Placenames in Normandy have a variety of origins. Some belong to the common heritage of the Langue d'oïl extension zone in northern France and Belgium; this is called "Pre-Normanic". Others contain
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...
and
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...
male names and toponymic appellatives. These intermingle with Romance male names and place-name elements to create a very specific
superstratum
In linguistics, a stratum (Latin for "layer") or strate is a language that influences or is influenced by another through contact. A substratum or substrate is a language that has lower power or prestige than another, while a superstratum or sup ...
, typical of Normandy within the extension zone of the Langue d'oïl. These are sometimes called "Normanic".
Pre-Normanic placenames
There are still a significant number of Celtic (Gaulish) names, as there are throughout France and western Europe. These names, partly mixed with Latin elements, follow the Late Latin phonetic changes that led to Langue d'oïl.
Traditional large cities
Almost all the main cities kept a Romanized Celtic name, that produced the modern toponym.
BC era
*
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the region of Normandy and the department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, the population ...
: from the Gallo-Romance ROTOMAGU (Latin ''Rotomagus''), in turn from the Gaulish ''Ratumacos'' (sometimes ''Ratómagos'', on the coins of the '' Veliocassi'' tribe). The first part of the name might refer to ''roto-'', the word for "wheel" or "race", cf. Old Irish ''roth'' or Welsh ''rhod'' ("wheel" or "race"). The meaning of the second part, ''Magos'', is much clearer: "field", "plain", or later "market" cf. Old Irish ''mag'' (gen. ''maige''), meaning "field" or "plain"; Old Breton ''ma'', meaning "place". Taken together, the whole could mean "hippodrome", "racecourse", or "wheel market".
*
Caen
Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Carentan
Carentan () is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France, with a population of about 6,000. It is a former commune in the Manche department. On 1 January 2016, it was m ...
: attested as ''Carentomagus''.
* Vernon: probably ''*Vernomagus'', meaning "plain of the alder-trees", derived from ''uernā'', meaning "alder-tree"; or, in Old Irish, ''fern''; and in Breton and Welsh, ''gwern''.
AD era
In the following examples, a Gaulish toponym was replaced by the name of the local tribe, according to a process well known in the later
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
:
*
Bayeux
Bayeux () is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.
Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England. It is also known as the first major tow ...
: rooted in the
civitas
In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities () on th ...
named ''Bajocassensis''; which was formerly known as ''Augustodurum'', meaning " forum dedicated to
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
".
* Evreux: rooted in the civitas named ''Eburovicensis'', formerly known as ''Mediolanum''.
*
Lisieux
Lisieux () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland.
Name
The name of the town derives from the ...
: rooted in the civitas named ''Lexoviensis'', formerly known as ''Noviomagus'', meaning "new market", from the Old Celtic ''noviios'', meaning "new".
*
Avranches
Avranches (; nrf, Avraunches) is a commune in the Manche department, and the region of Normandy, northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called ''Avranchinais''.
History
By the end of the Roman period ...
: rooted in the civitas named ''Abrincatii''; formerly known as ''Ingena'' or ''Legedia''.
There were exceptions to this practice, such as:
*
Coutances
Coutances () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
History
Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town was given the name of ''Constantia'' in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chloru ...
: derived from ''Constantia'', meaning "dedicated to Emperor
Constantius Chlorus
Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus" ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 ...
".
*
Lillebonne
Lillebonne () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in Northern France. It lies north of the Seine and east of Le Havre. In 2019, it had a population of 8,797.
History
Before the Roman conquest of Gaul, Iuliobon ...
: derived from ''Juliobona'', where ''Julio'' meant "dedicated to
Julius
The gens Julia (''gēns Iūlia'', ) was one of the most prominent patrician families in ancient Rome. Members of the gens attained the highest dignities of the state in the earliest times of the Republic. The first of the family to obtain the ...
", and ''bona'', from the Old Celtic, meant "foundation" or "spring". (Also see '' Ratisbona'' or ''
Vindobona
Vindobona (from Gaulish ''windo-'' "white" and ''bona'' "base/bottom") was a Roman military camp on the site of the modern city of Vienna in Austria. The settlement area took on a new name in the 13th century, being changed to Berghof, or now si ...
'').
Some of these would disappear later, replaced by Normanic names; thus ''Coriovallum'' became
Cherbourg
Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Feb ...
and ''Caracotinum'' became
Harfleur
Harfleur () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France.
It was the principal seaport in north-western France for six centuries, until Le Havre was built about five kilometres (three miles) downstrea ...
. Such changes indicate that the older inhabitants who used the earlier name were displaced by newcomers, either leaving completely or becoming a small minority.
Some cities' Pre-Normanic names are not known, such as
Honfleur
Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Honf ...
or
Dieppe
Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France.
Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to N ...
.
Common northern French toponymic types
The most common
suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carr ...
in northern France is '' -acum'' (written ''-acum'', ''-acus'' or ''-aco'' in early
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...
documents, pronounced in
Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal registers of Latin spoken from the Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve into numerous Romance languages. Its literary counterpa ...
as ''-acu''), that means "place of" or "property". Its origin is the Celtic ''-āko(n)''. Originally, it was used to as the location of either a god or a people. Examples include Anualonacu, meaning "sanctuary of Anualō god and nautae Parisiaci, meaning "sailors of the Parisii
ribe
Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,257 (2022). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe covering southwestern Jutland. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It ...
.
In northern France and southern Belgium, ''–(i)acum'' became ''-ay, -ai, -ey, -é'' or ''-y''. All of these variations are found in Normandy. Places with this suffix include Gournay, Bernay, Cernay, and Andilly.
Another, generally later, variation is composed of masculine names that can be either Gaulish or Latin, for example: Massy from Gaulish ''Mascius''; Marcilly from Roman ''Marcellus''; Fleury from Roman ''Florius''; and Montigny from Roman ''Montanius''.
However, the latest ''-acum'' formations are combined with a Christian or a Germanic masculine name, such as Repentigny, from the Christian name ''Repentin(i)us'' or with a Romance placename element. The most common ''-acum'' place-name in Normandy is Glatigny, of which more than 40 exist.
Romance place-name elements
These come from the
Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal registers of Latin spoken from the Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve into numerous Romance languages. Its literary counterpa ...
, but began only about 100 years after the fall of the
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire comprised the western provinces of the Roman Empire at any time during which they were administered by a separate independent Imperial court; in particular, this term is used in historiography to describe the period ...
, in the 6th century AD. In this province, it is sometimes difficult to know if these formations (''-ville, -val, -mont, -mesnil'', etc.) are Pre-Normanic or Normanic, due to similarities between the two.
