Celtic Origin Place Names

This is a list of place names in which the origin is Celtic. The Celtic languages are a group of related languages now spoken primarily on the British Islands and Brittany.

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Aeron (River) Welsh
River in Wales, possibly derived from the hypothetical Celtic goddess Agrona.

Banbh (Settlement) Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Banff.

Banff (Settlement) Scottish, English
Possibly from Gaelic banbh meaning "young pig". This is the name of a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is also the name of a town and national park in Alberta, Canada.

Breizh (Island & Region) Breton
Breton form of Britain and Brittany. Great Britain is called Breizh-Veur in Breton.

Bretagna (Region & Island) Italian
Italian form of Britain and Brittany. Great Britain is called Gran Bretagna in Italian.

Bretagne (Region & Island) French, German, Dutch
French form of Britannia (see Britain). In French this typically refers to the region known as Brittany, while Great Britain is called Grande-Bretagne.

Bretaigne (Island & Region) Medieval French
Old French form of Britannia (see Britain).

Bretaña (Region & Island) Spanish
Spanish form of Britain and Brittany. Great Britain is called Gran Bretaña in Spanish.

Britain (Island) English
From Britannia, the Latin name for the island of Great Britain, the land of the Britons. It derives from the name of the Britons, recorded in Greek in the 4th century BC as Πρεττανική (Prettanike), and reconstructed as Proto-Brythonic *Pritanī, possibly meaning "tattooed people".

Britaniya (Island) Russian, Bulgarian
Russian and Bulgarian form of Britain.

Britannia (Island) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Britain.

Britannien (Island) German, Swedish, Danish
German, Swedish and Danish form of Britain.

Brittannië (Island) Dutch
Dutch form of Britain.

Brittany (Region) English
From Britannia (see Britain). This is the name of a region in northwestern France, so called because many Britons settled there after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It had earlier been called Armorica. In the Middle Ages it was sometimes called Britannia Minor to distinguish it from the island of Great Britain. In French, both the island and the region are called Bretagne.

Buriten (Island & Country) Japanese
Japanese form of Britain.

Caerfyrddin (Settlement) Welsh
From Welsh caer "fort" and Moridunum. This is the name of a town in southern Wales.

Cantium (Region) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Kent.

Carlisle (Settlement) English
Originally called by the Romans Luguvalium meaning "stronghold of Lugus". Later the Brythonic element ker "fort" was appended to the name of the city. This is the name of a city in Cumbria in northern England.

Carmarthen (Settlement) English
English form of Caerfyrddin.

Cavan (Political Subdivision) Irish
Derived from Irish cabhán meaning "hollow". This is the name of an Irish county.

Cent (Region) Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Kent.

Ciarraí (Political Subdivision) Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Kerry.

Cymru (Country) Welsh
From the Celtic roots *kom "with, together" and *mrogis "territory, region". This is the Welsh name for Wales.

Danowyos (River) Old Celtic (Hypothetical)
Old Celtic form of Danube.

Danube (River) English, French
From Latin Danubius, from Old Celtic *Danowyos, from an Indo-European root meaning "river". This is the name of a river that flows east through Europe to the Black Sea.

Danubius (River) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Danube.

Deasmhumhain (Region) Irish
From Irish deas "south" and Mumhain. This was the name of a medieval kingdom in southern Ireland, created when the kingdom of Munster was partitioned. It is Anglicized as Desmond.

Deasumhain (Region) Irish
Variant of Deasmhumhain.

Dee (River) English
Possibly from a Celtic root meaning "divine". This is the name of rivers in Scotland (Gaelic Dhè) and Wales (Welsh Dyfrdwy).

Desmond (Region) English
English form of Deasmhumhain.

Dhè (River) Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Dee.

Donau (River) German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
German form of Danube, also used in several other languages.

Dōnawjaz (River) Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Germanic form of Danube.

Douglas (River & Settlement) Scottish
From Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river" (an archaic word related to glas "grey, green"). This is the name of a tributary of the River Clyde called the Douglas Water, as well as a town that sits upon it in Lanarkshire.

Dùbhghlas (River & Settlement) Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Douglas.

Duna (River) Hungarian
Hungarian form of Danube.

Dunaj (River) Polish, Czech, Slovak
Polish, Czech and Slovak form of Danube.

Dunajĭ (River) Old Slavic (Hypothetical)
Slavic form of Danube.

Dunav (River) Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Macedonian
Form of Danube in several languages.

