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 Place Names
On this page you will find the origins and a little of the history of the cities, towns and villages mentioned in my research, where I have not been able to find the origin or history I shall say so. The subject of English place names is a complicated one. There are many factors involved, not the least of which is the waves of conquest England suffered during the period in which most of her place names were formed. The result is that English place names come from a variety of languages: Possibly pre­British, British, Latin, Old English, Old Norse of two varieties and Norman French. Each of these languages has contributed place names and influenced the form of existing place names.

 Aberdeen, as for Welsh place names, the "Aber" means mouth, although the word is not old Welsh but the Celtic aber found mainly in Scotland where the Picts would have lived, the river is the Don, it could be said that the river would have been the Dee, which of course it now is, but the reference is a historic one and relates to the original settlement, or what is now the district of Old Aberdeen which is to the north of the city center, where the Don flows into the North Sea. Recorded as Aberdon about 1187 and as Aberden about 1214. The Gaelic name of the city is Abaireadhain.
 Accrington, in the 12th century the names was recorded as Akarinton, this is interpreted as acorn farm from the old English acern = acorn and tun = farm. This word has not been found anywhere else, but it is very relevant to Accrington as Accrington was originally on the edge of the Rossendale Forest, and the acorns found there would have been used to feed pigs.
  Ayr, Southwest of Kilmarnock that takes its name from the river at whose mouth it stands on the firth of Clyde, the rivers name is an ancient one means quite simply river, which id from a British Celtic word, the same word can be traced in the names of other rivers in Britain, such as The Oare in Somerset. Ayr in the Gaelic is "Inbhir-ayr.
 Bacup, The name of this town, south of Burnley, comes from two old English words baec, meaning ridge and hop meaning valley. The valley by a ridge is therefore a description of the site of the town which is in the Irwell Valley. The name was recorded in 1324 as Bacop, but a hundred years earlier about 1200 a document has the names as Fulebachope were the first part of the name ful meaning dirty, foul, probably means that the valley may have been very dirty (muddy at that time.
 Barnoldswick, north of Colne, Barnoldswick was recorded in the Domesday Book as Bernulfeswic, meaning Beornwulf's farm. The old English wic implied a farm used for special purposes.
 Barrow-in-Furness, Here we have 2 names to deal with. Barrow means headland island, that is a Celtic root word barrow meaning headland, hill, combined with the old Norse ey meaning island. A record of 1190 shows this more clearly, when the names was given as Barrai. Barrow was therefore the name of an island here. Furness is the name of the peninsula on which Barrow stands and that name is a combination of the old Norse words Futh meaning buttock and nes meaning headland. Futh was also the name of an island, today called Peel island, which is still at the tip of the peninsula. Its former names graphically refers to the slit or long depression that runs from the north of the island to the south. Futh Ness or Futharness, as it was actually known was therefore the ness or headland opposite this island, and from the headland the name spread to the whole of the peninsula. It was probably though wise to add the "in-Furness to Barrow to distinguish it from other places with the same name.
 Blackburn, North West of Manchester Blackburn has an easy straightforward name, Black Burn, meaning a place by a dark stream, to help us even more the stream here is called the Blackwater, and in the Domesday book the name is recorded as Blacheburne.
 Bolton, Northwest of Manchester, this town has a name which is shared by other places in Northern England, like Bolton Priory and Bolton-le-Sands. The origin lies in the old English bothl meaning building plus the common tun meaning settlement, village. It is thought that such a village with buildings was the main residential part of a settlement, as distinct from outlaying farms. Bolton-le-Sands has a distinguishing addition indicating its location by the sandy coast.
 Bowland, Forest of, A region of wild moorland between the rivers Lune and Ribble. Its name means more or less what it says, for much of the area lies in a bend (bow) of the river Ribble.
 Burnley, Lying at the convergence of the rivers Brun and Calder, the name refers to the former of these, meaning the clearing by the river brun, the second part of the name is from the old English  leah meaning forest clearing. The name of the river means "brown one" probably referring to the colour of the water. The name Burnley was recorded in 1124 as Brunlaia. The change from Brun to Burn may have come about by association with the latter element.
 Bury, North of Manchester, the name derives from the old English for fort (Burg), the name appears on a document from 1194 as Biri.
 Campsie Fells, A range of hills to the North of Glasgow, that takes its name from one of its individual hills called Campsie meaning crooked fairy hill, from the Gaelic cam meaning crooked and sith meaning fairy, fells comes from the old Norse word fjall meaning hill.
 Carnforth, North of Lancaster the name was recorded in the Domesday book as Chreneford, meaning Cranes Ford or a ford where cranes have been seen, the ford was probably over the river Keer.
 Castlebar (Mayo), East of Westport the name refers to Barry's Castle the Irish is Caislean an Barraigh, after the Barry family who held the castle after the invasion of the English, the town itself was not founded until the early 17th century.
 Chipping, probably from the old English ceping meaning market place.
 Chorley, This name is found in several places and probably means "clearing of the churls" the latter being free peasants. This Lancashire town has given its name to an administrative district and was recorded in a document or 1246 as Cherleg.
 Church, a simple explanation for this, the name was recorded in 1202  as Chirche, and probably refers to a church that stood on or close to the site of the present day St. James's church, which is still known locally as Church Kirk.
Clayton-le-Moors, Northwest of Accrington the first word of this town means clay settlement or village on clay soil from the old English claeg meaning clay and again the common tun meaning village. The distinguishing le-moors refers to the high ground between Accrington and Great Harwood. In 1263 the town was recorded simply as Clayton and then in 1284 as Clayton Super Moras, other Clayton's in the region are Clayton-le-Dale and  Clayton-le-Woods with their self descriptive additions.
 Clitheroe, Northeast of Blackburn, Clitheroe has a name interpreted by some as "hill of loose stones" and by others as "thrush hill". The second element of the name is generally believed to be the old Norse haugr meaning hill, although this could equally be the old English hoh meaning spur, of similar meaning. The first part of the name therefore represents either a conjectural old English clyder meaning loose stones, which probably refers to the crumbling limestone on which the 12th century castle was built, or the old Norse klithra meaning thrush, representing a hill where thrushes gathered. The latter interpretation, with both parts of the name thereby Old Norse in origin, seems more logical, but the first explanation cannot be ruled out. In 1102 the name was recorded as Cliderhou.
 Darwen, taking its name from the river Darwen on which it stands. The river's name means oak stream, so is based on the same Celtic word that gives the names of the Darent, the Dart and the Derwent. The name in 1208 was recorded as Derewent.
 Dent, in Cumbria this small town is southeast of Sedbergh in the valley of the river Dee, which is also known as Dentdale after the town. The town is named after a nearby hill Dent Crag, whose name derives from a British (Celtic) word meaning hill. The town was recorded in a document of 1200 as Denet.




       
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