You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 44.197.0.0/16 has been blocked (disabled) by ‪Blablubbs‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider or colocation provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts and colocation providers may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host or colocation provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a colocation provider's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a colocation web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host or colocation provider (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host or colocation provider.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and requests should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 10:52, 20 August 2024.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
Your IP address is in a range that has been blocked on all Wikimedia Foundation wikis. The block was made by ‪AntiCompositeNumber‬. The reason given is Open proxy/Webhost: Visit the FAQ if you are affected .
- Start of block: 13:55, 18 August 2022
- Expiry of block: 13:55, 18 November 2024
Your current IP address is 44.197.119.13. The blocked range is 44.197.0.0/16. Please include all above details in any queries you make. If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((About|the origins of place names themselves|a discussion of the scientific study of place names|Toponymy))
((multiple issues|
((Refimprove|date=February 2014))
((Globalize|date=September 2011))
))
((Use dmy dates|date=April 2021))
In much of the "[[Old World]]" (approximately [[Africa]], [[Asia]] and [[Europe]]) the [[place name|names of many places]] cannot easily [[etymology|be interpreted or understood]];<ref name="Toponymy">((cite book|title=Place Names: Approaches and Perspectives in Toponymy and Toponomastics|last1=Perono Cacciafoco|first1=Francesco|last2=Cavallaro|first2=Francesco Paolo|date=March 2023|location=Cambridge, UK|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781108780384|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/place-names/B6C6CB54DF0896D31CAE470C710D22D1))</ref> they do not convey any apparent meaning in the modern language of the area.  This is due to a general set of processes through which place names evolve over time, until their obvious meaning is lost. In contrast, in the "[[New World]]" (roughly [[North America]], [[South America]], and [[Australasia]]), many place names' origins are known.

Although the origin of many place names is now forgotten, it is often possible to establish likely meanings through consideration of early forms of the name.<ref name="Toponymy"/> Some general conclusions about the nature of place names, and the way in which place names change, can be made and are examined below. It is also possible to distinguish regional trends and differences in the naming of places, as is also discussed below.

==Types of place name==
There are several clearly definable types of place name, the primary division being between the names of natural features and the names of human settlements.<ref name="Toponymy"/> That the latter are 'places' is obvious. The case is slightly more ambiguous for natural features, depending on how exactly 'place' is defined, and what exactly the concept of a 'place' is used for. If, as is probable, natural features were originally given names to distinguish nearby hills, streams etc. from each other, then these features can be thought of as places, in that they represent distinct geographic locations. However, as names are applied on a larger scale, they may become less useful as place names. For instance, a relatively small, distinct upland valley (e.g. [[Swaledale]]) clearly represents a definable geographic location. However, the broad, extended valley of a major river, such as the [[River Trent|Trent]], is not easily understood as a single location. That notwithstanding, it is probable that the origins of the names of both settlements and natural features is the same, namely to distinguish one from another; and thus that both should be considered place names.

Many other types of place name can be defined, for example those relating to tribal or personal names. Previously names relating to pagan religion were extensively studied as these were thought to be early. Another class studied was those relating to particular people, example: the Ancient British.

The place names also can be based upon the nature of the occupation of the people in that area or the particular function performed by the people in that area.<ref name="Toponymy"/>

==Toponymic processes==
There are identifiable processes which occur over time to place names, and which alter the place names in such a way that their original meanings are lost.<ref name="Toponymy"/> These apply to both the names of settlements and natural features, although more so to the former.

The processes by which place names change include abbreviation, conflation, convergence, development in the parent language (but [[Stasis (rhetoric)|stasis]] in the place name((Vague|date=September 2014))) and replacement of the parent language. The latter in particular can result in dramatic shifts in place names, since the original meaning (and often sounds) are not conveyed in the new language, the place name thus shifts to a form appropriate for the new language.

