Welsh Place Names L
LALESTON (MGl) Laweleston (1268). Earliest Record: Lagelestun (1147-83). Meaning: Lagele's OE tun ‘farm, settlement'. The personal name derives from OSCAN lagalauss ‘lawless'.
LAMBSTON (Dyf) Lamberteston (1321). Earliest Record: Villa Lamberti (1291). Meaning: Lambert's OE tun ‘farm, settlement'.
LAMPETER / LLANBEDR PONT STEFFAN (Dyf) Lanpeder (1284). Meaning: from llan ‘church' and Pedr ‘Peter'. The modern WELSH name contains pont ‘bridge' and Steffan ‘Stephen', who was probably an early Norman.
LAUGHARNE / TALLACHARN (Dyf) Thalkan (1283). Earliest Record: Talacharn (1191). Meaning: from WELSH tal ‘end, front' and an unknown -acharn. The castle existed in the 12th century
LEIGHTON (Pow) Leghton (1393). Earliest Record: Lestune (1086). Meaning: either OE leactun ‘leek farm, kitchen garden', or OE leah ‘wood,clearing' and tun ‘farm'.
LETTERSTON (Dyf) Lettardistone (1326). Earliest Record: Villa Letardi (1230). Meaning: Letard's OE tun ‘farm, settlement'.
LISWERRY (Gwe) Liswiry Meaning: from WELSH llys ‘court' and, possibly, a personal name.
LLANAFAN-FECHAN (Pow) Llanafan Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church', (probably) afon ‘river' and becahn ‘small'.
LLANARTH (Dyf) Llanarth Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and, possibly, garth ‘headland, enclosure'.
LLANBADARN (Dyf) Llanpadarn Meaning: WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Padarn.
LLANBISTER (Pow) Llan Bistre Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and, probably, a saint's name.
LLANBLETHIAN (SGl) Llanbleddian Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and St. Bleddian.
LLANDAFF / LLANDAF (SGl) Landath (1254). Meaning: from WELSH llan church and the river name Taf. See Cardiff.
LLANDDAROG (Dyf) Llanddarog Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and, probably, a saint's name.. WELSH darogan means ‘to foretell, predict'.
LLANDDWROR (Dyf) Llandevoror Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' by the dwr ‘waters'.
LLANDEFAELOG (Pow) Llandefaelog Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and St. Maelog.
LLANDEILO (Dyf) Lanteylavaur (1281). Earliest Record: Lanteliau (1130). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Teilo.
LLANDISSILIO / LLANDISILIAN (Dyf) Llandisilian Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and St. Tysilio, a Welsh prince born in c. 640 who became an abbott.
LLANDOVERY / LLANYMDDYFRI (Dyf) Lanemdevry (1250). Earliest Record: Llanamdewri (12th century). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church', am ‘near' and dyfri ‘the waters', the latter word was at times used as a stream name.
LLANDRINDOD WELLS (Pow) Lando (1291). Meaning: originally WELSH llan ‘church' of dwy ‘God'. In 1535 llan appears with trindod ‘trinity' for the first time. Wells is a 19th century addition referring to chalybeate springs.
LLANDUDNO (Gwy) Llandudno (1291). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Tudno.
LLANDYSUL (Gwy) Landessel (1291). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Tysul.
LLANEGWAD (Dyf) Llanogwad Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and, probably, a saint's name.
LLANELLI (Dyf) Lannethey (1282). Earliest Record: Llan Elli (1160-85). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Elli. The 1282 spelling is a good example of the English trying to get their tongues around -ll-!
LLANFAES (Gwy) Llanfaes Meaning: WELSH llan ‘church' faes ‘meadow'.
LLANFAIR CAEREINION (Pow) Llanveyr (1254). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Mair (Mary) . The cantref name was Keriniaun in 1263, "the fort of Einion".
LLANFAIRFECHAN (Gwn) Lanueyr (1284). Earliest Record: Annueyr (1254). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Mair (Mary) ; bechan ‘small' distinguished it from a larger church at Aberconwy.
