Creating place names

The following are words, prefixes, and suffixes commonly found in real place names.

Aber-
Meaning: Mouth of the river

Ac-, acc-, ock-
Meaning: Acorn or Oak tree

Afon-, Avon-
Meaning: River

Ar-, Ard-
Meaning: High, Height

Ash-
Meaning: Ash tree

Ast-
Meaning East

Auch-
Meaning: Field

Auchter-
Meaning: height, top

Axe, exe, esk, usk
Meaning: River

-ay, ey, y
Meaning: Island

Bal-, balla-, bally-ball,
Meaning: Farm, Homestead

Beck-, -beck
Meaning: Stream

Beann-, Ben-, beinn,
Meaning: Mountain

Berg-, -berg
Meaning: Mountain

Bex-
Meaning: Tree

Blen-, Blaen-, -burn
Meaning: Hill, Upland

Bost-
Meaning: Farm
bourne-, -bourne, burn

Brad-
Meaning: Broad

Bre-
Meaning: Hill

-bury, -borough, -burgh
Meaning:

-by, -bie
Meaning: Settlement, Village

-carden
Meaning: Thicket

caer-, car-
Meaning: Camp, Fortification

-caster, -chester, -cester, -ceter
Meaning: Camp,

cheap, chipping
Meaning:

-combe, -coombe, cwm-
Meaning: Valley

-cot, -cott
Meaning: Cottage

Craig-, crag-, creag-
Meaning: A jutting rock

cul-
Meaning: narrow

cwm-, cum-
Meaning: valley

dal-
Meaning: meadow

-dale
Meaning: valley

-dean, -den, -don
Meaning: valley

din-, dinas-
Meaning: fort

dol-
Meaning: meadow

-don, -den
Meaning: hill, down

drum-
Meaning: ridge

dun-, dum-, don-, doune-
Meaning: fort

Eagles-, Eglos-, Eglews-, Eccles-
Meaning: church

Eilean
Meaning: island

-field
Meaning: forest clearing

fin-
Meaning: White, holy

-firth, -frith
Meaning: Woodland

-ford, -forth
Meaning: Crossing

-fos, -foss
Meaning: Ditch

foss,
Meaning: Waterfall

gate
Meaning: road

gar-, gart-, -garth
Meaning: enclosed field

-ham
Meaning: farm, homestead

-hay, -hays, -hayes
Meaning: area of land enclosed by a hedge

holm-
Meaning: island

-hope
Meaning: Valley

howe
Meaning: mound, hill, knoll

-hurst, -hirst
Meaning: wooded hill

inch-, inch
Meaning: Island, dry land in marsh.

-ing
Meaning: the people of

Isla
meaning: Island

inver, inner
Meaning: mouth of the river

Isla
Meaning: Island

keld
Meaning: spring

keth, cheth
Meaning: wood

kil
Meaning: old church

kin
Meaning: head

king-
Meaning: tribal leader

-kirk, kirk-
Meaning: church

knock-
Meaning: hill

kyle, kyles
Meaning: narrows

lan-, lhan-, llan-
Meaning: church, parish

lang-
Meaning: long

law, low
Meaning: rounded hill

-lea, -ley, -leigh
Meaning: woodland

lin-, llyn-
Meaning: lake

loch, lough
Meaning: lake, sea inlet

Los
Meaning: The

-lyn, -lynn, -lin, -mere
Meaning: lake, pond

-minster
Meaning: church, monastery

-more
Meaning: large, great

moss, moss-
Meaning: swamp, bog

nan, nans
Meaning: Valley

nant-
Meaning: ravine

-ness
Meaning: promontory, headland

nor-
Meaning: north

pen-
Meaning: headland

pit-
Meaning: share, farm

pol-
Meaning: pool, lake

pont-,
Meaning: bridge

-pool, porth-, -port
Meaning: harbor

San, santa
Meaning: Saint

Sierra
Meaning: Mountain

-shaw
Meaning: A wood

shep-, ship
Meaning: sheep

stan-
Meaning: Stony

-stead
Meaning: enclosed pasture

-ster
Meaning: farm

stow-, -stow
Meaning: assembly

starth-
Meaning: wide valley

sud-, sut-
Meaning: south

swin-
Meaning: pig

tarn-
Meaning: lake

throp-, -throp, -thrope
Meaning: secondary settlement

-thwaite, -twatt
Meaning: a forest clearing with a dwelling

Tre-
Meaning: settlement

tilly-, tullie-, tulloch-
Meaning:hillock

-toft
Meaning: homestead

-ton, -tun
Meaning: Town, enclosure, estate, homestead

weald, wold
Meaning: High woodland

Wes-
Meaning: West

-wick, -wich, -wych, -wyke
Meaning: settlement

whel-
Meaning: mine or cave

-worth, -worthy, -wardine
Meaning: enclosure