*Abbreviation tends to break down a name into a more easily pronounced form, e.g.''Cantwaraburh'' to ''Canterbury''; ''Dornwaracaster'' to ''Dorchester''; ''Eborakon'' (through ''Eoforwīc'' and ''Jorvik'') to ''[[York]]''.
*Conflation is where two similar elements of place names become confused, for instance the Old English roots ''den'' (hill) and ''don'' (valley) are conflated in place names e.g. ''[[Willesden]]'' ('stream hill'),<ref>((cite web |title=Willesden |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Middlesex/Willesden |accessdate=May 29, 2018))</ref> ''[[Croydon]]'' ('crocus valley').<ref>((cite web |title=Croydon |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Surrey/Croydon |accessdate=May 29, 2018))</ref>
*Convergence occurs when place names drift towards other familiar phonemes in place names; e.g. in ''[[Abingdon-on-Thames|Abingdon]]'' (''Aebbeduna'', 'Aebbe's hill'),<ref>((cite web |title=Abingdon and St Helen Without |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Berkshire/Abingdon%20and%20St%20Helen%20Without |accessdate=May 29, 2018))</ref> the middle sound has converged to the familiar 'ing' found in many place names (usually meaning 'people of').
*Evolution of the parent language may not change a place name by itself; indeed names may show more inertia to change than languages themselves. However, evolution of the parent language permits other processes to occur. For instance, if a name no longer means anything in the modified language, it may drift towards a new form; e.g. ''Maethelac'' ('Moot-oak') to ''Matlock''.<ref>((cite web |title=Matlock |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Derbyshire/Matlock |accessdate=May 29, 2018))</ref> Or, as the parent language changes, attributes which already form part of a name may be appended to the name. For instance ''[[Portsea Island]]'' ('Port-island island');<ref>((cite web |title=Portsea Island |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Hampshire/Portsea%20Island |accessdate=May 29, 2018))</ref> once the meaning of ''Portsea'' became obscure, it became necessary to add ''island''.
*Replacement of the parent language is one of the most dramatic processes of change. If, for whatever reason, a new language becomes spoken in the area, a place name may lose all meaning. At its most severe, the name may be completely replaced. However, often the name may be recycled and altered in some way. Typically, this will be in one of the above ways; as the meaning of place-name is forgotten, it becomes changed to a name suitable for the new language. For instance Brittonic ''Eborakon'' (perhaps 'place of the yew trees') became Anglo-Saxon ''Eoforwic'' ('Boar-town'), then Old Norse ''Jorvik'' ('Horse-bay'), and modern English ''[[York]]''.
*Elaboration of place names often occurred to make distinctions between similarly named settlements. For instance, in England, two nearby and related settlements often became 'lower/nether' and 'upper/higher';<ref>((cite web |title=Nether and Upper Poppleton |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Yorkshire%20NR/Nether%20and%20Upper%20Poppleton |accessdate=9 April 2021))</ref> or 'little' and 'great'<ref>((cite web |title=Little Wenham |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Suffolk/Little%20Wenham |accessdate=9 April 2021))</ref> (or the equivalent in Latin, ''parva'' and ''magna''). Alternatively, two geographically separated places might be distinguished by local features; e.g. ''[[Newcastle-under-Lyme]]'' and ''[[Newcastle upon Tyne]]''; or ''[[Newton-le-Willows]]'', ''[[Newton-by-Frodsham]]'', ''[[Newton under Roseberry]]'' (and so on). In England, many additions were made in the medieval period, to show that settlements were ruled by certain families, e.g. as ''[[Stoke Mandeville]]''.<ref>((cite web |title=Stoke Mandeville |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Buckinghamshire/Stoke%20Mandeville |accessdate=9 April 2021))</ref> Some elaborations (particularly in Latin) date back to medieval times, such as ''[[Weston-super-Mare]]'' ('Weston-on-sea'), while others were added relatively recently, for instance ''[[Bognor Regis]]'' ('Bognor of the King').<ref>((cite web |title=Bognor Regis |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Sussex/Bognor%20Regis |accessdate=9 April 2021))</ref>
*Backformation: the process whereby names are derived from one another in the opposite direction to that which would be expected - in many cases a river with an obsolete or forgotten name is renamed after a town on its banks rather than vice versa. For example, the river running through Rochdale became known as the 'Roch' through this process. Cambridge perhaps uniquely illustrates both normal and back formation. Originally ''Grantabrice'', a bridge on the Granta, the name became ''Cantebrugge'', and then ''Cambrigge'', from which the river was renamed 'Cam'.

