Welsh Place names
Many places in Wales have names which are made out of elements which describe
the location or the history of the area.
Some of these elements are listed below.
| Element | Meaning | Example of use |
| aber | estuary , confluence , stream | Aberystwyth SN5881 Llanaber SH6017 |
| acer aceri , acrau | acre | Ddwy-acer SJ0364 Ty'n-yr-acrau SH5833 |
| aderynadar | bird | Brynyradar ST1675 Craig yr Aderyn SH6406 |
| adwy | gap , pass | Craig-adwy-wynt SJ1253 Nant Adwy'r-llan SH8546 |
| ael | brow , edge | Ael-y-coryn SJ1633 Aelybryn SN5872 |
| aelwyd | hearth | Aelwyd-uchaf SJ0974 Aelwyd Brys SH9250 |
| Aeron | river in Cardiganshire | Aberaeron |
| afallen | apple-tree | Afallenchwerw SN9854 Dolafallen SN9566 |
| afon | river | Afon-wen SJ1371 Glanrafon SN6790 |
| allt | hill, hillside, slope, wood (see gallt) | Alltwen |
| allt , gallt elltydd , alltau | hillside , cliff , wood | Allt-mawr SO0746 Alltwalis SN4431 |
| am | near , beside , around | Amlwch SH4493 Henllan Amgoed SN1820 |
| Aman | river in Carmarthenshire | Cwmaman |
| amlwg | evident , visible , prominent | Brynamlwg SN2214 Grwnamlwg SJ1515 |
| angell | offshoot , tributary , leg , wing , limb | Aberangell SH8410 Afon Angell SH8111 |
| anner , annair | heifer | Cwm Penanner SH9146 Dolpenanner SH9168 |
| ar | on , upon , over | Hendy-gwyn ar Daf SN2016 Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr SN1745 |
| aran | high place | Mynydd aran |
| ardd, ard | hill , height | Talardd SN4941 Pennard SS5688 |
| argaeargaeau | dam, mill-dam , embankment | Rhydargaeau SN4326 Penyrargae SH3284 |
| arglwydd-es | lord , lady | Waunarlwydd SS6095 Caer-arglwyddes SN6991 |
| argoed | wood , grove | Argoed ST1799 Twyn-yr-argoed SO4207 |
| arian | silver | Carn yr arian SN9412 Fedw-arian SH9136 |
| Armon | see Garmon | Betws garmom |
| arth | bear | Aber-arth SN4763 Afon Arth SN4862 |
| arw | rough (see garw) | Graig-arw |
| asgwrnesgyrn | bone | Mynydd yr Esgyrn SJ0818 Esgyrn SM9634 |
| athro | teacher , father confessor | Caeathro SH5061 Pant Yr Athro SN3613 |
| aur | gold | Bron-yr-aur SH7302 Llannerch-yr-aur SN8697 |
| awel awelon | breeze | Morawel SN0843 Awelfryn SN4223 |
| awel, (plural awelon) | breeze | Brynawel |
| b- | A word starting b may be a mutated form of a word starting p | |
| bach | small , little | Dre-fach SN5045 Cwm-bach Llechryd SO0254 |
| bach bachau | nook , corner , bend in a river | Bachau SH4383 Eglwys-bach SH8070 |
| bach, (plural bachau) | (noun), nook, corner, bend | |
| bachell bachell , bachellau | corner , nook , angle | Fachell SH9978 Fachell SH5466 |
| Badarn | see Padarn | Llanbadarn |
| Bae | bay | Bae Colwyn |
| bala | narrow land between two lakes , outlet of a lake | Bala SH9236 Brynbala SN5986 |
| ban bannau | peak , beacon | Pen y Bannau SN7466 Rhydybannau SN5251 |
| ban, (plural bannau) | peak,crest, bare hill, beacon | |
| banc | bank , hill , slope | Bancyfelin SN3218 Pen-y-banc SN4037 |
| bangor | (ecclesiastical) settlement enclosed within a wattled fence | Bangor SH5771 Bangor Teifi SN3840 |
| banhadlen banadl, banal | broom | Cefn-banadl SN6462 Bronbanadl SN6469 |
| banhadlog | broom patch | Maesbanadlog SN7067 Banhadlog SN9780 |
| bannog | high , horned , turreted | Bron-Bannog SJ0352 Cefnbannog SJ0251 |
| bant | valley | |
| banw | young pig | Blaen Cwm Banw SO0722 Nant-y-banw ST4097 |
| bar | top , summit | Crug-y-bar SN6537 Bryn-y-bar SH2875 |
| barc | field | |
| barcud | kite , buzzard | Carreg y Barcud SM7724 Llwyn-y-barcud SN4109 |
| barddbeirdd | bard | Llofft-y-bardd SN8953 Cwrtbrynbeirdd SN6618 |
| bargod | boundary (eaves) | Bargoed ST1499 Bargod Taf ST1098 |
