Origins of place names - South East Wales
Source : ' Welsh place names and their meanings' by Dewi Davies
- ABERGAVENNY
- Mouth of the river Gavenny ( Y Fenni )
- ABERTILLERY
- Mouth of the river Tyleri
- ARGOED
- By a wood
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- 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
- BLAENAVON
- source of river
- BLAINA
- upper lands (stream sources)
- BRITHDIR
- mottled land
- BRYNMAWR
- big hill
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- CAERPHILLY ( CAERFFILI )
- Fort of Ffili
- CAERLEON ( CAER Y LLENG )
- Fort of the Legion
- CAERWENT
- Caer : Fort ; gwent: a field or plain
- CANTON
- town on river Canna
- CARDIFF ( CAERDYDD )
- Fort on river Taf
- CEFN GOLAU
- hillside of light
- CEFN ONN
- hillside of ash tree
- CILFYNYDD
- mountain nook
- CLYDACH
- a rocky stream
- COED DUON
- black wood
- CRICKHOWELL
- mound of Howell
- CRUMLIN ( CRYMLYN )
- valley with a bend
- CWM
- a bowl shaped valley
- CWMBRAN
- valley of river Bran ( dark )
- CWMFELINFACH
- valley of the little mill
- CWMTILLERY
- valley of the r.Tyleri
- CYFARTHA
- place of barking dogs or foxes
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- DERI
- oak trees
- DINAS POWYS
- Dinas - fort ; Powys - tribal land
- DOWLAIS
- r.name - dark colour
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- ELY
- from Elai - river name
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- FOCHRIW
- Boch - cheek; rhiw -slope
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- GABALFA
- from ' Ceubalfa ' - a ferry
- GAER
- a fort
- GELLIGAER
- wood of the fort
- GILFACH GOCH
- red nook
- GILWERN
- recess of marsh or alders
- GLASCOED
- green trees
- GOYTRE
- house in wood
- GWENT
- a field or plain
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- HAFODYRYNYS
- farm or dwelling of the river meadow
- HENGOED
- old wood
- HIRWAUN
- long meadow
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- LISVANE (LLYS FAEN )
- stone court
- LLANDAFF
- church on river Taf
- LLANFIHANGEL
- church of St. Michael
- LLANGORS(E)
- church of the swamp
- LLANFOIST
- church of St.Ffwyst
- LLANGYBI
- 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
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- MACHEN
- ma - plain; chen - from a pers. name
- MAERDY
- steward's house
- MAESGLAS
- green meadow
- MAESTEG
- fair meadow
- MAESYCWMMER
- meadow of the river confluence
- MAGOR (MAGWYR)
- stones; walls
- MERTHYR TYDFIL
- grave of Tydfil the Martyr
- MYNYDDISLWYN
- mountain; Islwyn (pers.name)
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- NANTGARW
- valley of r. Garw
- NANTYGLO
- stream or valley of the coal
- NANTYMOEL
- stream or valley of the bare hill
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- PENARTH
- head of the enclosure or promontory
- PENCOED
- head of the wood
- PENLLWYN
- head of the grove
- PENMAEN
- head of the rock
- PENTREBACH
- little village
- PONTCANNA
- bridge over r. Canna
- PONTHIR
- long bridge
- PONTLLANFRAITH
- bridge over mottled (speckled ) water
- PONTSTICILL
- bridge of stile
- PONTNEWYDD
- new bridge
- PONTYCLUN
- bridge of the meadow
- PONTYPOOL (PONT Y PWL)
- bridge of the pool
- PONTYPRIDD
- bridge of earthen house
- PORTH
- a gateway
- PORTHCAWL
- harbour of sea cabbage
- PYLE ( Y PIL )
- tidal creek
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- RADYR
- prob. Aradur - house of prayer
- RAGLAN
- pers.name
- RASSAU
- poss. Yr Asau - the peaks
- ROATH ( RHATH )
- land near fort
- RUPERRA
- rhiw - a hill; perrai - pears
- RHIGOS ( GRUGOS )
- place of heather
- RHONDDA
- from Rhoddneu - a babbling stream
- RHOOSE
- prob.from Rhos - moorland
- RHYMNEY
- river that burrows its way
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- SCWRFA
- a scouring place
- SENGHENNYDD
- land of Sangen (pers.name)
- SIRHOWY
- river name - exact derivation uncertain
- SKENFRITH
- r.meadow of Cynwraidd
- SKIRRID
- ysgrid - rough
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- TAFARNAUBACH
- little inns or taverns
- TALGARTH
- front of headland
- TALYBONT
- end of bridge
- TONGWYNLAIS
- lay-land of the white stream
- TONNA
- lay-lands
- TON PENTRE
- ton - lay-lands; pentre - village
- TONTEG
- fair lay-land
- TONYPANDY
- lay-land of the fulling smith
- TONYREFAIL
- lay-land of the smithy
- TREALAW
- home of song ( or water lily )
- TREDEGAR
- homestead of Tegyr
- TREDOMEN
- homestead of mound
- TREFFOREST
- homestead in wild open land
- TREORCHY ( TREORCI )
- home of r. Orci or Orchwy
- TYNEWYDD
- new house
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- WENTLOOG
- from Gwynllwg (pers.name)
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- YNYSDDU
- black island
- YNYSYBWL
- ynys- meadow; bwl - pool
- YSTRAD MYNACH
- vale of the monk
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