==Problems of interpretation==
Place names often need specialists to interpret their meanings. Some of the main problems are:

*'''Language'''. Sometimes the language used in the formation of a place name is unclear; for example, some names may be plausibly derived from either Old English or Celtic roots. In recent years there has been a tendency to seek Celtic origins for names in England that were previously taken to be Anglo-Saxon.
*'''Element order'''. In Germanic languages, and thus in Old English and Old Norse, the substantive element is generally preceded by its modifier, such as "north farm" (''[[Norwich]]''), "Badecca's spring" (''[[Bakewell]]'').  In Celtic place names the order is usually reversed with the thing being described (hill, valley, farm, etc.) as the first element, for example "settlement of the Cuebris" (''[[Tregonebris]]''), "mouth of the Dee" (''[[Aberdeen]]'').  However, this is not true of all Celtic names, for example "bald hill" (''[[Malvern, Worcestershire|Malvern]]'').
*'''Translation'''. The general similarity of Old Norse and Old English meant that the place names in the Danelaw were often simply "norsified". For instance, in ''[[Askrigg]]'' ('[[ash (tree)]] ridge') in Yorkshire, the first element is indubitably the Norse ''asc'' (pronounced ask), which could easily represent a "norsification" of the Old English element ''aesc'' (pronounced ash) with the same meaning.
*'''False analogy'''.  Sometimes, however, the place names were changed by new settlers to match  pronunciation habits without reference to the original meaning.  For example, the Old English name ''Scipeton'' ("sheep farm"), which would normally become *''Shipton'' in modern English, instead was altered to ''[[Skipton]]'', since Old English ''sc'' (pronounced 'sh') was usually cognate with Old Norse ''sk'' — thus obscuring the meaning, since the Old Norse word for 'sheep' was entirely different.
*'''Lost reason'''. Interpreting some names can be difficult if the reason for the name is no longer evident.  Some names originally referred to a specific natural feature such as a river, ford or hill that can no longer be identified. For example, ''[[Whichford]]'' (Warwickshire) means "the ford of the [[Hwicce]]", but the location of the ford is lost.
*'''Confusion between elements'''. Pairs of original elements can produce the same element in a modern place name. For example, the Old English elements ''den'' (valley) and ''dun'' (hill) are sometimes confused, as they can now lack obvious meanings.  [[Croydon|Croy''don'']] is in a valley and [[Willesden|Willes''den'']] is on a hill.
*'''Multiple meanings'''. Some elements, such as ''wich'' and ''wick'', can have many meanings.  Generally ''wich/wick/wyke'' indicates a farm or settlement (e.g. ''Keswick'' "cheese farm"). However, some of the sites are of Roman or early Post-Roman origin, in which the ''wich'' represents Latin ''vicus'' ("place"). These ''vici'' seem to have been trading-posts. On the coast, ''wick'' is often of Norse origin, meaning "bay" or "inlet" (e.g. ''[[Lerwick]], Scotland, [[Runswick Bay|Runswick]], North Riding'').

==Names of landscape features==
The names of natural or man-made features in the landscape tend to be older than those of settlements since the former are often more widely known. Names are given to water features, hills and valleys, islands and marshes, as well as woods and districts. Man-made landscape features that have been given names include roads and trackways as well as burial mounds, etc. Many topographic elements become incorporated into settlement names, together with plant, creature names or personal names. Many topographical words convey not just an image of the place but also a wealth of information about the likely size, status and pattern of farming practised by the community living there.<ref name="Toponymy"/><ref>((cite book |title=The Landscape of Place-Names |first1=Margaret |last1=Gelling |first2=Ann |last2=Cole |date=2000 |edition=Revised |location=Stamford |publisher=Shaun Tyas |isbn=978-1-900289-26-9))</ref>

Water was of major importance to the early settlers of an area, both for subsistence and for religious reasons. Names were given to springs, streams, rivers and lakes as well as marshes, bays and seas.<ref name="Toponymy"/> [[Eilert Ekwall]] carried out an early study of river names in England<ref>((cite book |last=Ekwall |first=Eilert |title=English River Names |place=Oxford |publisher=Clarendon Press |date=1928))</ref> while Krahe conducted a European-wide examination of river names which showed that there were common roots in the names over a wide area. There is still controversy over the language of these roots. Sometimes a generic word was adopted as a specific label, for example the Celtic word for river was ''afon'', which is used in many cases as the name (Avon) of rivers in England.

Land characteristics were important to both hunters and farmers, and there are many terms relating to different types of hills and valleys. Some terms, like ''cumb'' and ''penn'', were adopted from Celtic by Anglo-Saxons. Other terms relate to the expansion of farming.

Topographical names were held in low esteem by early place name scholars but their importance was raised in a book by [[Margaret Gelling]], first published in 1978.<ref>((cite book |title=Place Names in the Landscape |first=Margaret |last=Gelling |date=1993 |location=London |publisher=J.M. Dent |isbn=978-0-460-86086-4))</ref> This discusses the many elements of topographical place names, with updates in 1988 and 1997.