The main romance appellatives are the following:
* ''-ville'' or ''Ville-'', meaning "farm", and later "village"
* ''-court, Cour-'', or ''Cor-'', meaning "farm with a courtyard"
* ''-val'' or ''Val-'', meaning "small valley"
* ''-mont'' or ''Mont-'', meaning "hill"
* ''-mesnil'', ''-menil'' or ''Mesnil-'', meaning "property"
General description
In Northern France, including Normandy, the extension of ''-court'', ''-ville'', and ''-mesnil'' (including its variant spellings ''-maisnil'' and ''-ménil'') corresponds generally to Frankish and other Germanic settlements. This is the most likely reason why the common word order is also from the Germanic: determinative (adjective, appellative or owner's name) plus determined (romance element). Examples include: Neuville, meaning "new village";
Bourville
Bourville () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department, region of Normandy, northern France.
Geography
A farming village situated in the Pays de Caux, some southwest of Dieppe, at the junction of the D108 and the D237 roads.
Population
P ...
(''Bodardi villa'', 8th century) meaning "Bodard's farm"; Harcourt (''Herolcurt'', 11th century) meaning "Herulf's farm"; and Attemesnil (''Ademesnil'', 13th century) meaning "Adda's property". Less than one-third of France, the north, makes use of the Germanic ordering.
In Vulgar Latin, as in Celtic, the opposite word order prevailed: determined (Romance appellative) plus determinative (adjective). This order dominates in Occitan toponymy, as well as in western France. Instead of Neuville, in the south we find Villeneuve, derived either from Occitan, ''Vielanova'', or from a more modern name.
Similarly, northern
In the Norman toponymy, the most widespread appellative is ''-ville'' or ''Ville-'', with an estimated 20% of the
French communes
The () is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. French are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities in the United States and Canada, ' in Germany, ' in Italy, or ' in Spain. The United Kingdom's equiv ...
of Normandy containing this appellative. The oldest recorded instance is
Bourville
Bourville () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department, region of Normandy, northern France.
Geography
A farming village situated in the Pays de Caux, some southwest of Dieppe, at the junction of the D108 and the D237 roads.
Population
P ...
, as ''Bodardi villa'' in 715. This is in contrast to the much less frequently used ''-court'', which was not used anymore in the
Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...
.
The most widely used ''-ville'' toponyms are combined with either an Old Scandinavian or Anglo-Scandinavian male name or a Romance adjective: Amfreville (Ásfríðr′s farm), Auzouville (Osulf / Osolf′s farm),
Beuzeville
Beuzeville () is a commune in the north-western part of the department of Eure in the Normandy region in northern France.
Located on the Lieuvin plateau, it is adjacent to the communes of Pont-l'Évêque, Honfleur and Deauville. Beuzeville i ...
Tocqueville
Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his work ...
Grainville
Grainville () is a former commune in the Eure department in northern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Val d'Orger.Bretteville (Briton's farm) and Englesqueville or Anglesqueville (English farm). These toponyms do not exist in France outside of Normandy, because their first element is an Old Scandinavian or an Old Anglo-Scandinavian personal name and sometimes a romance adjective marking they came from Great-Britain, but were mainly Anglo-Scandinavian farmers. In addition some typical
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
male′s names can be found in Doncanville (
Donnchadh Donnchadh () is a masculine given name common to the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages. It is composed of the elements ''donn'', meaning "brown" or "dark" from Donn a Gaelic God; and ''chadh'', meaning "chief" or "noble". The name is also writt ...
> Duncan′s farm),
Quinéville
Quinéville is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France.
The Chateau de Quineville is in the village, along with a church, the eglise Notre-Dame.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 44 ...
or Quenneville ( Cináed > Kenneth′s farm), Néville (
Niall
Niall is a male given name of Irish origin. The original meaning of the name is unknown, but popular modern sources have suggested that it means "champion" (derived from the Old Irish word ''niadh''),. According to John Ryan, Professor of Early an ...
> Njáll′s farm).
The ''-court'' appellative is usually combined with either a Germanic masculine name, as in Hébécourt, from ''
Herbert
Herbert may refer to:
People Individuals
* Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert
Name
* Herbert (given name)
* Herbert (surname)
Places Antarctica
* Herbert Mountains, Coats Land
* Herbert Sound, Graham Land
Australia
* Herbert ...
'' > Norman-French ''Hebert'' (today the surname
Hébert
Hébert or Hebert may refer to:
People Surname
* Anne Hébert, Canadian author and poet
* Ashley Hebert, subject of ''The Bachelorette'' (season 7)
* Bobby Hebert, National Football League player
* Chantal Hébert, Canadian political commentato ...
), as in Sébécourt, from ''Sigebert'' > ''Sebert'' (today the surname ''Sébert''). It almost never appears as a suffix in the western part of Normandy, but as a prefix (''Cour-'', ''Gour-'', ''Col-'', ''Coul-''): Gourfaleur from ''falor'', the name of a people; Coulvain, meaning "Laipwin's court"; and Coulimer, meaning "Lietmar's court". François de Beaurepaire observed that ''-court'' and ''Cour-'' were never used with an Anglo-Scandinavian male's name or element.
Another common appellative is ''-mesnil'' or ''Mesnil-'' (written as ''ménil'' in the
Orne
Orne (; nrf, Ôrne or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...
). They are mainly combined with masculine anthroponyms as in Aubermesnil or Avremesnil, much like the ''-ville'' place-names, and were later built according to the Romance order, for example Mesnil-Hermant and Mesnil-Esnard.
The appellative ''-bosc'' or ''Bosc-'' (pronounced o:or ɔk, meaning "wood", corresponds to the French word ''bois'', and is specific to this Province. In Normandy, it is usually combined with a masculine name: Auberbosc and Colbosc, when following the Germanic order; while the later Romance order gives numerous examples, such as Bosc-Roger, Bosc-Renoult, and Bosc-Robert.
''-vast'' is the only one that never appears as ''*Vast-'', but autonomous as le Vast. The first element must be a personal name, like Gallo-Romance Martin in
Martinvast
Martinvast () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 Communes of France, communes of the Manche Departments of France, departm ...
, Old Norse Sóti in
Sottevast
Sottevast () is a commune in Normandy in north-western France.
Sottevast in World War II
During World War II, there was a German storage and servicing bunker for V-weapons near Sottevast. The site was captured by the 504th Parachute Infantry ...
(''Sotewast'', 12th century), and Old Norse Tóli in Tollevast (''Toberwast'' and ''Tolewast'', 12th century). Véraval, now often misspelled as Ver-à-Val, became a ''-val'' ("valley") place-name by
popular etymology
A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...
. First recorded as ''Warelwast'' in 1024 (see William de Warelwast), utilizing the former appellative, ''-wast'' (meaning "bad land", or "unfertile or uncultivated land"), which is now spelled ''-vast'' in the north and ''ga(s)t(te)'' in the south. Its etymology is ultimately Latin ''vastus'' "bad land" mixed up with
Old Low Franconian
In linguistics, Old Dutch (Dutch: Oudnederlands) or Old Low Franconian (Dutch: Oudnederfrankisch) is the set of Franconian dialects (i.e. dialects that evolved from Frankish) spoken in the Low Countries during the Early Middle Ages, from arou ...
