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After landing in Britain in the 5th Century, Anglo-Saxons began to push further and further inland. This led to the development of many Anglo-Saxon place names that followed a number of common naming traditions. One of these traditions was to take on the name of the most important person living in the settlement, which would be paired with the common suffix ‘ingas’ (followers of) or similar. For example, the followers of Haesta settled in ‘Haestingas’, which is now known as Hastings . As well as ingas, another common suffix was ‘ham’, which meant homestead or settlement. This would be added to a current name to create the new place name. Examples include Billingham, the settlement of the people of Billa, and Nottingham, the settlement of the people of Snot (which lost its S in modern years). Place names were also given by the Anglo-Saxons to Woking, Wokingham and Wokefield. All of these names were dedicated to a man known as Wocc, and meant ‘Wocc’s people’, ‘the settlement of the people of Wocc’ and ‘Wocc’s open land’, respectively.

Map of Anglo-Saxon Britain

Another large influence on naming in Anglo-Saxon times was religion. There were some settlements, for example, that were named in honour of gods. For instance, Wednesbury was named after Woden, Tysoe was named after Tiw and Thursday was named after Thunor. Similarly, some were given named after the supernatural, such as Shuckburgh (or ‘demon’s hill’) and Pook’s Hill (or ‘hill haunted by a goblin’). Due to their widespread colonisation of Britain, the Anglo-Saxons have had a huge influence on place names across the country. In fact, many of the country’s best known towns and cities were named by them:

  • Hereford means ‘army ford’ as the river cross was large enough to manage an army.
  • Stafford means ‘ford by a landing place’.
  • Oxford means ‘ford for Oxen’.
  • Bedford means ‘Beda’s ford’.
  • Hertford means ‘stag ford’.
  • Buckingham means ‘ground by a river that belongs to Bucca’s people’.
  • Cambridge was developed from ‘Grantacaestir’ and ‘Granebrycg’, which means ‘bridge over the River Granta’.
  • Warwick means ‘premises of the dweller by the weir’.

The suffix ‘wic’, seen above in Warwick, was a common suffix often used after directions. This is the case in Northwich, Southwick, Westwick and Eastwick. However, it was also used in combination with prefixes that referred to trees, such as in Hazelwick and Ashwick. It could also be used with farms, for example in Woolwich, Saltwick and Butterwick. ‘Worth’ was another common suffix among the Saxons, and meant enclosure. Some of the towns that use this suffix have clear names, such as Littleworth and Highworth, but some are more obscure:

  • Hinxworth means ‘horse enclosure’
  • Turnworth means ‘enclosure by the thorn tree’
  • Lindworth means ‘enclosure by the lime trees’

‘Ton’, ‘tun’ and ‘ham’ are also common in Saxon naming. Ton and tun means enclosure, farmstead or village, and Tonbridge in Kent is one of the only areas where it is used as a prefix. There are many places where it is used as a suffix with a direction, such as Sutton and Weston. However, it is also used to highlight features, including Brockton and Brotton, which reference local brooks. Ham and ton are regularly combined in Anglo-Saxon names, and Northampton and Littehampton are prominent examples of this. Additionally, the Anglo-Saxons used tree names in conjunction with ‘ley’, which means wood or clearing. Examples include Oakley, Ashley, Thornley and Willey. See also: Norman Place Names in England Norman Place Names

Viking Place Names The Origin of Place Names The History of County Names

MLA Citation/Reference

"Anglo-Saxon Place Names". HistoryLearning.com. 2024. Web.

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anglo saxon place names primary homework help

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Place Names We Get From the Saxons and Vikings (Years 5-6)

Place Names We Get From the Saxons and Vikings (Years 5-6)

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  • Key Stage: Key Stage 2
  • Subject: History
  • Topic: Vikings
  • Topic Group: Settlers & Invaders in Britain
  • Year(s): Years 5-6
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  • Last Updated: 26/07/2022
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Anglo-Saxon Place Names - Fun Learning for Students and Teachers

Updated: Sep 6, 2022

Many of the place names in Anglo-Saxon Britain are still used by us today. The Anglo-Saxons created their place names using a number of different methods. These included; using the name of a tribe’s leader, using features in the landscape, using the name of a god in their religion or (if all else fails) just calling it a “town”!

anglo saxon place names primary homework help

Early Place Names

Early Anglo-Saxon villages were often named after the Chieftain (leader) of the tribe that lived there. The first half of the village name was the name of the Chieftain. The second half of the name would be “ing” or “folk” – literally meaning “people”.

For example, if you were in Chieftain Redda’s village, you would be in “Redding” – or in today’s spelling, “Reading”. This translates as “Redda’s People”. This method was a quick and easy way to tell other tribes who the village belonged to.

anglo saxon place names primary homework help

Later Place Names

Later, the Anglo-Saxons started to name villages after features in the surrounding area and landscape. If there was a river nearby, perhaps a farm, or a port, this feature would appear in the name. They also named places after things that would happen there – such as meetings or certain farm materials that were produced in the area.

