📖 What Is the List?
Curated by Dr James January-McCann since 2017, the List contains over 700,000 place names drawn from more than 1,500 historic sources. This remarkable resource helps safeguard names that reflect the heritage, stories, and identity of communities across Wales.
The project was launched in response to growing concerns about threats to traditional place names, which are often at risk due to modernization, urban development, and changing naming practices.
🎯 Three Main Purposes
The List serves three essential functions:
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Raising awareness of the historical and cultural value of Welsh place names and encouraging their ongoing use.
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Creating a permanent record of names, so even if they fall out of everyday use, their history is preserved for future generations.
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Supporting local authorities in naming and renaming roads and developments by ensuring they consider historically rooted names.
🗣 Bringing the List to You
One of the strengths of this initiative is its community engagement. Dr January-McCann offers talks - free of charge - in Welsh or English, tailored to the place names and linguistic heritage of your local area. These presentations not only explain the list's significance but also collect new, locally used names that may not yet be recorded.
Whether you're part of a historical society, a school group, or simply interested in the language of the land, this project offers a fascinating window into the naming patterns of Wales.
Visit historicplacenames.rcahmw.gov.uk to explore the database or contact historicplacenames@rcahmw.gov.uk for more information or to arrange a talk.
This initiative beautifully illustrates how onomastics can serve as a bridge between past and present, reminding us that place names are not just labels, but living links to the people and stories that shaped the land.
You can access our List of Historical Place Names, containing over 700,000 names from the 2nd century onwards here: zurl.co/mBeDs
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