''*wost'' "desert" (Old High German ''wuosti'', Old English ''wēste'').
Normanic place names
Description
Old Norse place names were given during the Norse settlement at the end of the ninth century, expanding in the tenth century with the creation of the
Duchy of Normandy
The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans.
From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...
by
Rollo
Rollo ( nrf, Rou, ''Rolloun''; non, Hrólfr; french: Rollon; died between 928 and 933) was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy, today a region in northern France. He emerged as the outstanding warrior among the Norsemen who had se ...
in 911. Since the speakers of Old Norse were linguistically assimilated into the old-French dialect society within a few generations, these settlement names were given most likely date prior to the 11th century. Most of these settlers were coming from areas that are today most likely Danish and/or
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
. These languages were quite similar to each other, making it difficult to distinguish the origin of the appellatives and accompanying adjective or male name.
Old Norse and Old English appellatives
*''Acre, -acre'' "field" > "surface measure" (Norman acre) : Old Norse ''akr'' (Icelandic ''akur'' "field"). in Herboutacre, hamlet at Grainville-Ymauville (''De campo Herboutacre'' 1209). First element ''Herbout-'' represents probably the Germanic personal name ''Herbold'' now found as patronymic as ''Herbout'' in pays de Caux (Valliquerville, etc.); Fouquelacre (Dieppe, ''Fulconis Acra'' 1244); l'Acre-Guérard (Saint-Valéry-en-Caux)
*'' Bec''- or ''-bec'', derived from ''
beck
Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi style, and became known for creating musical colla ...
'', meaning "stream" or "brook". It can also be found alone as in, le Bec. Examples of its combination with an adjective would be: Houlbec, meaning "hollow beck"; Foulbec, meaning "dirty beck"; and Caudebec 'cold beck' (Caldebec, 11th century), etc.
*''-beuf'' or ''Boos'', from Old Norse ''búð'' > Old Eastern Norse ''bóð'' (> Old English ''bōth'' > English ''booth''), meaning "booth, shed". Examples are:
Elbeuf-sur-Andelle
Elbeuf-sur-Andelle (, literally ''Elbeuf on Andelle'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France.
Geography
A small farming village situated by the banks of the Andelle river, some east of Roue ...
,
Elbeuf
Elbeuf () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A light industrial town situated by the banks of the Seine some south of Rouen at the junction of the D7, D321 and the D313 roads. ...
(Seine-Maritime, ''Wellebuot'' 1070–1081), Criquebeuf-en-Caux, Lindebeuf (Seine-Maritime, ''Lindebeod'' 1142), and Boos (Seine-Maritime, ''Bodas'' 1030–1040, ''Bothas'' ab 1049) -similar to Booths, Yorkshire-, Daubeuf-la-Campagne (Eure, ''Dalbuoth'' 1011). Two cases at least are doubtful: Criquebeuf-la-Campagne (Eure, ''Crichebu'' 1203) and
Carquebut
Carquebut () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Sainte-Mère-Église.Cricquebœuf (Calvados, ''Crikeboe'' 1198). The other ''-bœuf'' place-names throughout France refer to "ox", and clearly allude to slaughterhouses, such as Écorchebœuf ("flay-ox"), Tubœuf ("kill-ox") or Tombebœuf ("fall-ox"). The ''-beuf, -bu, -bot'' element corresponds to the place-names ending with ''-by'' in Great Britain (though some of these are from Norse ''byr''). It explains the existence of parallel formations on both sides of the English Channel:
A similar use can be found in
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...
, Germany :
Haddeby
Haddeby is an '' Amt'' ("collective municipality") in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the south bank of the Schlei, southeast of Schleswig. The seat of the ''Amt'' is in Busdorf. It was named ...
(''Hadæboth'' 1285).
*''Bre(c)q-'' or ''-bre(c)que'' (sometimes ''Bricque-''), from the Old Norse ''brekka'', meaning "slope", "incline", or "hill". Found in the following place-names: Houllebrecque in (
Saint-Aubin-de-Crétot
Saint-Aubin-de-Crétot () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A farming village situated in the Pays de Caux, some northwest of Rouen near the junction of the D34 and the D40 ro ...
),
Brecqhou
Brecqhou (or Brechou; ) is one of the Channel Islands, located off the west coast of Sark where they are now geographically detached from each other. Brecqhou is politically part of both Sark and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It has been establishe ...
Warbreck
Warbreck is a Liverpool City Council Ward (politics), Ward in Liverpool, England. It contains the northern parts of the Walton, Merseyside, Walton and Orrell Park areas of Liverpool. The population of this ward taken at the United Kingdom Census ...
, and
Scarisbrick
Scarisbrick () is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in West Lancashire, England. The A570 road, A570, the main road between Ormskirk and Southport, runs through Scarisbrick, and much of the village lies along it. As a result ...
).
*''-cher'' or ''-quier'', from the Old Norse ''kjarr'' meaning "marsh" or "swamp", which can be found in
Villequier
Villequier () is a former commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Rives-en-Seine.Orcher (''Alrecher'', 11th century, combined with the Old English ''alor, aler'', meaning "alder").
* ''-clives'', ''-lif'', ''Clé-'' or ''Cli-'', from the Old Norse ''klif'' or Old English ''clif'', meaning "cliff". Examples of which are: ''Risleclif'', ''Witeclif'' (now Côte-Blanche "white cliff" at Évreux), Verclives,
Clitourps
Clitourps () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department of France.
The communes cooperate in the ...
, Cléville, Carquelif, and Clairefougère (''Clivefeugeriam'', 12th century).
*''Crique-'' or ''-crique'', from the Old Norse ''kirkja'', meaning "church", but this should not be confused with the French term, ''la crique'' from Old Norse ''kriki'', "creek". Examples of this appellative are la Crique, Criquetot-l'Esneval, Criquetot-le-Mauconduit or Yvecrique.
*''Dalle-'', ''-dalle'', ''-dal'', or ''Dau-'', from the Old Norse ''dalr'', meaning "valley", or the Old English ''dæl'', meaning "dale". It can be seen on its own with a romance article as in la Dalle or Le Dallet; or in combination with an adjective, as in Dieppedalle (with the Old Norse ''djupr'' or Old English ''dēop'', meaning "deep"), Croixdalle (with the Old English ''crāwe'', meaning "crow"), and Oudalle (from the Norman ''ouf'', meaning "wolf").
