List of Roman place names in Britain

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A partial list of Roman place names in Great Britain.

This list includes only names documented from Roman times. For a more complete list including later Latin names, see List of Latin place names in North Atlantic islands.

The early sources for Roman names show numerous variants and mis-spellings of the Latin names. Moreover one of the principal authorities, Ptolemy, wrote in Greek so names that he records need to be transliterated back into Latin to reveal the original form.

Note that in general only one source is shown below for each name, although many of the names are recorded in more than one of the sources.

Contents

[edit] Country names

Roman name Modern name Source
Albion Great Britain Ptolemy
Britannia Great Britain Tacitus
Cambria Wales (Cymru)  
Caledonia Scotland Tacitus
Hibernia Ireland  

[edit] Island names

Roman name Modern name Source
Malaeus Mull Ptolemy
Mona Ynys Môn (Anglesey) Ptolemy
Monaoeda Isle of Man Ptolemy
Orcades Orkney Ptolemy
Scetis Skye Ptolemy
Taniatide Thanet Ravenna
Vectis Isle of Wight Ptolemy

[edit] City/Town names

Roman name Modern name Source
Anavio Brough-on-Noe, Hope Valley, Derbyshire (See also Navio)
Aquae Arnemetiae Buxton, Derbyshire
Aquae Sulis Bath
Ardotalia Gamesley, Glossop, Derbyshire
Caeseromagus Chelmsford, Essex AI
Calcaria Tadcaster, North Yorkshire AI
Calleva Atrebatum Silchester AI
Camulodunum Colchester Ravenna
Clausentum Bitterne, Hampshire
Condate Northwich, Cheshire AI
Corinium Dobunnorum Cirencester
Coria Corbridge
Danum Doncaster
Deva Chester
Dubris Dover AI
Durnovaria Dorchester
Durocobrivis Dunstable
Durocornovium Swindon
Durolipons Cambridge
Durolitum Romford
Durovernum Cantiacorum Canterbury
Eboracum York Ptolemy
Garrianonum Burgh Castle
Glevum Colonia Gloucester
Hortonium Halifax
Isca Dumnoniorum Exeter AI
Isca Augusta Caerleon
Lactodorum Towcester
Lagentium Castleford
Lindinis Ilchester
Lindum Colonia Lincoln
Londinium London Ptolemy AI
Mamucium Manchester
Mediolanum Whitchurch, Shropshire
Navio See Anavio
Noviomagus Reginorum Chichester
Noviomagus Cantiacorum Crayford
Ratae Corieltauvorum Leicester
Segontium Caernarfon
Venta Belgarum Winchester AI
Verulamium St Albans Tacitus
Viroconium Cornoviorum Wroxeter, Shropshire
Vindolanda Chesterholme

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. A.L.F. Rivet and Colin Smith, The place-names of Roman Britain. London, 1979 (reprinted by Book Club Associates, 1981).
  2. Tacitus (Cornelius Tacitus), Britannia.
  3. AI: Antonine Itinerary
  4. Ravenna Cosmography (Ravennatis Anonymi Cosmographia)
  5. Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus), Geographia.

To tell if a city/town is roman just by looking at its name, all you need to do is

[edit] External links

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