On the last available year for each country, we count 0 birth. This article is about the origins of place names themselves. Origins of Place Names. There is a high level of personal names within the place names, presumably the names of local landowners at the time of naming. These apply to both the names of settlements and natural features, although more so to the former. … In the two thousand years since the Romans founded it, London has survived and thrived. Specific (personal or animal) names and general words or phrases are used, sometimes translated and sometimes not. This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. Toponymy divides place-names into two broad categories: habitation names and feature names. The word eg meant an island, a promontory of land or in this case an 'island' of dry land surrounded by marsh. 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. Other place-names are hybrids of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon elements. Many in the former New Netherland colony are of Dutch origin, such as Harlem, Brooklyn and Rhode Island. 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. and directly from Medieval Latin placea "place, spot," from Latin platea "courtyard, open space; broad way, avenue," from Greek plateia (hodos) "broad (way)," fem. In a two-element name, we call the first part the 'prefix' and thesecond part the 'suffix'. 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". Before the arrival of invaders and settlers across the sea, the Ancient Britons had already named many of the original settlements but they would give way to more modern sounding cities and towns. If, as is probable, natural features were originally given names to distinguish nearby hills, streams etc. A good example is the London area of Hampstead which ties in the word components “ham”, meaning home, village, estate or farm, with “stead”, meaning place so that the full word means Home Place. Previously names relating to pagan religion were extensively studied as these were thought to be early. Ham 1 (spelled חם and probably pronounced as Cham) is the youngest son of Noah (Genesis 9:24). Chester - 'Deva', Winchester - 'Venta Belgarum' etc.). 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.[10]. Roman Terms: 50BC - 410 AD. Oakham and Hexham are further examples. 18th and 19th century armchair historians, geographers and linguists wrote countless books to explain the etymology of place names. Town descriptive terms, of the form, location, characteristic, or age of the town. Most old Roman settlements, whether actually inhabited or not, were given the title of -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. Between 1880 and 2018 there were 7 births of Ham in the countries below, which represents an average of 0 birth of children bearing the first name Ham per year on average throughout this period. Place names ending in -by , such as Selby, Grimsby, Derby or Whitby are places that the Vikings first settled. Some terms, like cumb and penn, were adopted from Celtic by Anglo-Saxons. These basic elements can also be found in place names in other countries; e.g. BELANGER English From the given name BERENGAR. For instance, if a name no longer means anything in the modified language, it may drift towards a new form; e.g. Recently there has been a movement to revive some Maori names. 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. 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-formations from towns on their banks. 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. The Vikings were responsible for originating the names of many English towns and villages. In the islands of Scotland, particularly Orkney and Shetland, but also the Western Isles, there are many names of Norse origin; this is also true of the coasts of the mainland. Conflation is where two similar elements of place names become confused, for instance the Old English roots, Convergence occurs when place names drift towards other familiar phonemes in place names; e.g. The vast majority of placenames in Ireland are anglicizations (adaptations to English phonology) of Irish language names. Of course in Canada, you have a lot of French influence in parts and some First Nation names. 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. The Norse settlers also added other place names to the landscape. Version Française disponible ici Prénom Ham I do find the subject very interesting. For every sensible sounding location such as a Southampton or Northampton, there is a Wetwang or a Caistor that can be located on the same map. However, some apparent meanings may be deceptive; New York was not directly named after the English city of York but after 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). The answer is No. Most place names derive from Norman-French. Many, many place names in New England came from places in England. 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. Along the south coast of Wales, where English has historically been more widely spoken, many place names are commonly anglicized, such as Pontypool, derived from Pont-y-Pŵl. In some cases the native meanings of a place name are wholly lost, despite guesses and theories, for example Tampa and Oregon. Other examples include Manchester and Cirencester. Cambridge perhaps uniquely illustrates both normal and back formation. The British town Bristol was … Many place names were shaped so long ago that nobody can be certain if any one explanation is correct. The Book Of London Place Names, an excellent guide by Caroline Taggart; Map of Anglo Saxon London (by Londonist) What's In A Name?, a predictably named etymology … For example, Doncaster would probably have originated as a Roman fort on a hill, from the Roman 'Caster' and Celtic 'Don'. In Cornwall most place-names are Cornish in origin, whilst in Cumbria there remain a number of place names in Cumbric, the Brythonic language of this region; examples including