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WELSH PLACE NAMES

(Old) Monmouthshire place names and their meanings

(Including bordering towns and villages)

A B C CH D DD E F FF G NG H I L LL M N O P PH R RH S T TH U W Y

*ABERCARN *ABERGAVENNY *ABERTILLERY *ARGOED *AVON LLWYD *BARGOED *BASSALEG *BEDLINOG *BEDWAS *BEDWELLTY *BETTWS *BETTWS NEWYDD *BLAENAVON/BLAENAFON *BLAINA *BRITHDIR *BRYNAWEL *BRYNGLAS *BRYNGWYN *BRYNMAWR *BRYNYGWENYN *CAERPHILLY/CAERFFILI *CAERLEON *CAERWENT *CALDICOT *CANTREF *CASNEWYDD *CEFN GOLAU *CEFN ONN *CLYDACH *COED DUON *CRICKHOWELL *CROESYCEILIOG *CROESPENMAEN *CRUMLIN *CWM *CWMBRAN *CWMFELINFACH *CWMFFRWD *CWMNANTGWYNT *CWMTILLERY *DANYGRAIG *DERI *FOCHRIW *GAER *GELLIGAER *GILFACH GOCH *GILWERN *GLANDWR *GLASCOED *GLASLLWCH *GLYNDERWEN *GOYTRE *GWERNESNEY *GWENT *HAFOD-Y-COED *HAFODYRYNYS *HENGOED *HENLLYS *HIRWAUN *LISVANE *LLANDDEWI FACH *LLANFIHANGEL *LLANGORS(E) *LLANFOIST *LLANGYBI/LLANGIBBY *LLANHILLETH *LLANISHEN *LLANOVER *LLANTARNAM *LLANTHONY *LLANTRISANT *LLANTWIT MAJOR *LLANWERN *MACHEN *MAESGLAS *MAESYCWMMER *MAGOR *MYNYDDBACH *MYNYDDISLWYN *NANTYGLO *NANTYMOEL *OAKDALE *PANDY *PANTEG *PENALLT *PENCOED *PENLLWYN *PENMAEN *PENPEDAIRHEOL *PENRHOS *PENTWYN *PENYBONT *PEN-Y-CAE-MAWR *PENYCLAWDD *PEN-YR-HEOL *PONTHIR *PONTLLANFRAITH *PONTSTICILL *PONTNEWYDD *PONTYCLUN *PONTYPOOL *PWLLMEYRIC *RAGLAN *RHIW *RUPERRA *RHIGOS *RHYMNEY *SIRHOWY *SKENFRITH *SKIRRID *TAFARNAUBACH *TALGARTH *TALYBONT *TAL-Y-COED *TONTEG *TREDEGAR *TREDOMEN *TREFFOREST *TRELECH *TRINANT *TYNEWYDD *WENTLOOG *YNYSDDU *YSTRAD MYNACH

A

ABERCARN: aber = mouth of the river : carn = possibly the name of a river;
carn is also the Welsh word for tumulus; or hoof; or hilt

ABERGAVENNY: mouth of the river Gavenny (Y Fenni)

ABERTILLERY: mouth of the river Tyleri

ARGOED: by a wood

AVON LLWYD: grey river

B

BARGOED: a border

BASSALEG: from "basilica" - Latin for church

BEDLINOG (BODLWYNOG): home of the fox

BEDWAS: place of birch trees

BEDWELLTY (BODFELLTAU): place of quick stream

BETTWS: prayer house

BETTWS NEWYDD: new prayer house

BLAENAVON/BLAENAFON: source of river

BLAINA: upper lands (stream sources)

