Germanic toponymy
Germanic toponyms are the names given to places by Germanic peoples and tribes. Besides areas with current speakers of Germanic languages, many regions with previous Germanic speakers or Germanic influence had or still have Germanic toponymic elements, such as places in France, Wallonia, Poland, Northern Portugal, Spain and Northern Italy.
Comparative table
In round brackets, the contemporary cognate for the toponym in the respective language is given. In the square brackets, the most frequently used name in English is given.East Germanic
Southern France
The Goths left toponymic traces in France, particularly in the south, however towards Savoy and further north of the Alps it was the Burgundians who also spoke an East Germanic language.- Escatalens, Gascony, from Skatalo + -ing
- Tonneins, Gascony, from Tunno + ''-ing''
Spain
Iberia was mostly occupied by the Visigothic Kingdom from the 5th to the 8th century, in which the ruling classes spoke the East Germanic language Gothic. A limited number of Germanic-derived place-names survive in Spain. Examples include:- Berja, Andalusia, from berg.
- Bormujos, Andalusia, from Gothic bormo-ios.
- Broto, Aragon, from Gothic brud.
- Burgos, Castile and León, from Gothic baurgs.
- Guardo, Castile and León, from wardjon.
- Lobio, Galicia, from Gothic lubja.
North Germanic
Denmark
Proto-Norse is documented in Denmark as far back as 400 AD. As is general in Scandinavian countries, Denmark's toponymy is characterised by uniformity, as the country did not experience language changes during the period in which the names were given; thus the languages that gave rise to the oldest names, Proto-Germanic and Proto-Nordic, are the direct precursors of the languages Old Norse and Old Danish in which the later names were coined.Norway
The vast majority of place-names in Norway were coined in the North Germanic language Norwegian.Republic of Ireland
- Leixlip, County Kildare, from Old Norse laxhlaupr.
- Wexford, County Wexford, from Old Norse Veisafjǫrðr.
Russia
Russia itself, from Medieval Latin Russi, ultimately from Old Norse roðr.- Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast, from Old Swedish, Old East Norse véborg .
Normandy
The Duchy of Normandy in modern-day France had its roots in the early 10th century, when the Scandinavian Viking leader Rollo became a vassal of the King of the West Franks, Charles III and, in exchange for homage, acquired territory on the lower Seine. The area was subject to significant Scandinavian settlement. One legacy of such settlement is a body of place-names derived from the North Germanic language Old Norse. Such names include:- Carquebut, La Manche, from Old Norse kirkju-bȳr.
- Dieppedalle, Seine-Maritime
- Saint-Vaast-Dieppedalle, Seine-Maritime
- Oudalle, Seine-Maritime, from Old Norse ulfr + dalr .
United Kingdom
England
In the 9th and 10th centuries, some parts of Northern, Midland and Eastern England formed a part of the Danelaw, an area of England which formed a confederacy under the Kingdom of Denmark and was subject to Scandinavian settlement. As a result, place-names containing North Germanic elements are common in much of the former Danelaw, especially in Lancashire, Yorkshire and the East Midland counties such as Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. North Germanic toponyms are also common in neighbouring parts of Durham, and in other areas of Norse influence, such as Cumberland and the Wirral Peninsula in Cheshire. The commonest Scandinavian place-name element in England is bȳr meaning "farm", with particular concentrations of the element in northern Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, the Norfolk Broads and around Liverpool Bay. North Germanic place-names are rare in the West Midlands and most of southern England. Notable examples include:- Byker, Northumberland, from Old Norse bȳr-kjarr.
- Derby, Derbyshire, from Old Norse djúr-bȳr.
- Garstang, Lancashire, from Old Norse geirr-stǫng.
- Gartree, Northamptonshire, from Old Norse geiri-tré.
- Kirby Bellars, Leicestershire
- Kirby Cane, Norfolk
- Kirby-le-Soken, Essex
- Monks Kirby, Warwickshire
- Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
- Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland
- Kirkby Thore, Westmorland
- Leagram, Lancashire, from Old Norse leið-gríma.
- Leake, Nottinghamshire, from Old Norse lϫkr.
- Lowestoft, Suffolk, from Old Norse Hlothvers-toft.
- Sadberge, County Durham, from Old Norse setberg.
- Scarborough, Yorkshire, from Old Norse Skarthiborg.
- Scole, Norfolk, from Old Norse skáli.
- Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, from Old Norse Skuma-þorp.
- St Agnes, Cornwall, from hagi-nes.
- Swinscoe, Staffordshire, from Old Norse svín-skógr.
- Swithland, Leicestershire, from Old Norse sviðinn-lundr.
- Thingwall, Cheshire, from Old Norse þing-vǫllr.
- Ulleskelf, Yorkshire, from Old Norse Ulfr-skelf.