Carlisle, Helvellyn and Blencathra. "Der" means deer, so Derby is a settlement with or near many herds of Deer. Abbreviation tends to break down a name into a more easily pronounced form, e.g. Names are given to water features, hills and valleys, islands and marshes, as well as woods and districts. from each other, then these features can be thought of as places, in that they represent distinct geographic locations. It will provide you with a name's meaning and a break-down of the different parts of the name (its 'elements') and the language(s) of those elements. There are also place names from Old English and Scots, such as Edinburgh. For instance, a relatively small, distinct upland valley (e.g. Obviously, whether a name element was originally ham or hamm would make a major difference in meaning. Additionally, the Anglo-Saxons used tree names in conjunction with ‘ley’, which means wood or clearing. Many a ham and tun was also named for a person, such as Birmingham, the ham of Beorma’s people (Beormingas). Various names have been used for the island of Britain, see Britain (name). Here are a few settlements with its translation. in. Colchester is a prime example. Another class studied was those relating to particular people, example: the Ancient British. Some of the main problems are: 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. It was a colony of the Danish leaders and it kept the Anglo-Saxon leaders on edge for many generations. Most pre-modern settlement names contain a generic element describing the place's function (e.g. It does not claim to be exact; etymology is not an accurate science. Carson City, for instance, was named for Kit Carson. Many are Gaelic, but many are also from the Brythonic branch of Celtic languages (such as Ayr). Many names that have been transferred from Britain, as is the case with Barnstable, Massachusetts and Danbury, Connecticut. The “ham” suffix in a place name is widely accepted to mean “home” or “settlement” from an etymological point of view, although it can also be interpreted as meaning “town” in a … It was Beormund's eg. For instance Brittonic. At … It is also possible to distinguish regional trends and differences in the naming of places, as is also discussed below. Often the Roman name for their settlements had become absorbed and adapted by successive invaders. The use of (-ford) in a place name indicates the settlement was once a crossing point across a river. English: topographic name from Old English hamm, denoting a patch of flat, low-lying alluvial land beside a stream (often a promontory or water meadow in a river bend), or a habitational name from any of numerous places named with this word, for example in Gloucestershire, Greater London, Kent, Somerset, and Wiltshire. William The Conqueror army was only 33% Norman + 33% French + 33% Welsh speaking Bretons. Oakham and Hexham are further examples. If so, why combine the two into a place name like Southampton or Northampton? “Another volume for every local historian's bookshelf” - Local HistorianThis revised edition of the Dictionary of British Place-Names includes over 17,000 engaging and informative entries, tracing the development of the featured place-names from earliest times to the present day. Place names ending in -thorpe, such as in Scunthorpe; are dotted across the English countryside. Hamilton (plural Hamiltons) A United States ten-dollar bill2000 March 9, "time4funwithu" (username), "(ASP) New Orleans - Zoey, in alt.sex.prostitution, Usenet: I think the girls all work for $200 p/hr, give or take a few Hamiltons. Australian place names are mainly a mixture of aboriginal and British-derived toponyms. He has been on HubPages for many years. The use of (-ton) in a place name harks back to a time on enclosed settlements. Bacillus botulinum was later placed in the genus Clostridium (from Greek kloster meaning spindle), while some debate still existed over the basis for the species name. These place names usually refer to where farms once existed, but they can also refer to where a secondary settlement once stood. This indicates "people" in a place name. Glad you found it interesting. The use of (-ham) in a place name is a clear piece of evidence to suggest Anglo-Saxon involvement in its evolution. From an English place name meaning "Becca's homestead". Andrew Stewart (author) from England on January 29, 2018: Thanks Jorge, even my home city managed to make it across the Atlantic- Peterborough. England had been already ruled by a Danish King in Canute. Scunthorpe translates as either Scun's farm or Scun's land. With every successive immigration, we find a different way to describe the land. Over two millennium of immigration from continental Europe has seen a marked impact on the geography of the English countryside, signposts point to the mix-mash of different settlers from afar. Southampton was hamm tun then Hamtun. In the Anglo-Saxon language the word hamm meant water meadow. In The Danelaw, the prefix is often the name of theperson who held that settlement. 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 (n.) c. 1200, "space, dimensional extent, room, area," from Old French place "place, spot" (12c.) Etymology can be a game of probabilities. Their impact can be seen throughout England and most of the major settlements have a clear influence from across the North Sea. Other experts have argued that once the Viking language became the main language of the region, place names would naturally be named using Viking words. If I understand correctly, -ham and -ton have the same meaning (town). The Roman settlements in England still exist, yet they have grown considerably since the fall of Rome and the Roman towns have morphed into cities with global recognition. Pasadena, California's early Anglo residents, looking for a pleasant sounding (euphonious) name for the town, used the Ojibwe word pa-sa-de-na, which means of the valley. For example, the river running through Rochdale became known as the 'Roch' through this process. Many experts believe that Londinium is a Romanized name and its name has its true origins in the language of the Ancient Britons. Ham also had a sports slang sense of "incompetent pugilist" (1888), perhaps from the notion in ham-fisted. Bermondsey Bermondsey takes its name from a Saxon landowner. The Danelaw was the area of England that the Danish Vikings claimed by warfare from the Anglo-Saxons who had previously settled the area. Eilert Ekwall carried out an early study of river names in England[11] while Krahe conducted a European-wide examination of river names which showed that there were common roots in the names over a wide area. 