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