Eburos’

Brittonic eburos ‘yew-tree’ or Brittonic man’s name Eburos, with a suffix 

Early spellings: Eborakon about 150 (in later copy), Eoforwicceaster about 895, York late 13th century

See our place-name story: York

Selected sources

The main sources used are:

Watts, Victor (2004), Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names (2004).

Mills, A. D. (2011), A Dictionary of British Place-Names.

Other works consulted include:

Coates, Richard and Andrew Breeze (2000), Celtic Voices, English Places.

Ekwall, Eilert (1960), The Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names.

Flanagan, Deirdre and Laurence Flanagan (1994), Irish Place Names.

Gelling, M. (2004), The place-names of Shropshire, part 4.

McKay, Patrick (1999), A Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names.

Owen, Hywel Wyn and Richard Morgan (2007), Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales.

Rivet, A. L. F. and Colin Smith (1979), The Place-Names of Roman Britain.

© Diana Whaley 2024