Some examples include:

Oxford = “oxen-ford” – a shallow part of a river (ford) where oxen (ox) could cross

Woolwich = “wool-farm” – an area where wool from sheep (wool) was produced on a farm (wich)

Winchester = “witan-city” – a city (ceaster, or later, chester) where the King’s advisors (the Witan) would meet.

We can spot many other Anglo-Saxon words in modern day place names in Britain today. Examples include:

“Leigh” or “Ley” – meaning a forest clearing – Henley, Morley, Chorley

“Bury” – meaning a fortified place – Bury, Shaftesbury, Newbury

“Ton” – meaning a farm or farming village – Luton, Middleton, Preston

“Wich” or “Wick” – meaning farm produce – Warwick, Greenwich, Norwich

“Caester” or “Chester” – meaning a city – Manchester, Lancaster, Chester

“Burh” – meaning a town – Peterborough, Scarborough

“Ham” – meaning a village – Hampshire, Southampton, Chippenham, Birmingham (which we can combine with the earlier Anglo-Saxon rules to know it’s meaning as “Beorma’s People’s Village” - birm-ing-ham)

How many place names near you can you add to this list? Can you learn of any tribe’s Chieftains who used to live in towns or villages near you?

We found the following books very handy in researching this article. If you'd like to learn more about the Anglo-Saxons then they are well worth a look.

For Children:

KS2 Discover and Learn: Anglo-Saxons - The Study Book by CGP Books

Why we like it:

The KS2 Discover and Learn series is fantastic. They are filled with tons of relevant information for primary school children and stuffed with pictures too, what's not to like? Their book on the Anglo-Saxons is an ideal resource for Years 5 and 6 students thanks to some very handy timelines.

Horrible Histories: Smashing Saxons by Terry Deary

We just love our Horrible Histories! This is another excellent and very accessible read. Filled with hilarious artwork by illustrator Martin Brown, Smashing Saxons has plenty of weird and wonderful facts to share - including a doozy about why wearing a pig on your head is lucky.

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Using place names to explore settlements

Using place names to explore settlements

Subject: History

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

HelenSQ

Last updated

22 February 2014

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mistersquirrell

Thanks - wanted some resources for a lesson on Anglo-Saxon place names. This will start me off nicely.

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Thanks for this, am using this to kick off my course on anglo saxons. What did they leave behind, a mission to find names, evidence.!

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COMMENTS

  1. Saxon Place Names

    Other Anglo Saxon villages were named after pagan gods or goddesses. Place names begining with Wednes, Wodnes and Woodnes come from the name of Woden, a war god. Examples include Wednesfield in the West Midlands and Wodnesfeld in Essex. Both mean Woden's field. Tuesley in Surrey was named after the god Tiw.

  2. Saxons Homework Help for Kids

    Two British men fighting a Saxon. The Saxon chieftains Hengist and Horsa led a massive attack on Kent in about the year 455. They marched from Thanet through Faversham to Canterbury and eventually arrived at Aylesford, near Maidstone, where a fierce battle took place. British man jumping on two Saxons trying to stop the Saxons.

  3. Anglo Saxons Settlements

    The Anglo-Saxons took control of most of Britain, although they never conquered Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. They settle in England in places near to rivers or the sea, which could be easily reached by boat. One of the places they settled in was Tonbridge, in Kent. Tonbridge was an ideal place to settle as it was on the main track from Hastings to London and has a river.

  4. Who were the Anglo-Saxons?

    The Anglo-Saxons were warrior-farmers and came from north-western Europe. They began to invade Britain while the Romans were still in control. The Anglo-Saxons were tall, fair-haired men, armed with swords and spears and round shields. They loved fighting and were very fierce. Their skills included hunting, farming, textile (cloth) production ...

  5. Anglo-Saxon Place Names

    Ham and ton are regularly combined in Anglo-Saxon names, and Northampton and Littehampton are prominent examples of this. Additionally, the Anglo-Saxons used tree names in conjunction with 'ley', which means wood or clearing. Examples include Oakley, Ashley, Thornley and Willey. See also: Norman Place Names in England. Norman Place Names.

  6. Saxon Homework Help

    Last Saxon King. - please read. All the materials on these pages are free for homework and classroom use only. You may not redistribute, sell or place the content of this page on or without written permission from the author Mandy Barrow. This page is all about helping you with your Vikings and Saxons homework.

  7. Anglo-Saxon Place Names (Years 3-4)

    Anglo-Saxon Place Names (Years 3-4) This activity aims to challenge children to recognise Anglo-Saxon place names on a map. They will be given a list of six common Anglo-Saxon suffixes and must use a political map to find more examples of each. Example answers are provided, although the list is not exhaustive.

