What’s a ‘neuk’ when it’s at home? Is a cwm the same as a cum? And why does Britain have so many Bottoms? Read our A-Z guide to Britain’s geographical lexicon to find out…
Deciphering the origins of place names can at times be nothing more than guesswork, not least because of the influence and influx of several different languages over the centuries. The good news is that often the derivation is simpler to understand than you might think. With the help of just a few basic root words it is possible to tell the difference between the origins of Shepherd’s Bush and Shepherd’s Bottom.
Most British place names belong to one of three categories (or sometimes a combination): a place where people lived, the geographic features of the land, or the names of the individuals or tribes living there. Below is an A-Z of some of the most common root words. Peruse it at your leisure - or use the letter links below to search for meaning(s).
A
Aber
Origin: Welsh / Pictish
Meaning: Estuary, confluence (Abergavenny, Aberlour)
Abhainn, Aibhne
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: River (Abhainn Bheag)
Ach or Achadh
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Field or agricultural holding (Achadh nan Each)
Afon
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: River (Afon Ddu)
Àl or Àil
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Rock, stone (Loch an Àil)
Allt
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Stream (Allt a Choire Mhoir)
Aonach
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Steep height, plateau, hill (Aonach Eagach)
Àrd or Àird
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: High, height, promontory (Cruach Àirde)
Auchter, Uachdar or Ochter
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Top, upper part, summit (Auchterarder)
B
Baile, Bal, Ball, Balla or Bally
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Farm (Baile Geamhraidh)
Bàn, Bane
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Fair, white, pale, light in colour (Craigbane)
Beag, Bhig or Bige
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Little (Buachaille Etive Beag)
Bealach
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Pass, gorge of a mountain, glen, gap (Bealach na Bà)
Beck
Origin: English
Meaning: Mountain stream (Trout Beck)
Ben, Beinn or Bheinn
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Mountain (Ben Macdhui)
Bidean
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Pinnacle, sharp, pointed hill (Bidean nam Bian)
Biggin
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Building (Langbigging)
Bill
Origin: English
Meaning: Narrow promontory (Portland Bill)
Binnean or Binnein
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: High conical hill (An Binnean Crom)
Birk
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Birch (Birks of Aberfeldy)
Bottom
Origin: English
Meaning: Valley (Scratchy Bottom)
Brae
Origin: Gaelic / Scots
Meaning: Steep bank or hillside (Braemar)
Brig
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Bridge (Brig o’Turk)
Broads
Origin: English
Meaning: Specific to Norfolk and Suffolk, a network of shallow freshwater lakes, traversed by slow-moving rivers (The Broads)
Bryn
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Hill (Bryn‐berian)
Buidhe
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Yellow (Allt Coire Buidhe)
Burn
Origin: Gaelic / Scots / English
Meaning: Stream or brook (Bottom Burn)
Butt
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Ground disjoined from adjacent lands, strip of ploughed land, irregularly shaped ridge (Butt Hill)
Butt
Origin: English
Meaning: Hunting / archery butts (Newington Butts)
Bwlch
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Gap, pass (Bwlch‑y‑groes)
C
Cadair
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Seat, stronghold (Cadair Idris)
Caer
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Stronghold, fort (Caernarfon)
Camas
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Channel, bay, harbour (Camasdarach)
Caolas or Kyles
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Narrow, strait (Kylesku)
Ceann, Kin or Ken
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Head, headland, point (Kinlochmoidart)
Ceunant
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Gorge (Ceunant Llennyrch)
Cheap or Chip
Origin: English
Meaning: Market (Chipping Sodbury)
Cladach or Claddach
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Shore, beach, coast (Cladach Mòr)
Cleuch, Cleugh, Cloy
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Gorge, ravine, cliff, crag (Cleugh of Tongue)
Cnoc or Knock
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Round hill, hillock, knoll (Knockanrock)
Cock
Origin: English
Meaning: Either a person’s name, e.g. Cocc(a), Co(c)ke, or Cobha (Cockfield), or denoting the presence of woodcock / wild birds, or crooked (Cockermouth)
