Viking-influenced Place Names of Wirral - 31st Dec 2007 12:26am
Birkenhead: "Headland growing with birch trees". Early forms include Byrkeheveht (1259) and Birkheued (1260).
Caldy: Kald-eyjar "Cold-islands".
Claughton: Klakkr-tun "Hamlet on a hillock".
Frankby: Frankisbyr "Franki's (or Frakki's) village or settlement".
Gayton: Geit-tun "Goat farmstead".
Heswall: "Hazel spring" from Old English hasel, reinforced by Norse hesli with OE walla (spring).
Irby: Ira-byr "Settlement of the Irish", or possibly "Settlement of Scandinavians from Ireland".
Meols, Great and Little: From melr meaning sandbank, sandhills. A place-name of identical origin exists in Iceland (Melar).
Ness: From Nes meaning "Promontory".
Neston: Nes-tun "Farmstead at or near the promontory".
Noctorum: Cnocc-tirim "Hill that's dry" or "Dry Hill". Old forms include Cnoctyrum (1119).
Raby: Ra-byr "Village at a boundary".
Thingwall: Ping-vollr "Assembly field".
Thurstaston: Porsteinns-tun "porstein's farmstead". Old forms include Thurstantona (1119), Thorstanton (1202).
Tranmere: Trani-melr, "Cranes' sandback".
West Kirby: Vestri-kirkjubyr, "The west village of the church".
Whitby: "The white manor or village". From hviti (white) and byr (settlement).
Caldy: Kald-eyjar "Cold-islands".
Claughton: Klakkr-tun "Hamlet on a hillock".
Frankby: Frankisbyr "Franki's (or Frakki's) village or settlement".
Gayton: Geit-tun "Goat farmstead".
Heswall: "Hazel spring" from Old English hasel, reinforced by Norse hesli with OE walla (spring).
Irby: Ira-byr "Settlement of the Irish", or possibly "Settlement of Scandinavians from Ireland".
Meols, Great and Little: From melr meaning sandbank, sandhills. A place-name of identical origin exists in Iceland (Melar).
Ness: From Nes meaning "Promontory".
Neston: Nes-tun "Farmstead at or near the promontory".
Noctorum: Cnocc-tirim "Hill that's dry" or "Dry Hill". Old forms include Cnoctyrum (1119).
Raby: Ra-byr "Village at a boundary".
Thingwall: Ping-vollr "Assembly field".
Thurstaston: Porsteinns-tun "porstein's farmstead". Old forms include Thurstantona (1119), Thorstanton (1202).
Tranmere: Trani-melr, "Cranes' sandback".
West Kirby: Vestri-kirkjubyr, "The west village of the church".
Whitby: "The white manor or village". From hviti (white) and byr (settlement).