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The Inception Of Place Names
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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There’s a place in the Bronx called Gun Hill Road. I was visiting my Nan who used to live there and asked one of the people working in her shop why it’s called that. And he looked at me dead in the eyes and said ‘why d’ya think?’
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High Wycombe: This is an interesting one as at first glance the name Wycombe would appear to be derived from the river Wye (which runs through it) and the old English word for a wooded valley, namely, ‘Combe’.
However, it was listed as early as 799 AD as ‘Wichama’ and is thus more likely to be a plural combination of the Old English ‘Wic’ and ‘ham’ which roughly translate as, ‘dwellings’ and ‘village’ respectively. |
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We have a real interest in medieval place names (our town is named after a saint who supposedly preached here).
Many medieval towns had a Gropecunt Lane - many have been changed to Grape Lane, though there's still a Grope Lane in Shrewsbury. |
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I love history and love learning about stuff like this
My town is named after St Oswald who was killed by King Penda a Mercian in the battle of Maserfield....A raven took his severed arm and dropped it, in that spot a well appeared, which is still there to this day, there's also memorial at the site
Oswalds body was nailed to a tree as a mock to the crucifixion (Oswald was Christian, Penda was Pagan) hence the name (Oswestry) in Welsh Oswestry is Croesoswallt ( Oswalds Cross)
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Here’s an odd one: Scratch Arse Ware is an area of beautiful sloping limestone hills in Dorset.
'Ware', it transpires, is an old English term for rough grazing pasture.
As to the first bit of the name though…..  |
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By *lder.Woman
over a year ago
Not Local |
"Here’s an odd one: Scratch Arse Ware is an area of beautiful sloping limestone hills in Dorset.
'Ware', it transpires, is an old English term for rough grazing pasture.
As to the first bit of the name though….. "
Full of nettles I bet  |
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Contrary to how it may sound, the rather charmingly named village of Fingringhoe derives its name not from the masturbatory habits of ladies of loose moral virtue.
In fact, a ‘hoe’ (in old English) actually denotes a jutting out piece of land whilst the ‘finger’ aspect describes an elongated finger-like land extension.
‘Ing’ traditionally describes, ‘peoples’ thus the full name translates something along the lines of:
‘The people living on the land jutting out (into the river).’
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"Here’s an odd one: Scratch Arse Ware is an area of beautiful sloping limestone hills in Dorset.
'Ware', it transpires, is an old English term for rough grazing pasture.
As to the first bit of the name though…..
Full of nettles I bet "
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"I love history and love learning about stuff like this
My town is named after St Oswald who was killed by King Penda a Mercian in the battle of Maserfield....A raven took his severed arm and dropped it, in that spot a well appeared, which is still there to this day, there's also memorial at the site
Oswalds body was nailed to a tree as a mock to the crucifixion (Oswald was Christian, Penda was Pagan) hence the name (Oswestry) in Welsh Oswestry is Croesoswallt ( Oswalds Cross)
"
I love it especially wherein folklore and myth intertwine with history and provide us with our modern day customs (and in this instance, place names) |
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Around the 8th century when Danish invaders arrived and the settlement became known as "Kori's by" – Kori's settlement. The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Corbei" and eventually became known what it is now.
Tinder |
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By *lder.Woman
over a year ago
Not Local |
"I love history and love learning about stuff like this
My town is named after St Oswald who was killed by King Penda a Mercian in the battle of Maserfield....A raven took his severed arm and dropped it, in that spot a well appeared, which is still there to this day, there's also memorial at the site
Oswalds body was nailed to a tree as a mock to the crucifixion (Oswald was Christian, Penda was Pagan) hence the name (Oswestry) in Welsh Oswestry is Croesoswallt ( Oswalds Cross)
I love it especially wherein folklore and myth intertwine with history and provide us with our modern day customs (and in this instance, place names) "
Aww heck, dont get me into myths and folklore too, my absolutely most favourite wormhole to fall down  |
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"Around the 8th century when Danish invaders arrived and the settlement became known as "Kori's by" – Kori's settlement. The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Corbei" and eventually became known what it is now.
Tinder "
•
She's talking about Watford, dear gentlefolk. And who can blame her for being so proud of that erstwhile upmarket settlement of the South-East?  |
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"I love history and love learning about stuff like this
My town is named after St Oswald who was killed by King Penda a Mercian in the battle of Maserfield....A raven took his severed arm and dropped it, in that spot a well appeared, which is still there to this day, there's also memorial at the site
Oswalds body was nailed to a tree as a mock to the crucifixion (Oswald was Christian, Penda was Pagan) hence the name (Oswestry) in Welsh Oswestry is Croesoswallt ( Oswalds Cross)
I love it especially wherein folklore and myth intertwine with history and provide us with our modern day customs (and in this instance, place names)
Aww heck, dont get me into myths and folklore too, my absolutely most favourite wormhole to fall down "
Aww you would love my area! We have a village called Whittington, said to be the home of Dick Whittington, there is a Castle in the middle of the village which housed the Holy Grail.