  8. Saxons Homework Help for Kids

    In the ninth century (Year 800), 400 hundred years after the Anglo-Saxons invaded England, the country came under attack from Viking raiders from Norway and northern Denmark. Like the Anglo-Saxons, they made there home here. They drove the Saxons out of part of the country and took it for themselves. King Alfred, Saxon king of Wessex, fought ...

  9. Place Names We Get From the Saxons and Vikings (Years 5-6)

    Place Names We Get From the Saxons and Vikings (Years 5-6) This PowerPoint will teach children about the enduring influence of the Saxons and Vikings on Britain by exploring Saxon and Viking place names which still exist today. It explains what different parts of Saxon and Viking place names mean. Browse our fun and colourful online KS2 History ...

  10. PDF Learning Log Tasks Anglo-Saxons and Scots

    What Anglo-Saxon place names do you know? Put the place names in alphabetical order. What other words have Anglo-Saxon origins? English Pretend the year is AD 939 and your village is being attacked by Vikings. Write a diary entry to describe it. History Research some Stone, Bronze and Iron Age tools and weapons and explain what they were used for.

  11. Primary Homework Help Anglo Saxons Place Names

    Primary Homework Help Anglo Saxons Place Names - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free.

  12. Anglo-Saxon Place Names

    We can spot many other Anglo-Saxon words in modern day place names in Britain today. Examples include: "Leigh" or "Ley" - meaning a forest clearing - Henley, Morley, Chorley. "Bury" - meaning a fortified place - Bury, Shaftesbury, Newbury. "Ton" - meaning a farm or farming village - Luton, Middleton, Preston.

  13. History Homework Help: Who Were the Anglo-Saxons?

    Top 10 Facts About the Anglo-Saxons. 1.) Anglo-Saxon homes were made of wood and had thatched roofs. 2.) Anglo-Saxon place names give us clues about the original settlement. For example, -ingham means village and -wich means farm. So, Birmingham was originally an Anglo-Saxon village and Norwich was originally a farm. 3.)

  14. Anglo Saxon Place Names in UK

    Anglo Saxon Place Names in UK. Subject: History. Age range: 7-11. Resource type: Other. File previews. pptx, 341.15 KB. pdf, 490.59 KB. The period of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of England has had the most long-lasting and visible effect on the names in our landscape, more so than any other wave of settlement. In this activity the children will:

  15. What was life like in Anglo-Saxon England?

    The Anglo-Saxon period spans the time after the Romans left England in 410 and before the Norman Conquest of 1066. England was not a united country. It was divided up into separate kingdoms.

  16. Top 10 Anglo-Saxons Facts for Kids

    Anglo-Saxon houses were made of wood and had thatched roofs. 9. Most of the Anglo-Saxons were farmers. Families lived in small villages and fed themselves with the produce they grew on the land around them. 10. Alfred the Great (871 - 899) was one of the greatest Anglo-Saxon kings.

  17. Using place names to explore settlements

    Using place names to explore settlements. Subject: History. Age range: 7-11. Resource type: Worksheet/Activity. File previews. doc, 37 KB. Give children maps and ask them to find villages/towns and determine from their name which group of people settled the place and what the name means. This leads to discussions about why some places were ...

  18. Who were the Anglo-Saxons?

    The Anglo-Saxons lost the battle and King Aethelred of Wessex was forced to pay 3300 kilograms of silver (approximately £1.8 million in today's money) to the Vikings. 6. Sussex. Founded in 477 by the South Saxons. According to legend, it was founded by Aelle and his three sons who arrived in three ships.

  19. Vikings Homework for kids

    The Vikings came across the North Sea, just as the Anglo-Saxons had done 400 years earlier. In time, like the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings made their home here. They drove the Saxons out of part of the country and took it for themselves. King Alfred, Saxon king of Wessex, fought them in a great battle, but he could not drive them right away and ...

  20. PDF KS2 Homework Menu Topic: Invaders and Settlers

    for one kind of Saxon medicine. LO: To research information about Anglo-Saxon medicine. Research Anglo-Saxon medicine. Create an advertising poster. Use persuasive techniques to make the reader want to use your medicine. Write a biography of a famous Anglo-Saxon. L.O. To write a biography. Research a famous Anglo- Saxon. Pick out key events in ...

  21. How do we know about the Anglo-Saxons?

    Archaeologists found an undisturbed ship burial dating back to the 6th or 7th century. Lots of Anglo-Saxon artifacts were found including a helmet, spears, bowls, a purse, shoulder clasps, and a large gold belt buckle. You can read more about this amazing discovery in this Homework Help chapter. 2.

  22. How did the Anglo-Saxons live?

    The Anglo-Saxons lived in small villages with their families. In these villages, families were often related through marriage as well as blood ties. People worked on the land for survival and grew their own crops like wheat or barley. They could trade these goods with each other and other villages.