BRITHDIR: speckled/mottled land

BRYNAWEL: breezy hill

BRYNGLAS: blue/green hill

BRYNGWYN: white hill

BRYNMAWR: big hill

BRYN-Y-GWENYN: bee hill

C

CAERPHILLY/CAERFFILI: fort of Ffili

CAERLEON (CAER Y LLENG): fort of the legion

CAERWENT: caer - fort : gwent - a field or plain

CALDICOT (CIL Y COED): corner of wood

CANTREF: hundred

CASNEWYDD: newport

CEFN GOLAU: hillside of light

CEFN ONN: behind the ash tree

CLYDACH: rocky bed

COED DUON: black wood

CRICKHOWELL: mound of Howell

CROESPENMAEN: cross at the top of the rock

CROESYCEILIOG: cockerel's cross

CRUMLIN (CRYMLYN): valley with a bend

CWM: a bowl shaped valley

CWMBRAN: valley of river Bran OR
valley of the crows

CWMDERWEN: oak dale

CWMFELINFACH: valley of the little mill

CWMFFRWD: valley stream

CWMNANTGWYNT: valley of the wind and stream

CWMTILLERY: valley of the r.Tyleri

CH

D

DANYGRAIG: under/below the rock

DERI: oak trees

DD

E

ELY: from Elai - river name

F

FOCHRIW: Boch - cheek; rhiw -slope

FF

G

GAER: a fort

GELLIGAER: grove of the fort

GILFACH GOCH: little red nook

GILWERN: recess of marsh or alders

GLANDWR: water bank

GLASCOED: green trees

GLASLLWCH: blue dust

GLYNDERWEN: oak dale

GOYTRE (Coed ty): house in wood

GWERNESNEY: gwern = marsh

GWAUN-Y-BARA: gwaun=moorland; bara=bread

GWENT: a field or plain

H

HAFOD-Y-COED: upland farm of the wood

HAFODYRYNYS: farm or dwelling of the river meadow

HENGOED: old wood

HENLLYS: old court or mansion

HIRWAUN: long meadow

I

L

LISVANE (LLYS FAEN): stone court

LL

LLANDDEWI FACH: little church of St. David

LLANFIHANGEL (Crucorney/Vibon Avel etc.,): church of St. Michael

LLANGORSE: church of the swamp

LLANFOIST: church of St.Ffwyst

LLANGYBI/LLANGIBBY: church of St.Cybi

LLANHILLETH: church of St.Hilledd

LLANISHEN: church of St.Isien

LLANOVER: church of St.Myfor

LLANTARNAM (NANT TEYRNON): brook of Teyrnon

LLANTHONY: church of r. Hodni

LLANTRISANT: church of three saints

LLANTWIT MAJOR: big church of Illtyd

LLANWERN: church of the marsh or alders

M

MACHEN: ma - plain; chen - from a pers. name

MAESGLAS: green meadow

MAESYCWMMER (MAESYCYMMER): meadow of the river confluence

MAGOR (MAGWYR): stones; walls

MYNYDDBACH: small mountain

MYNYDDISLWYN: mountain; Islwyn (pers.name)

N

NANTYGLO: stream or valley of the coal (coalbrook)

NANTYMOEL: stream or valley of the bare hill

NG

O

OAKDALE: In Welsh is Glynderwen or Cwmderwen

P

PANDY: a fulling mill

PANTEG: fair hollow

PENALLT: head (top) of the slope

PENCOED: head (top) of the wood

PENLLWYN: head (top) of the grove

PENMAEN: head (top) of the rock

PENPEDAIRHEOL: head (top) of the four roads

PENRHOS: head (top) of the moor

PENTWYN: head (top) of the dune

PENYBONT: head of the bridge

PEN-Y-CAE-MAWR: top of the large field

PENYCLAWDD: head (top) of the hillside

PEN-YR-HEOL: head (top) of the road

PONTHIR: long bridge

PONTLLANFRAITH: bridge over mottled (speckled ) water OR
bridge near the mottled church

PONTNEWYDD: new bridge

PONTYCLUN: bridge of the hip

PONTSTICILL: bridge of the stile

PONTYPOOL (PONT Y PWLL): bridge of the pool

PWLLMEYRIC: Meurig's pool

PH

R

RAGLAN: pers.name

RUPERRA: rhiw - a hill; perrai - pears

RH

RHIW: Hill or slope

RHIGOS (GRUGOS): place of heather

RHYMNEY: river that burrows its way

S

SIRHOWY: river name - exact derivation uncertain

SKENFRITH: r.meadow of Cynwraidd

SKIRRID: ysgrid - rough

T

TAFARNAUBACH: little inns or taverns

TALGARTH: front of headland

TALYBONT: end of bridge

TAL-Y-COED: end of the wood

TONTEG: fair lay-land

TREDEGAR: homestead of Tegyr

TREDOMEN: homestead of mound

TRINANT: three brooks

TREFFOREST: homestead in wild open land

TRELECH: slate town

TYNEWYDD: new house

U

W

WENTLOOG: from Gwynllwg (a personal name)

Y

YNYSDDU: black island

YSTRAD MYNACH: vale of the monk

Compiled with the help of "Welsh Place-names and Their Meanings" by Dewi Davies,
PARLOC parish locator, and the A-Z of Wales
© Glyn Hale 2002 2003

WELSH WORDS COMMONLY FOUND IN PLACE NAMES

ABER = mouth of the river : ALLT = hill, slope, wood : BACH (FACH) = small, little : BRYN = hill : CAE = field : CAER (GAER) = fort : CAPEL = chapel : CARTREF = home : CASTELL = castle : CEFN = back, or behind : COED = trees, wood : CROES = cross : CWM = valley : DINAS = fort : DWR = water : EGLWYS = church : FYNNON = spring, well : GLAN = river bank : GLO = coal : GLYN = glen, valley : HEN = old : HEOL = road : ISAF = lower, lowest : LLAN = church : LLYN = lake : LLWYN = grove : MAES = field : MAWR (FAWR) = large : MYNYDD (FYNYDD) = mountain : NANT = brook, stream : NEWYDD = new : OGOF = cave : PEN = top, or head : PENTREF = village : PONT (BONT) = bridge : PWLL = pool : TRE (TREF) = town : TY = house : Y(or YR) = the : UCHAF = upper, highest : YNYS = island : YSTRAD = valley floor

NUMBERS
1 - 10 : Un, dau, tri, pedwar, pump, chwech, saith, wyth, naw, deg

COLOURS
COCH= red : DU (DDU)= black : GLAS= blue (green) : GWYN= white : GWYRDD= green : LLWYD= grey : MELYN= yellow

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