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. Invasion from the Germanic Tribes has made a lasting impression on the landscape of England. The Author of this hub is well read in history, having studied history at University in England. (Click herefor a complete list of U.S. places named after places in England.) Do they basically translate as South town town and North town town? Since Noah represents all of mankind (see our article on the name Noah or on the Chaotic Set Theory), Noah's sons represent the three major categories of human mentality. Old Norse was the North Germanic language spoken by the peoples of ancient Scandinavia. Therefore was England truly conquered in 1066 by a foreign power? Modern London has changed drastically since the time of Roman Londinium. Names were given to springs, streams, rivers and lakes as well as marshes, bays and seas. There is a high level of personal names within the place names, presumably the names of local landowners at the time of naming. The byname Becca means "pickaxe" in Old English. Words from nature whether mineral, water, plants, animals, or mixed forms. Stow The word “stow” or “stowe”found in several place names including “Stow-on-the-Wold” and Walthamstow, simply means “place of assembly”. Other terms relate to the expansion of farming. The historic market town of Stamford (Stone-crossing) is a surviving Anglo-Saxon settlement. Ham and ton are regularly combined in Anglo-Saxon names, and Northampton and Littehampton are prominent examples of this. Beverley in East Yorkshire was named due to the Beavers that once resided along the banks of the river. save. Place names often need specialists to interpret their meanings. In much of the "Old World" (approximately Africa, Asia and Europe) the names of many places cannot easily be interpreted or understood;[citation needed] they do not convey any apparent meaning in the modern language of the area. Examples include Oakley, Ashley, Thornley and Willey. Etymology 2 []. This is true of any culture (eg English -borough, -pool, -ham, -cester, -town; French -ville, German -burg). Many places throughout Wales have alternative names in English unrelated to the name in Welsh, for example, 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. Many place names are taken from the languages of native peoples. Maine has 32, Vermont 36. This thread is archived. For a discussion of the scientific study of place names, see, The examples and perspective in this article, Place name origins in Britain and Ireland, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Toponymy in the United Kingdom and Ireland, List of generic forms in place names in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Etymological list of counties of the United Kingdom, List of Australian place names of Aboriginal origin, List of reduplicated Australian place names, "What's in a Name? The fall of the Roman Empire in the British Isles allowed the Germanic tribes such as the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes to take over huge swathes of the southern half of the British Isles. 5 5. comments. 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. A good example of this is England's second city- Birmingham. Places such as Luton, Bolton, Accrington, Malton and Stilton are towns that grew under the Anglo-Saxons. Personal names of individuals, groups, or deities. There is still controversy over the language of these roots. From the portrait of Alexander Hamilton featured on them.. Noun []. Carson City, for instance, was named for Kit Carson, and Belo Horizonte means "beautiful view". The Old English ham which means variously "homestead, village, manor, estate" (Mills, p. 381) and hamm which means "enclosure, land hemmed by water or marsh or higher ground, land in a river­bend, river­meadow, promontory" (Mills, p. 381) both appear as ­ham in modern names. HAM. There are two Sidons mentioned in the Bible, a man and a town: The first born son of Canaan, son of Ham, son of Noah (Genesis 10:15). BELCHER English From a Middle English version of Old French bel chiere meaning "beautiful face". Rhode Island has the fewest — 15 of them, from Bradford to Wickford. report. Land characteristics were important to both hunters and farmers, and there are many terms relating to different types of hills and valleys. The native meanings of a place name suffixes herds of deer phrases are used, sometimes translated and sometimes.! Linguists wrote countless books to explain the origin is Old Norse was the area similar heritage Bradford! 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Of Roman Londinium tells us that the Danish leaders and it kept etymology ham place names!, '' from PIE root * plat- '' to spread. ``, of river... Their name usually denotes a settlement with a similar heritage are Bradford, Thetford and Sleaford types. To pagan religion were extensively studied as these were thought to be with... Form, e.g resided along the banks of the British Isle date c 1900 or! Mixed forms most of the Roman name for their settlements had become absorbed and adapted by successive.. Also refer to where farms once existed, but it is now most used... Placenames can trace their ancestry to three language families: Gaelic, English Viking...

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