| batin , bating (see betin etc.) | ||
| baw | dirt | Pig y Baw SN0140 Bryn y Baw SJ1678 |
| bedd, (plural beddau) | grave | Bedd gelert |
| Bedr | Peter (saint) | |
| bedwen bedw | birch | Craigyfedwen SH7576 Berthyfedwen SN3441 |
| bedwlwyn | birch grove | Bedwlwyn SJ2236 Bedwlwyncoch SN8823 |
| beidr | lane , path | Penfeidr SN1750 Penyfeidr SM8726 |
| beili | yard | |
| beilibeiliau | bailey | Beili SN3827 Beili-glas SO3010 |
| bela , bele | marten , wild beast | Trebela ST4298 Clunbele SN3433 |
| ben | end, top | Benllech |
| bendigaid | blessed | Llanfendigaid SH5605 Pontrhydfendigaid SN7366 |
| Beris | see Peris | Llanberis |
| berllan | orchard | |
| berth | hedge, bush | |
| berw | rush of water | Berw-ddu SN9602 Berw-uchaf SH4671 |
| betin , beting , bietin , bieting | pared and burnt land | Cefn-betingau SN6601 Batingau SJ0658 |
| betws | chapel of ease, oratory | Betws-y-coed |
| beudy | cow-house | Beudiau SN5549 Beudy-mawr SH3133 |
| bid | quickset hedge | Carreg Fidwen SH6481 Twyn y Fidffawydd SO1102 |
| blaen, (plural blaenau) | head, summit, end, headwater, upland | Blaenau Ffestiniog |
| blaidd | wolf | Cae'r-blaidd SN5133 Castell-y-blaidd SO1279 |
| blas | mansion | |
| bod | abode , dwelling | Bodedern SH3380 Meifod SJ1512 |
| boeth | hot | |
| bol , bola | belly , swelling | Rhos-y-bol SH4288 Cors-y-bol SH3784 |
| bon | stock , stump , base | Bon-y-maen SS6895 Bon-yr-on SJ0646 |
| boncyn | hillock | |
| bont | see pont | Tal-y-bont |
| borfa | pasture | |
| braenar , branarbrynar | fallow land | Mynydd Branar SH8771 Braenarauduon SN7246 |
| braich | ridge , arm | Pen-y-braich SJ0316 Braich Anelog SH1427 |
| bran, (plural brain) | crow | Cwmbran |
| bras breision | big , fat , rich | Bryn-bras SH8543 Maen Bras SH9239 |
| bre | hill | Pen-bre SN4201 Moelfre SH5186 |
| bren | timber | |
| brenin | king | Rhodiad-y-brenin SM7627 Plas y Brenin SH7157 |
| brest | hill-breast | Brest Cwm-Llwyd SN7019 Brestbaily SN9838 |
| brƒn brain | crow | Cwm-brƒn ST2995 Llanfihangel Nant Brƒn SN9434 |
| brith | mottled | |
| brith braith | speckled; coarse | Brithdir SH7719 Pontllan-fraith ST1896 |
| briw | broken , shattered | Briwnant SH8402 Carn Briw SN0537 |
| bro | region; vale , lowland | Llanbedr-y-fro ST0876 Rhyd-y-fro SN7105 |
| bron | hill-breast, hill-side | Bronllys |
| brwyn | rushes | |
| brwynen brwyn | rush | Brwynen SJ0321 Cwmbrwyn SN2512 |
| brwynog | place of rushes , marsh | Brwynog SH7564 Brwynog SH3586 |
| brych brech | speckled | Brechfa SN5230 Llanfrechfa ST3193 |
| bryn, (plural bryniau) | hill | Bryngwyn |
| bryncyn | hillock | Bryncyn-felen SJ2019 Bryncyn-hydfa SH3847 |
| buarth | yard | |
| buches | milking-fold (herd) | Buches y Foelortho SJ0421 Fuches SN8489 |
| budr | dirty , mucky | Nant Budr SH7435 Rhyd-fudr SN6567 |
| bugail | shepherd | |
| buwch buchod; (gwartheg) | cow; cattle | Cas-fuwch SN0229 Cwm y Fuwch SS9490 |
| bwbach | bogey , goblin | Allt y Bwbach SN4528 Bryn Bwbach SH6236 |
| bwch | buck | Castell-y-bwch ST2792 Craig-y-bwch SH6414 |
| bwla | bull | Nantybwla SN3821 Alltybwla SN2642 |
| bwlch, (plural bylchau) | pass, gap | Bwlch-y-sarnau |
| bwll | pit, pool | |
| bwrdd | table | Bwrdd Arthur SH9667 Bwrdd y Rhyfel SJ1475 |
| bwthyn | cottage | Bwthyn bach |
| bychan | little, small, lesser | Morfa Bychan |
| byr ber | short | Byrgoed SH9837 Byrgwm SO2303 |
| caban | cottage , cabin | Caban-coch SN9163 Caban SH3938 |
| cadair, cader | seat, stronghold | Cadair Idris |
| cadarn | strong , powerful | Crucadarn SO0942 Twyn Cerrig-cadarn SN9438 |
| Cadfan | saint's name | |
| cadno | fox | Carreg Cadno SN8715 Clo Cadno SO1116 |
| cadw | preserve , spinney | |