LLANFIHANGEL NANT BRAN (Pow) Nant Bran Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Michael on the nant ‘river' Brân.
LLANFIHANGEL TAL-Y-LLYN (Pow) Lan Mihangel (c. 1100). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Michael at the tal ‘end' of y ‘the' llyn ‘lake'.
LLANFIHANGEL-NANT-MELAN (Pow) Llanfihangel Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Michael on the nant ‘river' Melan. WELSH melan means ‘steel'.
LLANFYLLIN (Pow) Llanvelig (1254). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Myllin.
LLANFYRNACH (Dyf) Llanfyrnach Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and, possibly, a saint's name.
LLANGADOG (Dyf) Lancadauc (1281). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Cadog.
LLANGAMMARCH WELLS (Pow) Llangamarch Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' on the River Camarch.
LLANGATTOCK (Pow) Llancadoc Meaning: WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Cadog.
LLANGEFNI (Gwy) Llangevni (1245). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' on the river Cefni, possibly derived from cefn ‘ridge'.
LLANGENDEIRNE (Dyf) Llangyndeyrn Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and, possibly, cyn ‘former' and teyrn ‘king, monarch'
LLANGENYDD (WGl) Llangenydd Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Cennydd.
LLANGOED (Pow) Llangoed Meaning: WELSH llan ‘church' coed ‘wood'.
LLANGOLLEN (Clw) Llancollein (1234). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Collen.
LLANGORSE (Pow) Llangors Meaning: WELSH llan ‘church' gors ‘swamp'.
LLANIDLOES (Pow) Lanidloes (1254). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Idloes.
LLANIGON (Pow) Llaneygon Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Eygon, a saint who may have been either male or female.
LLANINA (NEW QUAY) (Dyf) Llanina Meaning: WELSH llan ‘church' and a saint's name. "New Quay" dates from the construction of the harbour in 1835.
LLANLLUGAN (Pow) Llanllugan Meaning: WELSH llan ‘church' of Llugan (the word means ‘light'). The abbey dates from the 13th century
LLANRHYSTUD (Dyf) Llanrustyd Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and, probably, a saint's name.
LLANRWST (Gwy) Llannruste (1254). Meaning: WELSH llan ‘church' and St. Gwrwst.
LLANSADURNEN (Dyf) Llansadwrney Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and, probably, a saint's name.
LLANSTEPHAN (Dyf) Llanstephan Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Steffan. The original castle was early 12th century
LLANSTEPHAN (Pow) Llansteffan Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Steffan.
LLANTARNAM (Gwe) Lantarnam Meaning: from WELSH nant ‘stream' and the name Teyrnon. The Abbey was founded in 1179.
LLANTHONY (Gwe) Llanthony Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church', nant ‘river' and the name Hodni. The abbey was founded c. 1103.
LLANTRIDDYD (SGl) Llantriddyd Meaning: from WELSH nant ‘stream' and the personal name Rhirid. There was a Norman castle here in 1200.
LLANTRISANT / LANDTRISSEN (MGl) Landtrissen (1246). Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of tri ‘three' saint ‘saints'.
LLANWIT (SGl) Lanyltwit Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' of St. Illtyd.
LLANYBRI (Dyf) Morabrichurch Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church' and, possibly, a saint's name.
LLANYBYTHER (Dyf) Llanybydder Meaning: from WELSH llan ‘church', y ‘the' and, possibly, byddar ‘deaf ones'.
LLAWHADEN (Dyf) Llawhaden Meaning: from WELSH llawr ‘low ground in a valley' and, possibly, hwyaden ‘ducks'. The castle was rebuilt in the 13th century.
LLYWEL (Pow) Llywel Meaning: a saint's name.
LUDLOW (Shr) Ludelawa (1177). Earliest Record: Ludelawe (1138). Meaning: "the OE hlaw ‘hill' by the hlud ‘loud' (ie. the rapids)".