==Names of settlements==
Most pre-modern settlement names contain a generic element describing the place's function (e.g. 'farm', 'market', 'fort') or a prominent natural feature, or both; if only one of these is present, it is often modified by a personal name or an adjective.

For instance, examples from England:
*Personal name + function + feature - [[Todmorden]] - 'Totta's boundary valley'<ref>((cite web |title=Todmorden and Walsden |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Yorkshire%20WR/Todmorden%20and%20Walsden |accessdate=9 April 2021))</ref>
*Personal name + function - [[Grimsby]] - 'Grimr's farm'<ref>((cite web |title=Great Grimsby |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Lincolnshire/Great%20Grimsby |accessdate=9 April 2021))</ref>
*Existing name + function - [[Exeter]] - 'River Exe (Roman) fort'<ref>((cite web |title=Exeter |website=Key to English Place-names  |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Devon/Exeter |accessdate=9 April 2021))</ref>
*Function + natural feature - [[Church Fenton]] - 'Marsh Farm (with a church)'<ref>((cite web |title=Church Fenton |website=Key to English Place-names  |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Yorkshire%20WR/Church%20Fenton |accessdate=9 April 2021))</ref>
*Personal name + natural feature - [[Barnsley]] - 'Beorn's clearing'<ref>((cite web |title=Barnsley |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Yorkshire%20WR/Barnsley |accessdate=May 29, 2018))</ref>
*Existing name + natural feature - [[Cockermouth]] - 'River Cocker mouth'<ref>((cite web |title=Cockermouth |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Cumberland/Cockermouth |accessdate=May 29, 2018))</ref>
*Function - [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]] - 'Cheese farm'<ref>((cite web |title=Keswick |website=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Cumberland/Keswick |accessdate=May 29, 2018))</ref>
*Natural feature - [[Blackburn]] - 'Black stream'

These basic elements can also be found in place names in other countries; e.g., [[Amsterdam]] ('River Amstel dam'), [[Liechtenstein]] ('Light-stone'), [[Copenhagen]] (equivalent to “chapmen’s haven”), [[Paris]] ('Home of the Parisii'), [[Shanghai]] (approximately 'Seaport'), [[Tashkent]] ('Stone city'). These elements are also clearly present in the less 'weathered' New World place names - e.g. [[Fort Knox]], [[Thunder Bay]], [[Little Rock]] and so on. [[Carson City]], for instance, was named for [[Kit Carson]], and [[Belo Horizonte]] means "beautiful view". However, some apparent meanings may be deceptive; [[New York (state)|New York]] was not directly named after the English city of [[York]] but after [[James II of Great Britain|the Duke of York]], who was the head of the British Navy at the time of the British take-over, and [[Los Angeles]] was not named after angels but after the Virgin Mary, or the Queen of the Angels (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles).

Countries which have seen repeated large-scale cultural and/or linguistic changes, such as [[England]] or [[France]], tend to have more broken down place names, as the original meaning is forgotten and drifts more quickly. They may also have more linguistically diverse place names; for instance in England place names may have Pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, or Norman-French origins. Conversely, countries with a more uniform cultural/linguistic history tend to have less broken down and diverse place names - [[Wales]] for instance (especially when compared to neighbouring England).

==Place name origins in Britain and Ireland==
((Main|Toponymy in the United Kingdom and Ireland))
Various names have been used for the island of Britain, see [[Britain (name)]]. The origin of place names of the countries within Britain are discussed below. Each country is divided into a number of counties. ((Further|List of generic forms in place names in the United Kingdom and Ireland|Etymological list of counties of the United Kingdom))

===England===
((Main|English toponymy))
Most English place-names are either Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse in origin but Celtic names are to be found over the whole country, most notably in Cornwall (see below) and counties bordering Wales. Other place-names are hybrids of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon elements. There is a high level of personal names within the place names, presumably the names of local landowners at the time of naming. In the north and east, there are many place names of Norse origin; similarly, these contain many personal names. In general, the Anglo-Saxon and Norse place names tend to be rather mundane in origin, the most common types being [personal name + settlement/farm/place] or [type of farm + farm/settlement] (almost all towns ending in -wich, -ton, -ham, -by, -thorpe, -stoke/stock are of these types).