*''Escalle'' or ''-écal-'', from either the Old Norse ''skali'' or Old English ''scale'', meaning "shelter". Examples would be Touffrécal, Brecquécal, Écalles-Alix (Escales, 12th century), and
Villers-Écalles
Villers-Écalles is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A village of farming and associated light industry situated by the banks of the river Austreberthe in the Pays de Caux, some nor ...
(Escalis, 12th century).
*''Étain-'', ''Étan-'' or ''Étenne-'', from the Old Norse ''steinn'' or Old English ''stān'', meaning "stone". Examples would be: Grestain (combined with the Old English ''grēat'', meaning "big"), Étainhus (Stone house), Étaintot, Étheintot, Étalondes, and Étangval (Stone valley).
*''-gard'', from the Old Norse ''garðr'', meaning "yard" or "garden", found in the names: Auppegard (''Appelgart'' ab. 1160) combined with ''æppel'', meaning "apple") and Figard (''Figart'' 1238, combined with ''fiskr'', meaning "fish").
*''-gate or -gathe'', meaning "way", as in
Houlgate
Houlgate () is a small tourist resort in northwestern France along the English Channel with a beach and a casino. It is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region.
History
Pre-19th century
Houlgate developed as a hamlet in t ...
, la Houlgate, Hôrgate (meaning "hollow way"), Hiégathe, etc.
*''Hague'', ''-hague'', from the Old Norse or Old English ''haga'', meaning "enclosure". Examples are:
la Hague
La Hague () is a commune in the department of Manche, northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2017 by merger of the former communes of Beaumont-Hague (the seat), Acqueville, Auderville, Biville, Branville-Hague, ...
, le Tohague, Étauhague, and le Haguedic (combined with the Anglo-Norse ''dik'').
*''Hogue'' or ''Hougue'' from the Old Norse ''haugr'', meaning "hill", found in names like Les Hogues,
Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue
Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
Toponymy
Saint-Vaast is the Norman name of Saint Vedast and Hougue is a Norman language word meaning a "mound" or "loaf" and comes from the Old No ...
, and la Hougue-Bie (Jersey).
*''Houlme'', ''Hom(me)'' or ''-homme'', from the Old Norse word ''holmr'', meaning "islet". The appellative, ''homme'', is identical to the French word meaning, "man", but is pronounced differently: French (''l'homme'') versus Norman or (''le homme''). It is found in place-names such as
Le Houlme
Le Houlme () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A small light industrial and farming town situated by the banks of the river Cailly, some northwest of the centre of Rouen at the jun ...
Saint-Quentin-sur-le-Homme
Saint-Quentin-sur-le-Homme () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 Communes of France, communes of the Manche Departments of ...
, and les Échommes.
*''-hus'' or ''-hurs'' from the Old Norse ''hús'' or Old English ''hūs'', meaning "house". As found in:
Sahurs
Sahurs () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A village of forestry and farming situated inside a meander of the river Seine, some southwest of Rouen at the junction of the D5 and th ...
(''Salhus'' ab 1024, maybe from ''Sálúhús'' "kind of inn" like Salhus (disambiguation), Norway) and Étainhus (″stone house″).
*''Londe'', ''-lon'' or ''-ron'', from the
Old Norman
Old Norman, also called Old Northern French or Old Norman French ( fro, Ancien Normant, nrf, Ancien Normaund), was one of many varieties of the ''langues d'oïl'' native to northern France. It was spoken throughout the region of what is now calle ...
''londe'', meaning "forest" or "wood". There are over 45 municipalities and hamlets named La Londe in Normandy, as well as several Les Londes (plural). It is also used in combination with other adjectives, such as Bouquelon (Eure, ''Buculun'' ab 1040), Bois de Boclon (Seine-Maritime, ''Bocolunda silva'' 1032), la Bouquelonde, combined with ''bók(i)'', meaning "beech tree";
Yquelon
Yquelon () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department of France.
The communes coop ...
, Yclon (Seine-Maritime, ''Iquelont'' 1404), Iclon (Seine-Maritime, ''Ichelunt'' 1088) combined with ''eik(i)'', meaning "oak tree";
Écaquelon
Écaquelon () is a commune in the Eure department in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The communes cooperate in the follow ...
(Eure, ''Schacherlon'' 1174), Écaquelon (Eure, ''Escakerlon'' 1169), combined with the Old English ''sċeaċere'', meaning "thief" or "brigand"; Catelonde (Calvados, ''Cathelunde'' 12th century) with personal name ''Káti''; Yébleron (Seine-Maritime, ''Eblelont'' ab 1210);
Ablon
Ablon () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Ablonnais'' or ''Ablonnaises''.
Geography
Ablon is 5 km south east of Honfleur and 16 km nort ...
(Calvados, ''Eblelont'' w. d.) with ''epli'' "apple".
*'' Thuit'' or ''-tuit'', from the Old Norse ''thveit'', meaning "
assart
Assarting is the act of clearing forested lands for use in agriculture or other purposes. In English land law, it was illegal to assart any part of a royal forest without permission. This was the greatest trespass that could be committed in a ...
", English
Thwaite (placename element) Thwaite is a common element of placenames in North West England, and Yorkshire. It is also found elsewhere in England, including two places called Thwaite in Norfolk and one in Suffolk. It is most often found as a suffix. It is a common element o ...
. Several le Thuit exist, as well as other combined examples, such as
Bracquetuit
Bracquetuit () is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-Maritime Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region in northern France.
Geography
A farming village situated in the Pa ...
, Vautuit, and Bliquetuit.
*''Torp'', ''Torps'', ''Tourp'', ''Tourps'', ''-tourp'' or ''-tour'', from the Old Norse '' torp'' or the Old English ''thorp'', meaning "settlement". There are several stand alone towns named either Torps or le Torp. Other examples are: le Torp-Mesnil,
Clitourps
Clitourps () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department of France.
The communes cooperate in the ...
, Saussetour (''Sauxetorp'' end 12th century), Sauxtour (''Sauxetourp'' 1292), similar as Saustrup (Schleswig-Holstein, ''Saxtorppe'', 15th century), meaning "Saxi's Torp".
*''Tot'' or ''-tot'', meaning "property", is the most common suffix of Old Norse origin, with more than 300 locations ending with ''-tot'' in Normandy. It is derived from the Old Norse ''topt'' (similar to the Old English '' toft'', and Old Danish ''-toft '), meaning "site of a house". In later usages of the 11th century, it can also be found alone as in, le Tot. It can be combined with a male name, as in
Yvetot
Yvetot () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. It is the capital of the Caux region.
History
The name Yvetot comes from the Germanic ''Yvo'' and the Old Norse ''-topt''. Therefore, Yvetot mean ...
