Cornish Place Name Meanings
By The Cornwall Guide. Last updated
The list below is by no means definitive and many place names have been missed out as the translations are simply saints names or the name of the person who founded the settlement
- Altarnun - Altar of St Non
- Angarrack - The rock
- Bodmin - Dwelling of monks
- Bolventor - Bold venture
- Boscastle - Bottrel's castle
- Breage - St Breggia
- Cadgwith - Bushes
- Calenick - Holly bushes
- Camborne - Curve of the hill
- Camelford - Curved river + ford
- Carbis Bay - Cart bridge + bay
- Cardinham - Hill fort
- Carlyon Bay -
- Carnkie - Dog carn
- Carrick Roads - Rock anchorage
- Chacewater - Stream in the hunting grounds
- Charlestown - Named after Charles Rashleigh
- Cubert - St Kubert
- Cury - Priest's name (Corentyn)
- Delabole - Delyow stream
- Devoran - Wet valley
- Dobwalls - Two woods (French doublebois)
- Duloe - Between 2 rivers (East / West looe rivers)
- Egloshayle - Church on the estuary
- Egloskerry - Church of St kerry
- Falmouth - Original name - Aberfal - Mouth of the river Fal
- Feock - Parish Saint
- Fowey - Beech trees
- Fraddon - Small stream
- Germoe - St Germoe
- Gerrans - Cornish king / Saint - Gerent
- Gillan - Creek
- Golant - Field in the valley
- Goldsithney - Feast of sithney
- Goonharvern - Ploughed downs
- Goonhilly Downs - Hunting downs
- Grampound - From French - grand pont, big bridge
- Gunwalloe - Saint
- Gwinear - Saint
- Gwithian - Saint
- Hayle - Estuary
- Helston - Old court
- Herodsfoot - Long yard + bottom
- Hessenford - Hag's ford
- Indian Queens - Named after a pub, possibly in reference to Pocahontas
- Ladock - Saint
- Landewednack - Holy enclosure of St Gwinwallo
- Lanner - Clearing
- Launceston - Holy Place of St Stephen
- Leedstown - Duke of Leeds
- Lelant - Holy place of St Anta
- Linkinhorne - Holy place of St Kenhorn
- Liskeard - Court
- Lizardtown - High court + town
- Looe - Sea lake
- Lostwithiel - Wooded land
- Ludgvan - Ash heap
- Luxulyan - Holy place of St Sulyan
- Mabe Burnthouse - Parish saint + burnt house
- Madron - parish Saint
- Manaccan - Minster
- Marazion - Little market
- Mawgan Porth - Beach of Parish saint
- Mawgan-in-Meneage
- Mawnan Smith - Parish saint + smith
- Menheniot - Sanctuary of St neot
- Mevagissey - Parish of St Meva and St Issey
- Morvah - Parish saint
- Mousehole - Named after the harbour entrance
- Mylor - Parish saint
- Nancekuke - Valley of...
- Nanpean - Little valley
- Newquay - Eng - New quay
- Padstow - Holy place of St Petroc
- Par - Cove
- Pelynt - parish of Saint Non
- Pendeen - Headland with fort
- Penryn - End of the slope
- Penzance - Holy head
- Percuil - Narrow cove
- Perranporth - St Perran's beach
- Perranuthnoe - St Perran and St Guethenoc
- Perranwell - Well of St perran
- Perranzabuloe - St Perran in the sand (possible reference to chapel)
- Point - A point
- Polgooth - Goose pool
- Polperro - Cove + name
- Polruan - Cove + name (Ruan)
- Port Isaac - Cove + name (Isaac)
- Porth - Beach
- Porthallow - Cove of waterlillies
- Porthcurno - Cove + name (Curno)
- Porthgwarra - Cove + name
- Porthleven - Cove of St Levan
- Portholland - Cove of the holy place
- Porthpean - Little cove
- Porthtowan - Sand dune cove
- Portloe - Sea lake cove
- Portreath - Cove in the beach
- Portscatho - Cove of boats
- Praa Sands - Witch cove
- Praze-an-Beeble - Meadow of the pipe
- Probus - Saint
- Quethiock - Saint, possibly Cadoc
- Redruth - Red ford (from mining tinting the water red)
- Roche - Rock (from french)
- Rock - Rock
- Roseland - Promontory / peninsula + land
- Ruan Lanihorne - Holy place of St Ruan
- Sancreed - Saint
- Scorrier - Mining term
- Seaton - Twisting river
- Sennen - Parish saint
- South Petherwin - Saint Padarn
- Stithians - Parish saint
- Talland - Saint's name
- Temple - Refers to the Knights Templar who had a church here
- The Lizard - High court
- Tintagel - Fort + name
- Torpoint - Tail point (from English)
- Towednack - Parish Saint
- Truro - Possibly 3 rivers
- Tywardreath - House on the beach
- Veryan - Parish Saint
- Warleggan - River name?
- Wendron - Saint Gwendern
- Zennor - St Senara
Have a look at the UK Baby names website for a list of popular Cornish baby names.