Dunay (River) Ukrainian, Russian
Ukrainian and Russian form of Danube.

Dyfrdwy (River) Welsh
Compound of Old Welsh dwfr "water" and duiu "god". This is the Welsh name of the River Dee.

Eboracum (Settlement) Old Celtic (Latinized)
Latinized form of York.

Éire (Country & Island) Irish
Possibly means "abundant land" in Old Irish. This is the Irish name of the country and island of Ireland. According to legend the island was named for the goddess Ériu, though in fact it was she who was named for the island.

Ériu (Country & Island) Old Irish
Old Irish form of Éire.

Fál (Island) Irish
From the name of the stone on the Hill of Tara where Irish high kings were crowned, called the "stone of destiny", the Lia Fáil. This is from Irish lia meaning "stone" and probably fál (genitive fáil) meaning "enclosure, fence" and figuratively "king, chief".... [more]

Foulden (Settlement) English
From Old English fugol meaning "bird" and dun meaning "hill". This is the name of a town in Norfolk.

Galácia (Region) Portuguese
Portuguese form of Galatia, referring to the region in Anatolia.

Galacia (Region) Spanish
Spanish form of Galatia, referring to the region in Anatolia.

Galatia (Region & Political Subdivision) Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, English
From the Greek word for the Gaulish people Γαλάτης (Galates), probably a cognate of Latin Gallus (see Gallia). This was the Greek name for the region of Gaul. It was also used to refer to a region in Anatolia (modern Turkey) where Gauls settled in the 3rd century BC.... [more]

Galatien (Region) German
German form of Galatia, referring to the region in Anatolia.

Galatya (Region) Turkish
Turkish form of Galatia, referring both to Gaul and the ancient region in Anatolia.

Galazia (Region) Italian
Italian form of Galatia, referring to the region in Anatolia.

Galia (Region) Spanish
Spanish form of Gallia, referring to the historical region of Gaul.

Gallia (Region, Political Subdivision & Country) Ancient Roman, Italian, Greek
Latin name for the historical region of Gaul. It is derived from the Latin ethnic word Gallus, referring to the Gauls (Celts of continental Europe), probably ultimately derived from the Celtic root *galn- "be able".... [more]

Gallien (Region) German
German form of Gallia, referring to the historical region of Gaul.

Gaul (Region) English
From French Gaule, the name of a historical region that was situated approximately in the area of modern France. In the Roman era it was called Gallia, which may be the origin of Gaule, though the evolution of the word would be irregular. It is more likely derived from Frankish walh meaning "foreigner, Celt".

Gaule (Region) French
French form of Gaul.

Hamilton (Settlement) English
Means "crooked hill" from Old English hamel "crooked, mutilated" and dun "hill". This was the name of a town in Leicestershire, England (which no longer exists). After the town name became a surname, it was used for several other cities, including ones in Scotland, Canada, Australia and the United States.

Ierland (Country & Island) Dutch
Dutch form of Ireland.

Ireland (Country & Island) English
Derived from Irish Gaelic Éire and English land. This is the name of an island to the west of Great Britain. The country of Ireland occupies the majority of the island.

Irland (Country & Island) German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
German, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish form of Ireland.

Irlanda (Country & Island) Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian form of Ireland.

Irlande (Country & Island) French
French form of Ireland.

Irlandia (Country & Island) Polish, Greek, Georgian, Indonesian
Polish, Greek, Georgian and Indonesian form of Ireland.

Irlandiya (Country & Island) Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Ireland.

Irska (Country & Island) Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Slovene
Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian and Slovene form of Éire.

Irsko (Country & Island) Czech
Czech form of Éire.

Kendal (Settlement) English
From the name of the river Kent combined with Old English dæl meaning "valley, dale". This is the name of a town in Cumbria.

Kent (Political Subdivision & River) English
Possibly from a Brythonic element meaning "border, edge, coast". This is the name of a historic kingdom and modern county in southeastern England, called Cent in Old English, Cantium in Latin. It is also the name of a river in Cumbria, northwestern England.

Kerry (Political Subdivision) Irish
From Irish Gaelic Ciarraí meaning "Ciar's people". This is the name of an Irish county.

Latharna (Region) Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Lorne.

Lione (Settlement) Italian
Italian form of Lyon.

Lorne (Region) English
Possibly from the name of the legendary king of Dál Riata, Loarn mac Eirc. This is the name of a region in western Scotland.