In [[Shropshire]] and [[Herefordshire]] many Welsh place names are found in the borderlands such as [[Pontrilas]] and [[Trefonen]].
In [[Cornwall]] most place-names are [[Cornish language|Cornish]] in origin, whilst in [[Cumbria]] there remain a number of place names in [[Cumbric]], the [[British language (Celtic)|Brythonic]] language of this region; examples including [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]], [[Helvellyn]] and [[Blencathra]].
((Further|Cumbrian toponymy))

Most old Roman settlements, whether actually inhabited or not, were given the title of ''[[chester (placename element)|-chester/caster]]'' in Anglo-Saxon (from the Latin ''castrum'', 'camp' or its plural form ''castra''); the specific names for each may only have little relation to the Roman names (e.g. Chester - 'Deva', Winchester - 'Venta Belgarum' etc.).

Many English places derive part of their name from the river upon which they were built, but in the 16th century many English rivers were renamed with [[back-formation]]s from towns on their banks.  [[Cambridge]], perhaps uniquely, illustrates both effects: originally ''Grontabricc'', a bridge on the Granta, the name became ''Cantebruge'' and then ''Cambrugge'', from which the river was renamed [[river Cam|Cam]]. The scholars of Oxford renamed the upper course of the River Thames running through Oxford to Dorchester-on-Thames as the "Isis", owing to an incorrect assumption that the Latin name of the river, Tamesis, represented a combination of "Thame" (a river that joins the Thames at Dorchester) and "Isis".

One place in [[Yorkshire]] which retains [[Celtic toponymy]] is [[Pen-y-ghent]] (one of the [[Yorkshire Three Peaks]]), whose name means Hill-by-the-Border in [[Cumbric]], a [[Brittonic languages|Brittonic]] language.

===Wales===
((Main|Welsh toponymy))
The vast majority of place names in Wales are Welsh by origin, containing elements such as Llan-, Aber-, Pen- etc. Along the south coast of Wales, where English has historically been more widely spoken, many place names are commonly [[anglicization | anglicized]], such as [[Pontypool]], derived from ''Pont-y-Pŵl''. Many places throughout Wales have alternative names in English unrelated to the name in Welsh, for example, [[Newport, Wales|Newport]] (where the Welsh name ''Casnewydd'' means "New Castle") and [[Swansea]] (derived from the Norse meaning "Svein's island") for the Welsh ''Abertawe'' (Mouth of the [[River Tawe]]. In some cases these are in fact related to their Welsh name, but disguised through linguistic processes of [[Welsh morphology|mutation]], for example [[Monmouth]] and the Welsh ''Trefynwy'' both referring to the [[River Monnow]] (Mon- < Monnow < ''Mynwy'' > ''-fynwy'').

Welsh place names tend to be associated with natural features rather than people, hence elements describing rivers, hills and valleys are common. The exceptions are places with the prefix ''Llan'', meaning 'Church', which often contain the name of the Saint the church is dedicated to, e.g. [[Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain|Llansantffraid]] - 'Church of St. Bridget'.

===Scotland===
((Main|Scottish toponymy))
In the islands of Scotland, particularly [[Orkney]] and [[Shetland]], but also the [[Western Isles]], there are many names of [[Old Norse|Norse]] origin; this is also true on [[Caithness]] and other coasts of the mainland.

In the Highlands, the names are primarily in [[Scottish Gaelic]], with emphasis on natural features; elements such as Glen- (valley) and Inver- (confluence, mouth) are common. These have replaced [[Pictish language|Pictish]] names that still occur on the east coast.

In lowland Scotland, names are of more diverse origin. Many are Gaelic, but many are also from the [[Brythonic languages|Brythonic]] branch of Celtic languages (such as [[Ayr]]). There are also place names from [[Old English]] and [[Scots language|Scots]], such as [[Edinburgh]].

===Isle of Man===
Most place-names are of Gaelic or Norse origin but there are traces of an earlier language in some names.

===Channel Islands===
Most place names derive from Norman-French.

===Ireland===
((Main|Place names in Ireland))
The vast majority of placenames in [[Ireland]] are [[anglicization]]s (adaptations to English [[phonology]]) of [[Irish language]] names. However, some names come directly from the [[English language]] or [[Scots language]], and a handful come from [[Old Norse]].

==Place name origins in the United States==
((further|List of U.S. state name etymologies))

Place names in the [[United States]] are often taken from the European nation that first colonized the land. Many names that have been transferred from Britain, as is the case with [[Barnstable, Massachusetts]] and [[Danbury, Connecticut]].  Many others are of French origin, such as [[Detroit]], Michigan, which was established along the banks of the river they called ''le détroit du lac Érié'', meaning the strait of Lake Erie. Many in the former [[New Netherland]] colony are of Dutch origin, such as [[Harlem]], [[Brooklyn]] and [[Rhode Island]]. Many place names are taken from the languages of [[Native Americans in the United States|native peoples]].  Specific (personal or animal) names and general words or phrases are used, sometimes translated and sometimes not.