The village next to that is called Babbinswood (babies in the wood) whether it's connected to the folklore I don't know, I can't find any reference to it
And the near the road into Oswestry is one of the UK's oldest hill forts, its said that it was the birthplace of Guinevere
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By *lder.Woman
over a year ago
Not Local |
"I love history and love learning about stuff like this
My town is named after St Oswald who was killed by King Penda a Mercian in the battle of Maserfield....A raven took his severed arm and dropped it, in that spot a well appeared, which is still there to this day, there's also memorial at the site
Oswalds body was nailed to a tree as a mock to the crucifixion (Oswald was Christian, Penda was Pagan) hence the name (Oswestry) in Welsh Oswestry is Croesoswallt ( Oswalds Cross)
I love it especially wherein folklore and myth intertwine with history and provide us with our modern day customs (and in this instance, place names)
Aww heck, dont get me into myths and folklore too, my absolutely most favourite wormhole to fall down
Aww you would love my area! We have a village called Whittington, said to be the home of Dick Whittington, there is a Castle in the middle of the village which housed the Holy Grail.
The village next to that is called Babbinswood (babies in the wood) whether it's connected to the folklore I don't know, I can't find any reference to it
And the near the road into Oswestry is one of the UK's oldest hill forts, its said that it was the birthplace of Guinevere
"
I think I have been to Whittington castle for a plant fair. I normally try to root around in a local bookshop for their folklore story books in all the places I go. I will have to come back there |
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"Around the 8th century when Danish invaders arrived and the settlement became known as "Kori's by" – Kori's settlement. The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Corbei" and eventually became known what it is now.
Tinder
•
She's talking about Watford, dear gentlefolk. And who can blame her for being so proud of that erstwhile upmarket settlement of the South-East? "
Tinder |
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By *inaTitzTV/TS
over a year ago
Titz Towers, North Notts |
The key books on this are by Margaret Gelling.
However, it's a real minefield to study yourself.
Depending upon location, you need to know some late Roman Latin, old Welsh, Old English, Old Danish/Norse, have access to the earliest spellings (ideally on a charter) and a thorough knowledge of the geography of the place back when it was named.
I did some work on this at Uni  |
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"The key books on this are by Margaret Gelling.
However, it's a real minefield to study yourself.
Depending upon location, you need to know some late Roman Latin, old Welsh, Old English, Old Danish/Norse, have access to the earliest spellings (ideally on a charter) and a thorough knowledge of the geography of the place back when it was named.
I did some work on this at Uni "
It is admittedly a bit of an etymological nightmare and is often rendered even more exasperating by scholarly disputes as regards the origins and indeed, the intrinsic meaning of the words utilised in the composition of the said place designations   |
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Here’s another rather humorous one:
Shitterton (a hamlet in Bere Regis, Dorset) derives its name from and is comprised of two words, namely, ‘Scitere’ - an Old English word denoting a sewer or a stream used as an open sewer and ‘Ton’ - a town.
Thus, ‘The town by the sewer.’
(And apparently a shit hole to boot) |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
"High Wycombe: This is an interesting one as at first glance the name Wycombe would appear to be derived from the river Wye (which runs through it) and the old English word for a wooded valley, namely, ‘Combe’.
However, it was listed as early as 799 AD as ‘Wichama’ and is thus more likely to be a plural combination of the Old English ‘Wic’ and ‘ham’ which roughly translate as, ‘dwellings’ and ‘village’ respectively."
Big it up for yours and my home town!!! |
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"High Wycombe: This is an interesting one as at first glance the name Wycombe would appear to be derived from the river Wye (which runs through it) and the old English word for a wooded valley, namely, ‘Combe’.
However, it was listed as early as 799 AD as ‘Wichama’ and is thus more likely to be a plural combination of the Old English ‘Wic’ and ‘ham’ which roughly translate as, ‘dwellings’ and ‘village’ respectively.
Big it up for yours and my home town!!! "
And the mighty synth pioneering legend, Howard Jones  |
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By *stellaWoman
over a year ago
London |
"High Wycombe: This is an interesting one as at first glance the name Wycombe would appear to be derived from the river Wye (which runs through it) and the old English word for a wooded valley, namely, ‘Combe’.
However, it was listed as early as 799 AD as ‘Wichama’ and is thus more likely to be a plural combination of the Old English ‘Wic’ and ‘ham’ which roughly translate as, ‘dwellings’ and ‘village’ respectively.
Big it up for yours and my home town!!!
And the mighty synth pioneering legend, Howard Jones "
And the awesome Chair Museum! |
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In 985 Lady Wulfruna was granted a charter to set up a settlement. It was known as Wulfrun Heatun. Over the years the name changed to Wolverhampton.
But to Viking lovers we also have areas called Wednesfield and Tettenhall that are part of Wolverhampton. The vikings would have called it Wodensfield, and Tettenhall was simply a place where Tetten had his hall (home). A famous battle happened around there, it even featured in The Last Kingdom |
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Next we come to the delightfully named town of, wait for it good folks..….
Twatt(!) which is located on the Orkney Islands of Scotland.
