List of Latin place names in Britain
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This list includes places in Great Britain (including neighbouring islands such as the Isle of Man), some of which were part of the Roman Empire, or were later given Latin place names in historical references.
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Background
Until the Modern Era, Latin was the common language for scholarship and mapmaking. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, German scholars in particular have made significant contributions to the study of historical place names, or Ortsnamenkunde. These studies have, in turn, contributed to the study of genealogy. For genealogists and historians of pre-Modern Europe, knowing alternative names of places is vital to extracting information from both public and private records. Even specialists in this field point out, however, that the information can be easily taken out of context, since there is a great deal of repetition of place names throughout Europe; reliance purely on apparent connections should therefore be tempered with valid historical methodology.
Caveats and notes
Latin place names are not always exclusive to one place — for example, there were several Roman cities whose names began with Colonia and then a more descriptive term. During the Middle Ages, these were often shortened to just Colonia. One of these, Colonia Agrippinensis, retains the name today in the form of Cologne (from French, German Köln).
Early sources for Roman names show numerous variants and spellings of the Latin names.
The modern canonical name is listed first. In general, only the earliest source is shown for each name, although many of the names are recorded in more than one of the sources. Where the source differs in spelling, or has other alternatives, these are listed following the source. As an aid to searching, variants are spelled completely, and listed in most likely chronology.
Cities and towns in England
| Latin name | English name |
|---|---|
| Aquae Arnemetiae | Buxton |
| Aquae Sulis | Bath |
| Bremetennacum | Ribchester |
| Calleva Atrebatum | Silchester |
| Camulodunum | Colchester |
| Cantabrigia (medieval Latinisation) | Cambridge |
| Cataractonium | Catterick |
| Coria, Corspitium | Corbridge |
| Corinium | Cirencester |
| Danum | Doncaster |
| Deva | Chester |
| Dunelmum[1] | Durham |
| Durnovaria | Dorchester |
| Durocobrivis | Dunstable |
| Durobrivae | Rochester |
| Durovernum Cantiacorum, Cantuaria | Canterbury |
| Eboracum | York |
| Exonia | Exeter |
| Glevum | Gloucester |
| Isca Dumnoniorum | Exeter |
| Isurium Brigantum | Aldborough |
| Lindinis | Ilchester |
| Lindum Colonia | Lincoln |
| Londinium | London |
| Londonia | London |
| Luguvalium | Carlisle |
| Mamucium, Mancunium[2] | Manchester |
| Noviomagus Reginorum | Chichester |
| Oxonium, Oxonia | Oxford |
| Petuaria | Brough |
| Pons Aelius, Novum Castrum | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Ratae Corieltauvorum | Leicester |
| Rēgulbium, Rēgulvium | Reculver |
| Rutupiae | Richborough |
| Sobriodunum | Salisbury |
| Venta Belgarum, Wintonia | Winchester |
| Verulamium | St Albans |
| Vigornia | Worcester |
| Viroconium Cornoviorum | Wroxeter |
Cities and towns in Scotland
| Canonical Latin name | Other Latin names | English name |
|---|---|---|
| Andreanae[3] | Kirkruel?,[4] Reguli Fanum, Andreopolis; GOL:[5] Sanctae Andreae Coenobium, Kirkrule, Kilrule | St Andrews |
| Devana[6][3] | Aberdonia, Aberdona, Verniconam; GOL:[5] Aberdonum, Aberdonium, Abredonia), Devanha | Aberdeen |
| Dunedinum[7] | Edinburgum, Edinum; GOL:[5] Edimburgum, Edenburgum, Alata castra, Alatius burgus, Aneda, Puellarum castra) | Edinburgh |
| Glascouium | Glascovia, Glascum, Glascua, Glasgua | Glasgow |
| Trimontium | Newstead |
Cities and towns in Wales
| Canonical Latin name | Other Latin names | English name |
|---|---|---|
| Alabum | Llandovery | |
| Bangertium[5] | Bangor | |
| Blestium | Monemuta | Monmouth |
| Bovium | Cowbridge (disputed) | |
| Burrium | Usk | |
| Cambria | Wales | |
| Canovium | Caerhun | |
| Castra Diva | Chester | |
| Cicutio | Pumsaint | |
| Gobannium | Abergavenny | |
| Isca Silurum [8] | Isca, Iscae[9] Isca Augusta,[5] Isca Legio, Castra Legionis | Caerleon |
| Mediomanum | Caersws | |
| Menevia | Meneva | St Davids |
| Moridunum | Carmarthen | |
| Nidum | Neath | |
| Segontium[8] | Segontio,[9] Seguntio,[5] Seguntium | Caernarfon |
| Venta Silurum | Caerwent |
Island names
Region or country names
See also
References
Sources
External links
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