A great many names that appear to be Native American in origin were created by non-Natives with at best a rudimentary grasp of native languages. [[Pasadena, California]]'s early Anglo residents, looking for a pleasant sounding ([[phonaesthetics|euphonious]]) name for the town, used the Ojibwe word ''pa-sa-de-na'', which means ''of the valley''.  Similarly, [[Negaunee, Michigan]]'s name is derived from the [[Ojibwe language|Ojibwe]] word ''nigani'' meaning ''foremost, in advance, leading'', which was determined to be the closest Ojibwe approximation to the English word ''pioneer''.

Nine counties in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]] have names invented by [[Henry Schoolcraft]], usually adapted from parts of Native American words, but sometimes having parts from Greek, Arabic and Latin roots.<ref>((cite journal |last1=Jenks |first1=William L. |title=History and Meaning of the County Names of Michigan |journal=Collections and Researches of the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society |volume=38 |year=1912 |pages=439–478))</ref>  ''(see [[List of counties in Michigan]].)''  In some cases the native meanings of a place name are wholly lost, despite guesses and theories, for example [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]] and [[Oregon (toponym)|Oregon]].

Place names in the United States tend to be more easily traceable to their origins, such as towns simply named after the founder or an important politician of the time, with no alterations except a simple suffix, like -town. Carson City, for instance, was named for Kit Carson. In the 21st century, real estate developers often conduct historical research in order to craft a name for a modern development that connects to the local history of the community. <ref>((cite web |url=https://www.historyassociates.com/resources/blog/place-names/ |title=What's in a Name? How Place Names Reveal Our History |website=History Associates |date=5 September 2019 |accessdate=27 October 2019))</ref>

==Place name origins in Canada==
French, English, Latin and Gaelic derived names occur in Canada. There are also Indigenous place names.

==Place name origins in Australia==
((Further|List of Australian place names of Aboriginal origin|List of reduplicated Australian place names))

Australian place names are mainly a mixture of Indigenous and British-derived toponyms.

==Place name origins in New Zealand==
((Main|New Zealand place names))

New Zealand place names derive mostly from Maori and from British sources. The Maori named most of New Zealand's natural features. When Europeans began arriving in New Zealand from the 17th century they gave their own names to many geographical features and settlements, often after places in Britain or important settlers or famous British people. Recently there has been a movement to revive some Maori names.

==References==
((Reflist)) 

==Further reading==
((refbegin|2))
* Perono Cacciafoco, Francesco and Francesco Paolo Cavallaro. 2023. ''Place Names: Approaches and Perspectives in Toponymy and Toponomastics''. [[Cambridge University Press]]. ((ISBN|9781108748247)), ((ISBN|9781108780384)) [https://www.cambridge.org/de/academic/subjects/languages-linguistics/historical-linguistics/place-names-approaches-and-perspectives-toponymy-and-toponomastics?format=PB Book 0]; [https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/place-names/B6C6CB54DF0896D31CAE470C710D22D1 Book 1]; [https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108780384 DOI]
((refend))

==External links==
*((Commonscatinline|Place name etymologies))

((DEFAULTSORT:Place Name Origins))
[[Category:Place name etymologies| ]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

Place name origins (edit)
Template:About (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Ambox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Catalog lookup link (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite book (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite journal (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:Commons category-inline (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Commonscatinline (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:DMCA (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:FULLROOTPAGENAME (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Fix-span (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Fix/category (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Further (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Globalize (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:ISBN (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:If empty (view source) (protected)
Template:Main (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:More citations needed (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Multiple issues (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Multiple issues/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Template:Refbegin (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Refbegin/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Refend (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Refimprove (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Sister-inline (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Use dmy dates (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Vague (view source) (extended confirmed protected)
Template:Yesno (view source) (protected)
Template:Yesno-no (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Yesno-yes (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:About (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Catalog lookup link (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/blacklist (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/shared (view source) (protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Check isxn (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Commons link (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:DecodeEncode (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Disambiguation/templates (view source) (protected)
Module:Find sources (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/links (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/templates/Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Format link (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Hatnote list (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:If empty (view source) (protected)
Module:Labelled list hatnote (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Message box (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/ambox.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Ns has subpages (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/disambiguation (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype/setindex (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype/softredirect (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:Unsubst (view source) (protected)
Module:Wikitext Parsing (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to Place name origins.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_name_origins"