The name is derived from an Old Norse word meaning 'small parcel of land' |
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By *inaTitzTV/TS
over a year ago
Titz Towers, North Notts |
Also, James Campbell has written a good essay on Bede's use of Roman places names in his history of the English Church, showing how deliberate he was in picking a name to go with. |
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"I love history and love learning about stuff like this
My town is named after St Oswald who was killed by King Penda a Mercian in the battle of Maserfield....A raven took his severed arm and dropped it, in that spot a well appeared, which is still there to this day, there's also memorial at the site
Oswalds body was nailed to a tree as a mock to the crucifixion (Oswald was Christian, Penda was Pagan) hence the name (Oswestry) in Welsh Oswestry is Croesoswallt ( Oswalds Cross)
I love it especially wherein folklore and myth intertwine with history and provide us with our modern day customs (and in this instance, place names)
Aww heck, dont get me into myths and folklore too, my absolutely most favourite wormhole to fall down
Aww you would love my area! We have a village called Whittington, said to be the home of Dick Whittington, there is a Castle in the middle of the village which housed the Holy Grail.
The village next to that is called Babbinswood (babies in the wood) whether it's connected to the folklore I don't know, I can't find any reference to it
And the near the road into Oswestry is one of the UK's oldest hill forts, its said that it was the birthplace of Guinevere
I think I have been to Whittington castle for a plant fair. I normally try to root around in a local bookshop for their folklore story books in all the places I go. I will have to come back there "
It's pretty isn't it! Yes!! We have a lovely little bookshop which also doubles as a coffee shop. I would love to show you x |
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Ahhhh….the glorious and proudly named, Penistone.
Breaking the name down unveils the words, ‘Penn’ (Celtic for ‘Hill’) and ‘Tun’ - a farm or village.
There is some debate amongst historians however, that the ‘Pen’ may actually simply refer to the geographical location of the said town, I.e in the foothills of the Pennines.
Either way, Penistone…...the phonetics and indeed, the resulting evoked visuals are blooming magnificent, right?
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By *batMan
over a year ago
Alicante, Spain. (Sometimes in Wales) |
A lot of Welsh place names are very literal.
Two from Llanberis pass I like,
Cwm Beudy Mawr
Cwm Hetiau
The first is Big Cowshed Valley (Wonder why they called it that?)
The second means Hats Valley.
Apparently in Victorian times, when the open carriage trains were going up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) ladies hats would blow off and into the valley. Enterprising young men would search them out and return them for a reward.
I love languages!!
Gbat |
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By *ndycoinsMan
over a year ago
Whaley Bridge,Nr Buxton, |
A settlement or enclosure marked by Bucstones,boulders placed in such a way that they rock when touched,(middle English meaning).As a Roman Spa town it's original name is Aqua Arnementia(waters of Arnementia).Arnementia was a goddess in Romano-British religion.Her shrine was Buxton.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Next we come to the delightfully named town of, wait for it good folks..….
Twatt(!) which is located on the Orkney Islands of Scotland.
The name is derived from an Old Norse word meaning 'small parcel of land' "
I have been there. Beautiful |
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By *rRiosMan
over a year ago
dublin |
A Spanish village with a name that translates to “Camp Kill Jews” has finally officially changed its name to Castrillo Mota de Judios, or “Jews' Hill Camp.” Residents of Castrillo Matajudios first voted to change the name last year, with 29 of the village's 57 inhabitants voting in favor of the change.22 Jun 2015
There is also two place names with exclamation marks in their name. Westward Ho! in England which is got to do with boat taxis back in the day and Saint-Louis-du-Ha!-Ha! In Canada which is got to do with the French “le haha” which means impasse.
Yup, I’m a catch me… a reaaaalllll catch! |
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Bitchfield in Lincolnshire; The rather offensive name actually derives from the Old English ‘Bill's’ and ‘Feld’ - literally translating as, ‘Bill's field’.
In the 1086 Domesday Book, the village is referred to as Billesfelt….but this wasn’t considered nearly as mirth inducing so Bitchfield it became |
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"Next we come to the delightfully named town of, wait for it good folks..….
Twatt(!) which is located on the Orkney Islands of Scotland.
The name is derived from an Old Norse word meaning 'small parcel of land'
I have been there. Beautiful "
There’s also a Twatt on mainland Shetland. It must be a Norse island thing. |
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Many places in the UK actually derive their names from their agricultural and farming heritage.
Examples of the latter are places containing the names of animals that are historically associated with the said locations:
Oxford means ‘ford for Oxen’, Swinton in Greater Manchester translates as ‘pig village’, Gateshead means ‘goat’s promontory’ and Hertford is ‘ford for harts’, (an archaic term for deer) |
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"Next we come to the delightfully named town of, wait for it good folks..….
Twatt(!) which is located on the Orkney Islands of Scotland.
The name is derived from an Old Norse word meaning 'small parcel of land'
I have been there. Beautiful
There’s also a Twatt on mainland Shetland. It must be a Norse island thing. "
Twatts everywhere! |
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