← Celtic Place-Name Explainer
Place-name elements
Most Celtic place names are built from a small set of words for hills, rivers, forts and churches. Pick one to see every place in the explorer that uses it.
Irish · Gaeilge
- ard · heightArm- · 2 place names
- áth · ford5 place names
- baile · town, settlementBally-, Bal- · 7 place names
- beag · small, little1 place name
- béal · mouthBel- · 1 place name
- bealach · way, pass1 place name
- bearna · gapBarna- · 1 place name
- caiseal · stone fortCashel- · 1 place name
- carn · cairnCarn- · 1 place name
- carraig · rockCarrick-, Carrig- · 2 place names
- ceann · head, headlandKin-, Kan- · 3 place names
- ceapach · plot of land1 place name
- cill · churchKil-, Kill- · 8 place names
- cluain · meadowClon- · 1 place name
- cnoc · hillKnock- · 1 place name
- cúige · province3 place names
- cúil · corner, nookCole- · 1 place name
- daingean · fortress2 place names
- doire · oak groveDerry- · 1 place name
- droichead · bridgeDrogh- · 4 place names
- dún · fortDun-, Down- · 6 place names
- gaoth · inlet of the sea, estuary1 place name
- gleann · glen, valleyGlen- · 2 place names
- inis · islandEnnis-, Inish-, Innis- · 4 place names
- leitir · hillsideLetter- · 2 place names
- lios · ringfortLis- · 1 place name
- loch · lake1 place name
- log · hollow1 place name
- longfort · camp, stronghold1 place name
- mainistir · monastery, abbey3 place names
- muileann · millMullin- · 1 place name
- nua · new2 place names
- port · landing place, harbour; bank; fortified place, strongholdPort- · 2 place names
- ráth · ringfortRath- · 2 place names
- rinn · point, headland1 place name
- ros · wood; headlandRos- · 4 place names
- sean · old1 place name
- tír · landTyr- · 1 place name
- trá · strand, beachTra- · 2 place names
Welsh · Cymraeg
- abaty · abbey1 place name
- aber · river mouth, confluenceAber- · 16 place names
- bach · small, little1 place name
- bae · bay2 place names
- ban · peak, summit1 place name
- betws · chapelBetws- · 1 place name
- bryn · hillBryn- · 1 place name
- caer · fortCaer-, Car- · 9 place names
- castell · castleCastle- · 3 place names
- cerrig · rocks1 place name
- coch · red2 place names
- coed · wood, forest, trees3 place names
- cwm · valleyCwm- · 4 place names
- din · fort, strongholdDen-, Ten- · 3 place names
- dôl · meadowDol- · 3 place names
- du · black1 place name
- esgair · ridge, spur1 place name
- glan · bank, shore1 place name
- glyn · glen, valley1 place name
- gwyn · white3 place names
- hen · old1 place name
- llan · church, parishLlan- · 26 place names
- maes · field1 place name
- mawr · large, big1 place name
- mynydd · mountain2 place names
- nant · brook, stream1 place name
- newydd · new3 place names
- pen · head, top, endPen-, Pem- · 6 place names
- penrhyn · headland, promontory1 place name
- pont · bridgePont- · 7 place names
- porth · port, harbourPort- · 2 place names
- pwll · poolPwll- · 2 place names
- rhos · heath, moorRhos- · 1 place name
- rhyd · ford1 place name
- ton · lea, pastureTon- · 3 place names
- traeth · beach, shore2 place names
- tref · townTre- · 5 place names
- tŷ · house4 place names
- ynys · island3 place names
- ysbyty · hospital1 place name
- ystrad · valley, valeYstrad- · 2 place names
Scottish Gaelic · Gàidhlig
- baile · village, townBalla- · 1 place name
- bàn · white, pale, fair1 place name
- càrn · cairn1 place name
- ceann · head, endKin-, Ken- · 2 place names
- dùn · fort, fortressDun-, Dum- · 4 place names
- eaglais · church1 place name
- gleann · glen, valleyGlen- · 2 place names
- inbhir · mouth of a river, estuaryInver- · 2 place names
- lios · garden; enclosure; fortified placeLis- · 1 place name
- loch · lake, lochLoch- · 3 place names
- mòr · big, large, great2 place names
- muileann · mill1 place name
- port · port, harbourPort- · 1 place name
- ruadh · red1 place name
- sròn · nose; promontory, pointStron- · 2 place names
- tobar · well, springTober- · 1 place name
Cornish · Kernewek
- aber · river mouth, estuary1 place name
- bos · dwellingBod- · 1 place name
- enys · island1 place name
- hen · old1 place name
- heyl · estuary1 place name
- lann · holy enclosure3 place names
- logh · inlet2 place names
- lys · courtLis-, Liz- · 3 place names
- penn · head, top, endPen- · 1 place name
- porth · port, harbour, covePort- · 8 place names
- res · fordRed- · 1 place name
- rudh · red1 place name
- tre · homestead, townTre- · 1 place name
Breton · Brezhoneg
Manx · Gaelg
Meanings and glosses are adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and the other sources cited on each page. Map and area data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).