, Routot, Martintot or Létantot, (respectively Yvo (Germanic), Hrolfr (Norse), Martin (Romance) and Lestan (Anglo-Saxon)); or a tree-name, as in Bouquetot (from ''boki'', meaning "beech-tree"), and
Ectot
Ectot (foaled 8 February 2011) is a French Thoroughbred racehorse. After finishing second on his debut, he won his remaining four starts as a two-year-old in 2013 including the Prix des Chênes and the Critérium International. In the following ...
or Ecquetot (from ''eski'', meaning "ash-tree") and
Plumetot
Plumetot () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Calvados department
The following is a list of the 528 communes of the Calvados department of Fra ...
(from Old English ''plūme'' "plum tree"); or with another appellative or adjective, examples of which would be Martot (from ''marr'' or ''mere'', meaning "pond"), Életot (from ''sletta'', meaning "flat land"), and Hautot, Hottot or Hotot (from the Old English ''hōh'', meaning "slope" or "incline").
*''Veules'' or ''El-'', from the Old Norse ''vella'' or OE ''wella'', meaning "spring" or "stream", which can be found in place-names such as: Veules-les-Roses (Seine-Maritime, ''Wellas'' 1025),
Elbeuf
Elbeuf () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A light industrial town situated by the banks of the Seine some south of Rouen at the junction of the D7, D321 and the D313 roads. ...
(''Wellebuoth'' 1070–1081),
Elbeuf-sur-Andelle
Elbeuf-sur-Andelle (, literally ''Elbeuf on Andelle'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France.
Geography
A small farming village situated by the banks of the Andelle river, some east of Roue ...
, and Elbeuf-en-Bray.
*''-vic'' or ''-vy'', meaning "bay" or "beach", as in: le Vicq (Manche), Sanvic (Seine-Maritime, ''Sanwic'' 1035) see
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
or
Sandvik
Sandvik AB is a Swedish multinational engineering company specializing in metal cutting, digital and additive manufacturing, mining and construction, stainless and special steel alloys, and industrial heating. The company was founded in Swe ...
, Brévy (Manche, see Breivik, Breidvik, and Breivika), Vasouy (Calvados, ''Wasewic'' w. d.), Cap-Lévi (''Kapelwic'' 12th century).
Old English appellatives
Old English appellatives:
*''-bourg'' or ''-bury'', meaning "borough":
Cabourg
Cabourg (; nrf, Cabouorg) is a commune in the Calvados department, region of Normandy, France. Cabourg is on the coast of the English Channel, at the mouth of the river Dives. The back country is a plain, favourable to the culture of cereal. ...
Cherbourg
Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Feb ...
.
*''Bruque-'' or ''-broc'', from ''brōc'', meaning brook: le Fouillebroc (recorded as Fulebroc in the
Domesday book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
), and Bruquedalle.
*''-crot'', ''-croc'' or ''-crocq'', meaning croft: Vannecrocq and Bec-de-Croc. The difference in spelling with either a ''-c'' or a ''-cq'' is the result of confusion with the French ''croc'', meaning "fang" or "tooth".
*''-fleur'', from either ''flōd'' or ''flēot'', meaning "run of water" or "river going into the sea":
Honfleur
Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Honf ...
,
Barfleur
Barfleur () is a commune and fishing village in Manche, Normandy, northwestern France.
History
During the Middle Ages, Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England.
* 1066: A large medallion fixed to a rock in the harbour ...
,
Harfleur
Harfleur () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France.
It was the principal seaport in north-western France for six centuries, until Le Havre was built about five kilometres (three miles) downstrea ...
, Vittefleur, Crémanfleur, Vicqfleur, and la Gerfleur. This appellative is similar to ''-fleet'' found in place-names in the North of England, such as Adingfleet,
Marfleet
Marfleet is an area of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the east of the city, near King George Dock.
Marfleet was until the late 20th century a small village outside the urban area of Hull – developments includi ...
, and
Ousefleet
Ousefleet is a small hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England approximately east of Goole. It is located just south of the River Ouse and north of the A161 road between Goole and Scunthorpe. It forms part of the civil parish of Twin ...
.
*''-ham'', meaning "home":
Ouistreham
Ouistreham () is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France.
Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town borders th ...
The names in parentheses are the earlier forms of the place-names, with the century in which they appeared.
* ''Ámundi'' or Old Danish ''Amundi'': Émondeville, Mondeville and probably Amontot
* ''Agi'' or Old Danish ''Aghi'': Acqueville
* ''Áki'' or Old Danish ''Aki'': ''Achelunda'' and Acqueville
* ''Api'': Aptot, Aptuit,
Appeville
Appeville () is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department of France.
The ...
Appeville
Appeville () is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department of France.
The ...
(Denmark : Aptrup)
* ''Baggi'': La Baguelande (''Bagalunda'' and ''Baguelonde'', 13th century)
*''Barki'' (or ''Barkr'') in Berquetot ( Yébleron, ''Berketot'' 12th). In Normandy tends regularly to before cf. French ''argent'' > Norman ''ergent''
* ''Barni'': Barneville-sur-Seine and
Barneville-Carteret
Barneville-Carteret () is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region of north-western France. For many years it has been a popular seaside resort destination.
The commune resulted from a merger of two communes in 1964: Barneville- ...
* ''Bondi'':
Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville
Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A suburban and light industrial town situated by the banks of the river Cailly, just northwest of Rouen at the junctio ...
Bonderup
Bonderup, also known as Bonderupgård, is a manor house located south of Holbæk, Denmark. It was purchased by the merchant Johannes Theodorus Suhr in 1852 and is now owned by the Suhr Family Trust (Den Suhrske Stiftelse).
History
The first know ...
* ''Bosi'':
Beuzeville
Beuzeville () is a commune in the north-western part of the department of Eure in the Normandy region in northern France.
Located on the Lieuvin plateau, it is adjacent to the communes of Pont-l'Évêque, Honfleur and Deauville. Beuzeville i ...
, Beuzeville-la-Grenier (Boseville, 12th century), Beuzebosc, Beuzemouchel, and Beuzeval (This appellative is sometimes confused with the Frankish name ''Boso'')
* ''Bóli'' (Old Danish ''Bole'') :
Bolbec
Bolbec () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Bolbécais'' or ''Bolbécaises''.
Geography
A farming, quarrying and light industrial town situated at the heart ...
, Bolleville, and Boulleville
* ''Bolli'', other possibility, for Bolbec / Bolleville et Boulleville
* ''Bulli'' (variant form of ''Bolli'') in Bultot (Seine-Maritime, ''Buletot'' 1236; ''Bulletot'' 1412) et Bolleville (Seine-Maritime, ''Bullevilla'' ab 1025)
* ''Brámi'' or ''Bráma'' : Brametot (''Bramatot'' ab 1025)
* ''Brandi'' (or Old Danish ''Brande'') : Branville (Calvados, Dozulé, hamlet), former ''Brandeville'' like Brandeville (Seine-Maritime, Vattetot-sur-Mer).