- Wing, Rutland, from Old Norse vengi.
- Witherslack, Westmorland, from Old Norse víðir-slakki.
- Wreay, Cumberland, from Old Norse vrá.
Scotland
Place-names derived from the North Germanic language Old Norse have been established in Scotland since around the 9th century. There is a plurality of such names in Orkney and Shetland as these remained a part of the Kingdom of Norway until the 15th century, and the Norse daughter language Norn remained in use there until c. 1850. Norse toponyms are also frequent in the Hebrides, the Highlands and south-west Scotland, but are uncommon in most other regions. Norse place-names in Scotland include:- Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, from Old Norse byr.
- Humbie, East Lothian, from Old Norse Hunda-byr.
- Knoydart, Inverness-shire, from Old Norse Knútafjörðr.
- Laxford, Sutherland, from Old Norse laxafjörðr.
- Lynedale, Inverness-shire, from Old Norse lín-dalr.
- Monkstadt, Inverness-shire, from Old Norse munkastaðr.
- Moorfoot, Midlothian, from Old Norse mór + þveit.
- Sorbie, Wigtownshire, from saur + býr.
Wales
- Fishguard, Pembrokshire, from Old Norse fiskr-gardr.
- Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, from Old Norse melrfjordr .
- Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, from Old Norse stokkr-holmr.
- Swansea, Glamorgan, from Old Norse Sveinnsey.
West Germanic
France
France originates with the kingdom Francia of the 5th-9th centuries, which was established by the Germanic Franks. Some place-names in France originate in the Franks' West Germanic language Frankish, and in other West Germanic languages.- Achiet, from Germanic askit- .
- Audresselles, from Germanic sele.
- Bécourt, from Germanic bōku + hultą.
- Broxeele, from broec-sele .
- Guerquesalles, from Germanic sele.
- Houllefort, from Germanic hohlfurt.
- Rœux, from Germanic ruti.
- Volckerinckhove, from Folkharding + hof.
- Warhem, from Frankish heim.
- Warneton, from Germanic Warinas-tuna.
- Vannecrocq, Eure, Old English croft.
- Vicques, Calvados similar to Wix from Saxon or Old English wic "settlement, village" or "dairy farm".
- place-names in -vieu in Bessin, Normandy :
- *Sommervieu "summer wic"
- place-names in -ham :
- *Ouistreham similar to Westerham
Galicia, northern Portugal, western Asturias
The Suevi spoke a West Germanic language: an Elbe Germanic or a Weser–Rhine Germanic language. They left some toponyms and male personal names included or not in the Romance toponyms.- Calvos de Randín to Randini, genitive of Randinus
- Gomesende to Gumesindi, genitive of Gumesindus
- Rairiz de Veiga to Ragerici, genitive of ''Ragericus''
Germany
Most place-names in Germany are derived from the West Germanic language German.Italy
Northern Italy was settled in the 6th century AD by the Lombards, whose West Germanic language Lombardic was used in the region until around the 11th century AD. Some places in Italy have names of Lombardic origin, including:United Kingdom
England
The overwhelming majority of place-names in most parts of England are derived, at least in their present form, from the West Germanic language Old English, after that language became established in Britain during the Anglo-Saxon period. For common Old English place-naming elements see the generic forms in place names in the British Isles. Some prominent place-names with common Old English naming suffixes are:- Birmingham, from Old English Beorma-ingahām.
- Bradford, Yorkshire, from Old English brad-ford.
- Bristol, from Old English Bryċġ-stōw.
- Heanor, Derbyshire, from Old English heah-ofer .
- Sunderland, County Durham, from Old English sundor-land.
- Warwick, Warwickshire, from Old English Wær-ing-wic.
Scotland
Many place-names in parts of Scotland are derived from Old English or its descendant languages such as Scots. This is particularly the case in the south-eastern counties of Scotland such as Berwickshire, East Lothian and Roxburghshire, which were part of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria at its height in the early 8th century. Prominent examples include:- Edinburgh, Midlothian, from Old English *Edynburg, with burg, a calque on the Cumbric name Din Eidyn.
- Gretna, Dumfriesshire, from Old English grēoten-hōh.
- Prestwick, Ayrshire, from Old English preostwic.
- Wigtown, Wigtownshire, from Old English wigcton.
- Friockheim, Angus, German heim added to an existing place-name.
- John O'Groats, Sutherland, from the Dutch personal name Jan De Groot.
Wales
Place-names in Wales are overwhelmingly derived from the Celtic language Welsh or its predecessors, but a small number are of Old English origin. Examples include:- Buckley, Flintshire, from Old English buccleah.
- Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, from Old English heahfore-ford .
- Prestatyn, Denbighshire, from Old English preost-tūn.