Medieval Submitted Place Names

These names were used in medieval times.
type
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Alderney (Island) English, Medieval Scandinavian
One of the Channel Islands in England. It may be a corruption of 'adreni' or 'alrene', derived from Old Norse, meaning "island near the coast". Alternatively, it may come from other old Norse words; 'alda', meaning "swelling wave', 'renna', meaning "strong current', and -ey, meaning "island'.
Beverege (Settlement) Medieval English
Means "beaver island". From the words beofor "beaver" and ieg "island"
Birka (Settlement) Old Norse, Old Swedish
Possibly taken from a Latinization of Norse Bjǫrkey "Birch island", although some believe it's derived from Old Norse birk "market place". Birka was a Viking age town and an important trading and market place during the Viking Age located on the island Björkö (modern form of Bjǫrkey) in Lake Mälaren, outside of Stockholm, Sweden.
Brecqhou (Island) Medieval Scandinavian
A Channel Island in England. The name Brecqhou derives from the Old Norse 'brekka', meaning "slope' or "escarpment", and holmr, or -'hou', meaning "island" or "islet".
Bretland (Country) Icelandic, Faroese, Medieval English
Icelandic, Faroese and Old English form of Britain (see also: United Kingdom).
Cambria (Country) Medieval Latin
Latin name used for Wales, a Latinised form of Cymru. The term is first attested in Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century as an alternative to both of these since Britannia was now ambiguous but remained rare until late in the Middle Ages.
Denbigh (Other) Medieval Welsh
“Little fortress in Welsh”
Dorset (Settlement) Medieval English
named after Dorchester, 'Roman Town with Fist-Sized Pebbles'; that was after the Romans had named it Durnovaria, which probably means "Place with Fist-Sized Pebbles"
Durham (Settlement & Region) English, Anglo-Norman
A cathedral city in the North-East of England. The name is derived from the city's Latin name Dunelm, which comprises of the Celtic element dun, 'fortress' (c.f Welsh dinas, 'city') and the Old Norse holme, which meant an island (referring to the peninsular formed by the River Wear).
Écréhous (Island) Norman, English, Medieval Scandinavian
Island chain in the Channel Islands in England. Derived from Old Norse 'esker', as in a "skerry", or a "small, rocky islet". and -hou, meaning "island".
Einsiedeln (Settlement) Medieval German
The settlement of Einsiedeln is first mentioned in 1073. The town is known as Äinsidle ˈæɪnˌsɪdlə, in the local Highest Alemannic dialect ... and in neighboring dialects as Äisele, Näisele, Äisidle, Näisidle, Äisigle ˈæɪsələ ˈnæɪsələ ˈæɪˌsɪdlə ˈnæɪˌsɪdlə ˈæɪˌsɪglə... [more]
Guernsey (Island) Medieval Scandinavian, English (British)
A Channel Island in England. From the Old Norse root -ey meaning "island", guern is unknown.
Hengesdon (Settlement) Medieval English
Earlier name for Hingston Down in Moretonhampstead, Devon, recorded in 1333. It meant "Hengest's hill" or "stallion's hill" from the Old English byname Hengest (or from Old English hengest "stallion") and Old English dun "hill".
Herm (Island) Medieval French, English (British), Medieval Scandinavian
One of the Channel Islands in England. Likely from Old Norse 'arms', meaning "arm" due to the shape of the island, or maybe from Old French 'eremite', meaning "hermit".
Jabarsá (Settlement) Medieval Arabic
The name of a city in "1001 Arabian Nights", which was also called the city of Japheth. The people there were fire-worshippers. The palace of Japheth was there and housed a sword-spear hybrid which was said to have been used by Japheth.
Jersey (Political Subdivision & Island) English, Medieval Scandinavian
One of the Channel Islands in England. Also a name of a state in the United States. May be derived from the Old Norse jarð meaning "earth" or jarl meaning "earl", or maybe from the given name Geirr... [more]
Jičín (Settlement) Czech, Medieval Czech
Name comes from first name Jitka. Literally Jitka's town.
Leith (Settlement & River) Scottish, Medieval Scottish
The name of a river (Water of Leith) and the settlement at it's mouth, near Edinburgh, Scotland. The name is likely of Cumbric origin and is likely cognate with the Welsh word laith, meaning 'damp, moist'.
Lumhalghs (Settlement) Medieval English
The name of a lost place in the historic county of Lancashire; the hamlet of Lumhalghs was located east of the river Roch. Allegedly, it was derived from the Old English elements lum "pool" and halh "nook, recess".... [more]
Nidaros (Settlement) Medieval Scandinavian
From the the name of the River Nid (see Nidelva) combined with Old Norse óss denoting the city's location near the river. This was the former name of Trondheim.
Nizhny Novgorod (Other) Russian, Medieval Russian, English
Derived from "нижний (nizhny)" meaning lower, "новый (novy)" meaning new, and "город (gorod)" meaning city. It joins together to mean "Lower New City" or could also be called "Lower Novgorod".
Orcadia (Island) Medieval, Old Celtic (Latinized)
A medieval name for the Orkney Islands, the famous archipelago of the northwest coast of Scotland. It comes from the Roman name Orcades which was probably derived from Celtic *forko- "young pig"... [more]
Osraige (Region) Medieval Irish
Means "people of the deer" in Old Irish.
Pannonia (Region) Medieval Hungarian, Ancient Roman
Pannonia was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia... [more]
Sark (Island) English, Ancient Semitic, Medieval Scandinavian
One of the Channel Islands in England. Could be derived from the Proto-Semetic 'śrq', meaning "redden", "rise", or "east", as Sark is the easternmost island. Alternatively, it come from Old Norse 'serkr', meaning "shirt".
Sintra (Settlement) Medieval Portuguese
A town in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal.... [more]
Steinauer (Settlement) Medieval German
The first settlement at Steinauer was made in the 1850s by Joseph Steinauer and his two brothers. Steinauer was platted in 1886 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Joseph A. Steinauer, an early settler and the first postmaster.
Wexford (Political Subdivision) Medieval Scandinavian, Irish
County and town in Ireland. From the Old Norse Veisafjǫrðr, meaning "fjord of the mud flats".