Coille, Kil or Killie
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Wood, forest, grove (Killiecrankie)
Coire
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Corrie, bowl (Coire Cath nam Fionn)
Craig or Creag
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Rock, crag (Craig David)
Cum
Origin: Latin
Meaning: With, e.g. two parishes combined into one (Cockshutt-cum-Petton)
Cwm
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Valley (Cwm Farteg)
D
Dale
Origin: English
Meaning: Valley, especially in northern England (Yorkshire Dales)
Ddu
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Black (Graig Fan Ddu)
Dìseart
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Hermit’s retreat (Port an Dìseart)
Dod, Dodd
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Bare hill with rounded top (Deuchrie Dod)
Druim or Drum
Origin: Gaelic / Scots
Meaning: Ridge (Drumnadrochit)
Dub
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Small pool of water, puddle (Waterless Dub)
Dubh, dhubh, dhuibh, duibhe or dubha
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Black (Stob Dubh)
E
Eagach
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Jagged (Aonach Eagach)
Ear
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: East (Tràigh Ear)
Eas
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Waterfall (Eas a' Chual Aluinn)
Eilean
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Island (Eilean Donan)
F
Fan
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Point or peak (Fan y Bîg)
Fell
Origin: English / Scots
Meaning: Rocky hill, hill-moor, high-lying ground (Great Dun Fell)
Fionn
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: White, fair, blessed, holy (Fionn Loch)
Firth
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Narrow inlet or estuary (the Firth of Forth)
Flow
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Morass, peat bog (Flow Country)
Forest
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Large area of land not necessarily wooded, originally used for deer hunting (Fisherfield Forest)
G
Geo
Origin: Norse
Meaning: Creek / inlet, in Orkney / Shetland (Cross Geo)
Geodha or Geo
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Ravine, chasm (Geodha Bàn)
Ghyll
Origin: Norse
Meaning: Ravine / narrow mountain stream (Stock Ghyll)
Glen or Gleann
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Valley (Glen Coe)
Glyder
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Heap of stones (Glyder Fach)
Gob
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Point, beak (Gob na Hoe)
Gowt
Origin: English
Meaning: Sluice or drain (Guthram Gowt)
I
Iar or Siar
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: West (Tràigh Iar)
Inbhir or Inver
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Confluence, meeting of rivers (Inverness)
Inch or Innis
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Island or dry area in marsh (Keith Inch)
K
Kin
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: At the end of (Kinlochleven)
Knob
Origin: English
Meaning: Hill (Lord Hereford's Knob)
L
Làirig
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Pass, moor, hill, sloping hill (Làirig Ghru)
Law
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Round, conical often isolated hill (Ruberslaw)
Linn
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Pool, pond, lake, mill‐dam, channel (Linn of Tummel)
Llyn
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Lake (Llyn y Fan Fach)
Lùb or Lùib
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Meander, bend (Lùib Luachrach)
M
Machair
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Low-lying dune grassland (South Uist Machair)
Mains
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Home farm on an estate (Mains of Tarty)
Meall
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Round, lumpy hill (Meall Buidhe)
Monadh
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Mountain, moor, heath (Monadh Beag)
Mòr or More
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Large, great (Buachaille Etive Mòr)
Muc, Muice or Muck
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Pig (Drummuck)
Muckle, meikle, mickle
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Great (Muckle Burn)
Mull
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Headland, promontory (Mull of Kintyre)
Mynydd
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Hills (Mynydd Preseli)
N
Nether
Origin: English
Meaning: Lower (Nether Wallop)
Neuk
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Corner, projecting point of land into the sea, a remote place (East Neuk of Fife)
Nick
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Narrow gap in a range of hills (Nick of the Balloch)
O
Ogof
