The Vikings in Normandy:

Place names
derived from the Old Norse words for landscape features and other descriptions

 
Old Norse root Meaning Scandinavian
and other examples
English example Norman example
apal apple tree Aebeltoft (Denmark) Appleby (Cumbria) Aptot (Eure)
bekkr stream Kalbaek (Denmark) Caldbeck (Cumbria) Caudebec (Seine-Mar.)
breiðr broad Breiðhatóftir (Iceland) Braithwaite (Cumbria) Brestot (Eure)
brekka slope Laugarbrekka (Iceland) Breck (Lancs) Bricquebec (Manche)
búð shelter Búðir (Iceland) Boothby (Cumbria, Lincs) Elbeuf (Seine-Mar.)
dalr valley Ravndal (Norway) Dalby (North Yks) and the river-named Dales throughout Yks, Derbyshire, Lancs, Cumbria, etc. Randal (Manche)
djúpr deep Djúpidalur (Iceland) Deepdale (Cumbria) Dieppedale (Seine-Mar.)
eski ash wood Essetofte (Denmark) Eastoft (Lincs) Ectot (Calvados, Manche)
fúll stinking, foul Fulby (Denmark) Fulbeck (Lincs) Foulbec (Eure)
garðr garden or grass enclosure close to farmhouse Aeblegården Applegarth (Yks) Epegard (Eure)
gata way, street, passage Hulgade (Denmark) Holdgate (Lincs) Houlgate (Calvados)
haugr mound, low hill Højtoft (Denmark) Hotoft (? Danelaw) Hottot (Calvados)
holm islet; dry place in a marshy area Innrihólmur (Iceland) Axeholme (Lincs) Robehomme (Calvados)
holr hole or low place Holbaek (Denmark) Holbeck (West Yks, North Yks) Houlbec (Manche, Eure)
hús house Stenhus (Denmark) Loftus (Cleveland) Étainhus (Seine-Mar.)
kaldr cold Kallekot (Norway) Caldbeck (Cumbria) Caudecotte (Seine-Mar.)
kirkja church Kirkeby (Denmark) Kirkby (West Yks) Carquebut (Manche)
klif cliff Klibo (Denmark) Cleethorpes (Lincs) Clitourps (Manche)
langr long Langatóftir (Iceland) Langtoft (Lincs) Lanquetot (Seine-Mar.)
lundr grove Lund (Sweden) Lund (Yks) La Londe (Eure)
mikill big   Micklethwaite (West Yks) Miquetuit (Seine-Mar.)
ness cape, headland Akranes (Iceland) Kettleness (Yks) Nez de Jobourg (Manche)
sand sand Sandvik (Iceland) Sandtoft (Lincs) Sanvic (Seine-Mar.)
steinn stone Stenhus (Denmark) There are numerous English place names containing the element -stan, such as Stanmore, but generally these appear to derive from the Old English word for stone, rather than the Old Norse cognate. Étainhus (Seine-Mar.)
sund strait Haraldssun (Faroes) (No clear-cut examples of place names in England though some do occur elsewhere in the British Isles, e.g., Grunasound in Shetland, and the term occurs frequently where it indicates a sea strait. Sund de Chausey
þorn thorn, thorny place Thornby (Denmark) Thorby (Northants) Tournebu (Calvados)
þorp village,
small settlement
Torp (Denmark) Thorpe (Yorks), Danethorpe (Notts) Le Torps (Eure)
þvait cleared area Bregentved (Denmark) Southwaite (Cumbria) Bracquetuit (Seine-Mar.)
toft homestead Tóftir (Faroes),
Ebeltoft (Denmark)
Toft (Lincs), Willitoft (East Riding) Tôtes (Seine-Mar.)
vik cove, creek Kvívik (Faroes) vik as a place name element is difficult to detect in England as it tends to be obscured by occurrences of the Old English wic (= port, trading place, special place, as in Sandwich). Runswick (N. Yorks) may be an Old Norse example. However clear-cut Old Norse examples do occur in Scotland, e.g. Wick). Sanvic (Seine-Mar.)

Mainly extracted from :

bulletBoimare, J. & Boëmare (1984) Heimdal (French periodical);  Bayeux, France.
bulletLepelley, R. (1993) Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de communes de Normandie.  Charles Corlet; Condé-sur-Noireau, France.
bulletRenaud, J. (1989) Les Vikings et la Normandie.   Ouest-France;  Rennes, France.

- 14. august 2004 -