* ''Galli'' : Galleville (Seine-Maritime) et Fontaine Galleville (Calvados)
* ''Geiri'' / ''GæiRi'' : Gerville (Criquetot-le-Mauconduit, ''Geyrivilla'' ab 1040)
* ''Geri'' (Old Danish variant form of ''Geiri'') in Gerville-la-Forêt (Manche, ''Gerivilla'' 1080) et Gréville-Hague better than West Germanic ''Gero''
* ''Ginni'' in Gennetot et Genetot (hamlet at Hautot-Saint-Sulpice). cf. ''Domesday Book'' : ''Ghinius, Genius''. cf. Gintoft (Germany, Schleswig-Holstein)
* ''Goti'' in Gauville (Seine-Maritime, ''Got villa'' 1025–1026; ''Gothvilla'' 1074)
* ''Gulli'': from the Old Swedish ''Golle'': Golleville
* ''Hnakki'' (or Old Danish ''Nakke'') : Urville-Nacqueville (''Nakevilla'' 1148)
* ''Hófi / Hofi'' or Old Danish ''Hovi'' in le Navetot (''Hovetot'' 1077)
* ''Helgi'': Heuqueville (''Heuguevilla'', 12th century), Heugueville-sur-Sienne (''Helgevilla'', 12th century), Heugon
* ''Hnakki'': Urville-Nacqueville (''Nakevilla'', c. 12th century), Necqueville
* ''Holti'':
Houtteville
Houtteville () is a former commune in the Manche department in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the commune of Picauville.
(''Hultivilla'' and ''Holtavilla'', 11th century)
* ''Hunni'' or ''Húni'':
Honfleur
Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Honf ...
Catteville
Catteville () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
* ''Kǣrandi'':
Carneville
Carneville () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department of France.
The communes cooperate in ...
Colletot
Colletot () is a commune in the Eure department in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The communes cooperate in the followi ...
Motteville
Motteville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A farming village situated in the Pays de Caux, some northwest of Rouen at the junction of the D20, D89, D53 and the D336 roads. SNC ...
(''Maltevilla'', 11th century), Mautheville (''Mautevilla'', 12th century)
* ''Múli'' or ''Muli'', meaning "muzzle", "mouth", or "mountain spur": Le Mulambec and Muneville-le-Bingard
* ''Ottar'' (Old Danish): Octeville (''Otteville'', 12th century),
Octeville-l'Avenel
Octeville-l'Avenel is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
Notable people
Robert Avenel, Anglo-Norman magnate
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the ...
(Otheville, 13th century), and
Octeville-sur-Mer
Octeville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Octeville on Sea'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France and is twinned with Bourne End (Bucks) in United Kingdom since 2003 and with Furci Siculo (Sicily) in Italy since 2010.
...
Sassetot-le-Mauconduit
Sassetot-le-Mauconduit () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A farming village, by the coast of the English Channel, in the Pays de Caux, situated some northeast of Le Havre, a ...
, Sasseville, and Saussemesnil
* ''Sibbi'' (the Old Danish diminutive for ''Sighbiorn''): Sébeville (''Sebevilla'', 12th century)
* ''Silli'' or ''Sild(i)'': Cidetot (Silletot, 12th century), Silleron,
Sideville
Sideville () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 Communes of France, communes of the Manche Departments of France, departmen ...
(''Sildeville'', 13th century)
* ''Skalli'', meaning "bald head": Écausseville (''Escaullevilla'' or ''Escallevilla'', 12th century), Écolleville (from ''Escauleville'', 15th century)
* ''Skeggi'': Ecuquetot (''Eskeketot'', 13th century) and Equiqueville (''Schechevilla'', 12th century)
* ''Skrauti'': Écretteville-lès-Baons (''Scrotivilla'', 11th century) and Écretteville-sur-Mer (''Escrutevilleta'', 13th century)
* ''Skúli'' or ''Skuli'' (Old Danish): Écultot (Esculetot, 13th century) and Éculleville (''Esculleville'', 16th century)
* ''Soti'':
Sottevast
Sottevast () is a commune in Normandy in north-western France.
Sottevast in World War II
During World War II, there was a German storage and servicing bunker for V-weapons near Sottevast. The site was captured by the 504th Parachute Infantry ...
Sotteville-sous-le-Val
Sotteville-sous-le-Val () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A farming village situated in a meander of the river Seine, some south of Rouen at the junction of the D91, D92 and ...
Surtauville
Surtauville () is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The communes cooperate ...
(''Sortovilla'', 13th century) and Sortosville
* ''Toki'':
Tocqueville
Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his work ...
(''Tokevilla'', 11th century),
Tocqueville-sur-Eu
Tocqueville-sur-Eu is a former commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Petit-Caux.Le Mesnil-Tove
* ''Tommi'' or ''Tummi'': Tonneville (''Tommevilla'' or ''Thommevilla'', 13th century),
* ''Thori'': Tourville
* ''Vakri'' (ou ''Vakr'') dans Vacqueville hamlet at
Vierville-sur-Mer
Vierville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Vierville on Sea'') is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France.
History World War II
On 6 June 1944 ( D-Day), the U.S. Army's 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantr ...
. Compare with Blacqueville for the phonetics ''Vakr-'' > ''Vacque-'' similar to ''Blakkr'' > Blacque- ''Blac(h)revilla'' 11th century). Vacqueville (Meurthe-et-Moselle, ''Episcopi villa'', ''Vaskeville, Vesqueville'') has another etymology and means "farm, village of the bishop"
* ''Vígi'' (or ''VígR'') or better, variant Old Danish form ''Wigh'' : Prétot-Vicquemare (''Wiguemare'', 13th century), Victot-Pontfol (''Wigetot'', 12th century) cf. Wigtoft (GB, Lincolnshire)
* ''Wari'' (Old Danish) or ''Varr'' in
Varaville
Varaville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
It gives its name to the Battle of Varaville, which was fought in 1057.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Calvados department
The f ...
(''Waravilla'' 1155); Varreville (Neuilly, Calvados, ''Varvilla'' 1294)
* ''Viði'' or Old Danish ''Withi'' dans Vitot (''Witot'' 1035–1047)
Old Norse simple and combined names
Old Norse simple and combined names:
*''Arnketill'':
Saint-Pierre-d'Arthéglise
Saint-Pierre-d'Arthéglise is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 Communes of France, communes of the Manche Departments of Fr ...
