North East place name meanings
30 LOCATIONS IN NEWCASTLE AND NORTHUMBERLAND EXPLAINED
WHAT’S in a place name? Peering back through the mists of time, it’s interesting to reflect on the origins of the names of the North East towns and villages we take so much for granted.
Often they are derived from the land and more often than not the names have greatly evolved over the centuries from the earliest Old English and Norman versions.
Some meanings are more obvious then others.
Northumberland is derived from Northhymbre, the first use of which can be traced back to 867, meaning ‘people who lived North of the Humber’.
Wallsend first got a mention as Wallesende in 1085, and means, as most of us will know, ‘the end of the Roman Wall’.
Below, are 30 well-known Northumberland and Newcastle locations; with the original name of the place, the date it was first mentioned; and a brief explanation behind the name.
■■ Alnmouth/ Alnemnuth 1201/ Mouth of the Aln
■■Alnwick/ Alnawick 1160/ Farm on the River Aln
■■Ashington/ Essenden 1205/ Ash tree valley ■■Backworth/ Buxwortha 1203/ Bacca’s enclosure
■■Benton/ Bentune 1190/ Coarse grass or bean farm
■■Benwell/ Bynnewalle 1050/ Beside the Roman Wall
■■Berwick/ Berewic 1205/ Barley farm
■■Burradon/ Burwedon 1242/ A hill with a fortification
■■Callerton/ Caluerduna 1100/ Hill where the calves grazed
■■Chirton/ Cherlton 1203/ Land belonging to a church
■■Choppington/ Cebbington 1040/ Ceabba’s named settlement
■■Cowgate/ Cougate 1290/ Pasture for a cow
■■Cullercoats/ Culvercoats 1600/ Dove cotes
■■Denton/ Dentuna 1252/ Valley farm
■■Earsdon/ Erdesdon 1233/ Eored’s hill
■■Farne Islands/ Fame 730/ Settled by people from afar
■■Fawdon/ Faudon 1242/ Multi-coloured hill
■■Fenham/ Fennum/ Meadow by the fen
■■Gosforth/ Goseford 1166/ Goose ford
■■Haltwhistle/ Hautwisel 1240/ Place where streams join by the hill
■■Heaton/ Heyton 1138/ High settlement
■■Jesmond/ Gesemue 1205/ Mouth of the Ouseburn
■■Kenton/ Kinton 1242/ A royal manor
■■Monkseaton/ Seton Monachorum 1380/ Sea farm belonging to the monks of Tynemouth
■■Newbiggin by the Sea/ Niwebiginga 1187/ New building or house
■■Otterburn/ Oterburn 1217/ Otter stream
■■Ouseburn/ Jhesam, Yese 1293/ Gushing river
■■Riding Mill/ Ryding 1262/ Mill in a clearing
■■North Shields/ Nortscelis 1273/ Temporary huts for fishermen
■■Stamfordham/ Stanfordham 1188/ Settlement at the stony ford
■■From the book Place Names and Field Names of Northumberland by Stan Beckensall. Fonthill Media. £18.99