Lugdunum (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Lyon.

Lugodunon (Settlement) Gaulish
Gaulish form of Lyon.

Luguvalium (Settlement) Ancient Roman
Older Roman name of Carlisle.

Lyndon (Settlement) English
From Old English lind "linden tree" and dun meaning "hill". This is the name of a few towns in the United Kingdom.

Lyon (Settlement) French, English, German
From Latin Lugdunum, derived from the name of the Celtic god Lugus combined with Gaulish dunon meaning "hill fort, citadel". This is the name of a city in central France.

Lyons (Settlement) English
Variant of Lyon.

Maldwyn (Political Subdivision) Welsh
From Welsh Trefaldwyn, misinterpreting it as if meaning "town of Maldwyn". In fact it means "town of Baldwin" (in Welsh both m and b mutate to f). This is another name of the old county of Montgomeryshire.

Man (Island) English
From Old Irish Mana, possibly from the Celtic root *moniyo- meaning "mountain". The Isle of Man is an island between Britain and Ireland. It is a self-governing British dependency.

Mana (Island) Old Irish
Old Irish form of Man.

Manainn (Island) Irish
Irish form of Man (from the Old Irish dative case of Mana).

Manaw (Island) Welsh
Welsh form of Man.

Mannin (Island) Manx
Manx form of Man (from Manainn, the Old Irish dative case of Mana).

Meirionnydd (Political Subdivision) Welsh
Probably from the Roman name Marianus. This is the name of a Welsh county (Anglicized as Merioneth).

Merioneth (Political Subdivision) Welsh
Anglicized form of Meirionnydd.

Moridunum (Settlement) Brythonic (Latinized)
From Brythonic *mori "sea" and *dūnom "rampart, hill fort". This was the name of a Roman-era fort in southern Wales. It is now known as Caerfyrddin.

Mumhain (Region & Political Subdivision) Irish
From Old Irish Mumu, possibly from the name of a goddess Mór Muman. This is the name of one of the four Irish provinces, formerly a kingdom. It is Anglicized as Munster.

Munster (Region & Political Subdivision) English
English form of Mumhain.

Reno (River) Italian, Portuguese
Italian and Portuguese form of Rhine.

Renos (River) Gaulish
Gaulish form of Rhine.

Rhein (River) German
German form of Rhine.

Rhenus (River) Ancient Roman
Latin form of Gaulish Renos (see Rhine).

Rhin (River) French
French form of Rhine.

Rhine (River) English
Ultimately from Gaulish Renos, derived from a Celtic root meaning "expanse of water, waterway". This is the name of a European river that runs from Switzerland to the Netherlands, emptying into the North Sea.

Rijn (River) Dutch
Dutch form of Rhine.

Rin (River) Spanish, Catalan, Romanian, Anglo-Saxon, Old High German, Old Dutch
Spanish, Catalan and Romanian form of Rhine. This is also the Old English, Old High German and Old Dutch form.

Rīnaz (River) Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Germanic form of Gaulish Renos (see Rhine).

Roe (River) Irish
Possibly from Irish rua meaning "red". This is the name of a river in Ireland.

Sgitheanach (Island) Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Skye.

Shannon (River) Irish
From Irish Sionainn, probably from Old Irish sen meaning "old, ancient". This is the name of a river in Ireland. It is personified by the mythological figure Sionann.

Sinainn (River) Old Irish
Old Irish form of Shannon.

Sionainn (River) Irish
Irish form of Shannon.

Skye (Island) Scottish
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Sgitheanach, meaning unknown. This is the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland.

Slane (Settlement) Irish
From the given name Sláine. This is the name of a town in Ireland, said to be named for the legendary high king Sláine.

Trefaldwyn (Settlement) Welsh
Means "town of Baldwin" in Welsh. This is another name for the town of Montgomery in Wales.

Trefor (Settlement) Welsh
Means "big village" from Middle Welsh tref "village" and maur "large". This is the name of a few towns in Wales.

Tuonouwa (River) Old High German
Old High German form of Danube.

Tyrone (Political Subdivision) Irish
From Irish Gaelic Tir Eoghain meaning "land of Eoghan". This is the name of a county in Northern Ireland.

York (Settlement & Political Subdivision) English
From Jórvík, the Norse form of Old English Eoforwic, which was from the Brythonic name Eburacon meaning "yew". The Old English form Eoforwic was altered based on eofor "boar" and wic "village".... [more]