Ancteville
Ancteville () is a former commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Saint-Sauveur-Villages.Anctoville-sur-Boscq (''Anschitilvilla'', 12th century), Ancourteville-sur-Héricourt (''Anschetilvilla'', 11th century), Ancretteville-sur-Mer (''Anschetevilla'', 12th century)
*''Ásleikr'': Anneville (''Anslecville'', 11th century)
*''Ásmundr or Osmundr'': Omonville-la-Foliot (''Osmundi villa'', 12th century), Omonville (''Osmundivilla'', 12th century), Saint-Martin-Osmonville (''Osmundi villam'', 12th century)
*''Ásulfr'': Auzouville and Ozeville
*''Blakkr'': Blactot, Blacqueville (''Blacrevilla'', 11th century), Chamblac (''Campus Blaque'', 12th century)
*''Brandr'': Branville-Hague, Brainville, Branvill
*''Bretakollr'': Brectouville (''Britecolvilla'', 12th century)
*''Farmaðr'', from the Old Danish ''Farman'', meaning "wayfarer" or "traveller":
Fermanville
Fermanville () is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France.
Located on the Channel coast between Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and Barfleur, Fermanville is divided into small hamlets on either side of the Cap lévi, the headland formi ...
(''Farmanville'', 12th century), Fermanbreuil,
Saint-Denis-le-Ferment
Saint-Denis-le-Ferment () is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The commun ...
Fauville
Fauville () is a commune in the Eure department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The commune ...
(''Fodvilla'', 13th century),
Fauville
Fauville () is a commune in the Eure department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The commune ...
Grainville
Grainville () is a former commune in the Eure department in northern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Val d'Orger.Grainville-la-Teinturière (''Grinvillam'', 11th century), Grainville-sur-Ry (Grinvilla, 11th century)
*''Gunnulfr'': Gonnetot / Gonneville-la-Mallet, etc.; Norman surnames: Gounout, Gounouf
*''Gunnfriðr'':
Gonfreville-l'Orcher
Gonfreville-l'Orcher () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
An industrial town based around an ancient village situated in the Pays de Caux, some east of Le Havre, in between the ...
Gonfreville
Gonfreville () is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following ...
Hattenville
Hattenville () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
The most famous reference to Hattenville is in Paul Cézanne's painting 'Farm in Normandy, Summer'. This was painted at the farm of one of C� ...
Hugleville-en-Caux
Hugleville-en-Caux (, literally ''Hugleville in Caux'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A village of forestry and farming in the Pays de Caux, situated some north of Rouen, at ...
Digosville
Digosville () is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following ...
(''Ingulvilla'', 11th century)
*''Ketill'', meaning "(sacrificial) cauldron, helmet":
Quettehou
Quettehou is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, the former commune Morsalines was merged into Quettehou.
Geography
The town of Quettehou is located at the North-East tip of the peninsula of Cotentin ...
Cretteville
Cretteville () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the commune of Picauville.
World War II
After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in 1944, engineers o ...
Néhou
Néhou () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 Communes of France, communes of the Manche Departments of France, department o ...
(''Neauhou'', 12th century)
*''Ospakr'': Le Mesnil-Opac
*''*Sigbrandr'' (Old Swedish ''Sigbrand''): Cibrantot (''Terre de Sibrantot'')
*''*Sigfríðr'': Chiffretot, Chiffreville (''Sigefridisvilla'', 11th century), Chiffrevast, Cheffreville-Tonnencourt (''Sigefredivilla'', 12th century)
*''Skammhals'', from the Old Danish ''Skammel'': Équemauville (''Scamelli Villae'', 11th century), ''Scamelbec'', Cannetot (''Scameltot'')
*''*Snægeir'': Négreville (''Esnegervilla'', 12th century)
*''Smiðr'': Émiéville (''Esmitvilla'', 12th century) and Émainville (''Smit villa'', 11th century)
*''Sprot'': Épretot (''Espretot'', 12th century) and Épreville (''Sprovilla'', 11th century)
*''Starr'':
Éterville
Éterville is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Calvados department
The following is a list of the 528 communes
An intentional community is a vo ...
(''Starvilla'', 11th century)
*''Styrr'' or ''Styr'' (Old Danish):
Étretat
Étretat () is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-Maritime Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region of Northwestern France. It is a Tourism, tourist and Agriculture, far ...
Surtainville
Surtainville () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. It is located on the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula about 25 km south of Cherbourg. The principal economic activity is horticulture, with an ...
Tourgéville
Tourgéville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
The Deauville-Clairefontaine Racecourse is located on the territory of the commune.
Population
See also
* Côte Fleurie
*Communes of the ...
and Torgisval
*''Thorketill'':
Teurthéville-Hague
Teurthéville-Hague () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 Communes of France, communes of the Manche Departments of France ...
(''Torquetevilla'', 12th century),
Teurthéville-Bocage
Teurthéville-Bocage () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 Communes of France, communes of the Manche Departments of France, ...
(''Torquetelvilla'', 12th century)
*''Thorlakr'':
Tourlaville
Tourlaville () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.Trémauville (
Fauville-en-Caux
Fauville-en-Caux is a former commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Terres-de-Caux.
Geography
A small town of farming and associated light in ...
Toutainville
Toutainville () is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The communes cooperat ...
(''Turstini villa''), 11th century
*''Thorvaldr'': Turretot, Trouville (''Thorouvilla'', 13th century), and Bourgtheroulde
*''Tolir'' (diminutive of ''Thórleifr''):
Tollevast
Tollevast () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department of France.
The communes cooperate in th ...
(''Toberwast'', 11th century) and Tolleville
*''Ulfr'': Oudalle (''Hulvedala'', 11th century),
Ouville
Ouville () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
History
''Oufs farm. ''Ouf'' from the Norse ''Ulfr'' (wolf), which survives in the Norman surname Ouf, common in the region of le Havre.
Heraldry
Referenc ...
Igoville
Igoville () is a commune in the Eure department in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The communes cooperate in the followin ...
Honfleur
Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Honf ...
Louvetot
Louvetot is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A farming village situated in the Pays de Caux, some northwest of Rouen, at the junction of the D33 and the D131 roads.
Heraldry
Popu ...
Iville
Iville () is a commune in the Eure department in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following ...
Saint-Sauveur-d'Émalleville
Saint-Sauveur-d'Émalleville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A farming village in the Pays de Caux, situated some northeast of Le Havre, on the D925 road.
Heraldry
Population ...
Vattetot-sous-Beaumont
Vattetot-sous-Beaumont is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A farming village in the Pays de Caux, situated some northeast of Le Havre, on the D52 road.
Heraldry
Population
Plac ...
Notre-Dame-de-Bliquetuit
Notre-Dame-de-Bliquetuit () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A farming village situated in the Pays de Caux by the banks of the river Seine, some west of Rouen at the juncti ...
(''Belinguetuith'', 11th century)
*''Beornwulf'' (Old Norse ''Björnúlfr''): Cambernon (''Campo Bernulfi'' and ''Campbernolf'', 13th century)Renaud
*''Beorh-stān'': Brétantot and Brestanville
*''*Blacward'':
Saint-Mards-de-Blacarville
Saint-Mards-de-Blacarville () is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Eure department
The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France.
