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WELSH PLACE NAMES

(Old/Historic) 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): lit. bridge of the pool; poss. Howel's son's bridge

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

WELSH WORDS COMMONLY FOUND IN PLACE NAMES

Welsh English

aber estuary, confluence

afon river

allt hillside, cliff

bach small

bedd grave

betws chapel

blaen, blaenau source(s) of stream, high land

bryn hill

bwlch gap in hills, pass

caer fort, fortified camp

cae field

capel chapel

carn, carnedd heap of stones

cartref home

cas, castell castle

cefn ridge

cei quay

cil corner, recess

clog, clogwyn steep cliff

coed forest

cors bog

croes cross

crug heap

cwm valley

cymer confluence

din hillfort

dinas city

dwfr, dŵr water

dyffryn valley

eglwys church

ffin boundary

ffordd road

ffridd wood

ffynnon spring

garth promontory

glan riverbank

glyn deep valley

glo coal

gwaun moorland

hen old

heol road

hafn ravine

llan church, sacred enclosure

llannerch clearing

llech stone

llyn lake

llwyn grove

maen stone
melin (felin) mill

merthyr burial place

maes field

mawr (fawr) big

moel bare hill

môr sea

morfa marsh

mynydd (fynydd) mountain, moorland

nant brook, small valley

newydd new

ogof cave

pandy fulling mill

pant hollow, valley

parc park

pen head, end

penrhyn promontory

pentre(f) homestead, village

pont (bont) bridge

pistyll waterfall

plas hall, mansion

pont bridge

porth harbour, gateway

pwll pool

rhaeadr waterfall

rhiw hill, slope

rhos moor, promontory

rhyd ford

sarn causeway

sir county, shire

stryd street

tafarn inn, tavern

traeth beach

tref (dref) village, town

tŷ house

uchaf upper, highest

y, yr the

ynys island

ysbyty hospital

ysgol school

ystrad valley

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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