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Cave (Ogof Ffynnon Ddu)
P
Pant
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Hollow or valley (Pont-y-Pant)
Peerie
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Small, specifically in the Northern Isles (Peerie Breast)
Pen-
Origin: Cornish
Meaning: Promontory, headland (Penzance)
Pistyll
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Waterfall (Pistyll Rhaeadr)
Pol-
Origin: Cornish
Meaning: Cove, creek or pool (Polzeath)
Pont
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Bridge (Pont-y-Pant)
R
Rhaeadr
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Waterfall (Pistyll Rhaeadr)
Rig or Rigg
Origin: Scots / English
Meaning: Ridge, long narrow hill, cultivated strip of land (Steel Rigg)
Rinn
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Point, promontory (Rinn a’ Chrubain)
Ross
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Headland (Ross of Mull)
Ruadh
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Red, brown (Rubha Ruadh)
Rubha
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Promontory, headland (Rubha Ruadh)
S
Sauchie
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Place abounding in willows (Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow)
Scar
Origin: English
Meaning: Steep high cliff or rock outcrop, especially of limestone (Gordale Scar)
Sgùrr, Sgòr or Sgòrr
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Rocky peak, sharp steep hill (Sgurr Nan Gillean)
Sgwd
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Waterfall (Sgwd Yr Eira)
Shambles
Origin: English
Meaning: An old term for open-air slaughterhouse, meat market or 'stall for the sale of meat' (The Shambles, York)
Shiel, Shield or Shields
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Hut, shepherd’s summer shelter (Shepherdshield)
Slap
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Pass, shallow valley between hills (Thunderslap Hill)
Spittal
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Mountain refuge (Spittal of Glenshee)
Srath or Strath
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Mountain valley (Strathspey)
Stane or Stain
Origin: English / Scots
Meaning: Stone (Staines)
Steall
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Torrent, cataract (Steall a’ Choire)
Stob
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Peak (Stob Dearg)
Stùc
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Little hill, cliff, pinnacle (Stùc a’ Bhuic)
Stud
Origin: English
Meaning: Usually denotes something to do with horses (Studley Royal)
T
Tairbeirt or Tarbert
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Crossing, portage, isthmus (Loch an Tairbeirt)
Tarn
Origin: English
Meaning: Small mountain lake (Blea Tarn)
Thong
Origin: English
Meaning: Narrow strip of land (Upperthong)
Thwait
Origin: Norse
Meaning: Forest clearing or parcel of land (Bassenthwaite)
Tor
Origin: English
Meaning: Hill or rocky peak (Yes Tor)
Traigh
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Beach (Traigh Mor)
Tre-
Origin: Cornish
Meaning: Farm (Trebetherick)
Twatt
Origin: Norse
Meaning: Forest clearing or parcel of land (Twatt)
Twitchen
Origin: English
Meaning: Crossroads (Twitchen Ridge)
U
Ùig or Ùige
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Nook, hollow, cave, den, bay (Bad na h‐Ùige)
W
Wallop
Origin: English
Meaning: Valley of the stream (Middle Wallop)
Wham
Origin: English
Meaning: Marshy valley or hollow (Whamtown)
Wham
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Broad valley through which a stream runs, marshy depression (Whamtown)
Wold
Origin: English High open moor (Cotswolds)
Y
Yonder
Origin: Scots
Meaning: Distant (Yonder Bognie)
Ystrad
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Valley, holm, river‑meadow (Ystrad Rhondda)
And that’s not all…
If all this Wittering* about place names has left you Itchington* for more, have an Ogle* of ST&G’s Great British Place Names map. It features more than 2,000 odd, risqué and just downright scandalous place names from across England, Wales and Scotland - not to mention a circular road trip taking in the delights of Scilly, Twatt and many marvellously-monikered places in between. Dull* it ain’t.
* Yup - all genuine British place names.
A rather more serious key to the etymology of English place names can be found at http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk - a searchable database of place name interpretations. The Ordnance Survey also hosts enchantingly charted guides to Scottish and Welsh place names. And finally, we’re always keen to hear about your rude, random and enrapturing place name discoveries. Been to any Bottoms recently? Found yourself chuckling at a Pant or a Piddle? Tag us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to share the fun, or email hello@marvellousmaps.com.