The co ...
(''Blacuardi villa'', 11th century)
*''Blein'' or ''Bleyn'' (Old Norse ''Blæingr''):
Blainville-sur-Mer
Blainville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Blainville on Sea'') is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes ...
Dénestanville
Dénestanville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France.
Geography
A farming village situated by the banks of the river Scie in the Pays de Caux, some south of Dieppe, at the junction of ...
(''Donestanvilla'', 11th century and Dunestanvilla, 12th century)
*''Flot-mån(n)'': Flottemanville-Hague (''Flotemanvilla'', 12th century), Flottemanville-Bocage (''Flotemanvilla'', 12th century)
*''Hard-kin'': Harcanville (''Harkenvilla'', 12th century)
*''Kine-wald'' or ''Kine-wold'': Canouville (''Kenualdi villa'', 11th century)
*''Lēōd-grim'' or ''Lēōf-grim'': Lingreville (''Legrinvilla'', 11th century)
*''Lēōf-rēd'' or ''Levred'': Linverville (''Livervilla'', 12th century)
*''Mōrcǣr'' (see
Morcar
Morcar (or Morkere) ( ang, Mōrcǣr) (died after 1087) was the son of Ælfgār (earl of Mercia) and brother of Ēadwine. He was the earl of Northumbria from 1065 to 1066, when he was replaced by William the Conqueror with Copsi.
Dispute with t ...
): Montcarville (''Moncarvilla'', 12th century, and ''Moncarvilla'', 13th century)
*''Ōs-wid'' (Old Norse ''Asvidr''): Anvéville (''Ovevillam'' and ''Onvéville'', 13th century)
*''Sæwald or Siwold'': Saumont-la-Poterie (''Seiwaltmont'', 11th century), Siouville (''Seolvilla'', 13th century), Sciotot
*''Sideman'': Septimanville (''Sedemanvilla'', 11th century)
*''Scarding'':
Écardenville-sur-Eure
Écardenville-sur-Eure is a former commune in the Eure department in northern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Clef-Vallée-d'Eure.Écardenville-la-Campagne (''Esquardenville'', 14th century)
*''Skelder'' (Old Norse ''Skialdari''):
Équeurdreville-Hainneville
Équeurdreville-Hainneville () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.Sainte-Opportune-la-Mare (''Esnutrivillam'', 11th century) and Nètreville (''Esnetrevilla'', 12th century)
*''Swart-kin'': Sorquainville (''Soartichin villa'', 11th century)
*''Wifel'': Veauville-les-Baons (''Wivelvilla'', 11th century) and Veauville-les-Quelles (''Wiauvilla'', 14th century)
*''Win-stān'': Vénestanville (''Wenestanvillam'', 12th century)
*''Wivar'' (Old Norse ''Vidhfari''): Viertot and
Virville
Virville () is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-Maritime Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region in northern France.
Geography
A small farming village in the Pays de Caux, situated so ...
(Wivarevilla, 13th century),
Vierville-sur-Mer
Vierville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Vierville on Sea'') is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France.
History World War II
On 6 June 1944 ( D-Day), the U.S. Army's 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantr ...
(Wiarevilla, 12th century)
See also
*
Germanic placename etymology
Germanic toponyms are the names given to places by Germanic peoples and tribes. Besides areas with current speakers of Germanic languages, many regions with previous Germanic speakers or Germanic influence had or still have Germanic toponymic ele ...
Notes
{{Reflist
References
* François de Beaurepaire, ''Les noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de la Seine-Maritime'', éditions Picard 1979.
* François de Beaurepaire, ''Les noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de l'Eure'', éditions Picard 1981.
* François de Beaurepaire, ''Les noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de la Manche'', éditions Picard 1986.
*
Albert Dauzat
Albert Dauzat (; 4 July 1877 – 31 October 1955) was a French linguist specializing in toponymy and onomastics.
Dauzat, a student of Jules Gilliéron, was a director of studies at the École des hautes études.
Works
* ''L'argot des poilus; ...
and
Charles Rostaing
Charles Rostaing (9 October 1904 – 24 April 1999) was a French linguist who specialised in toponymy.Obituar ...
, ''Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieu en France'', Librairie Guénégaud, Paris, 1979.
*
Albert Hugh Smith
Albert Hugh Smith OBE (24 February 1903 – 11 May 1967) was a scholar of Old English and Scandinavian languages and played a major part in the study and publication of English place-names.
Hugh Smith was the son of Albert John Smith, a butler ...
Eilert Ekwall
Bror Oscar Eilert Ekwall (born 8 January 1877 in Vallsjö (now in Sävsjö, Jönköpings län), Sweden, died 23 November 1964 in Lund, Skåne län, Sweden), known as Eilert Ekwall, was Professor of English at Sweden's Lund University from 1909 t ...
, ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary Of English Place-names'', Oxford, 1947.
* Åse Kari H. Wagner, ''Les noms de lieux issus de l'implantation scandinave en Normandie: le cas des noms en -tuit'', in ''Les fondations scandinaves en occident et les débuts du duché de Normandie'', actes publiés sous la direction de Pierre Bauduin. Caen: Publications du CRAHM 2005.
* W. Laur, ''Historisches Ortsnamenlexikon von Schleswig-Holstein'', Karl Wachholtz Verlag, 1992.
* ''L'Héritage maritime des Vikings en Europe de l'ouest'', Colloque international de la Hague, sous la direction d'Elisabeth Ridel, Presses Universitaires de Caen, 2002.
*
René Lepelley
René (''born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus.
René is the masculine form of the name (Renée being the feminin ...
, ''Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de communes de Normandie'', Charles Corlet éditions / Presses universitaires de Caen 1994.
* Jean Renaud, ''Les Vikings et la Normandie'', éditions Ouest-France Université 1989.
* Jean Renaud, ''Vikings et noms de lieux de Normandie'', OREP éditions 2009.
* Georges Bernage, ''Vikings en Normandie'', Éditions Copernic, 1979.
* Jean Adigard des Gautries, ''Les noms de personnes scandinaves en Normandie de 911 à 1066'', C. Bloms Boktryckeri, Lund, 1954.
* Marie-Thérèse Morlet, ''Les noms de personnes sur le territoire de l’ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe siècle'', Paris, CNRS, t. III (les noms de personnes contenus dans les noms de lieux), 1985.
* Dominique Fournier, ''Dictionnaire des noms de rues et noms de lieux de Honfleur'', éditions de la Lieutenance, Honfleur 2006.
* Louis Guinet, ''Les Emprunts gallo-romans au germanique: du Ier à la fin du Ve siècle'', éditions Klincksieck, 1982.
* T. F. Hoad, ''English Etymology'', Oxford University Press, 1993.
Toponym
Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' ( proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...