Welsh Place Names N-O
NARBERTH / ARBERTH (Dyf) Nerberth (1291). Earliest Record: Nethebert (1220). Meaning: from WELSH ar ‘opposite, near' perth ‘hedge', giving Arberth. Yn ‘in' was then added, only to be corrupted to N.
NEATH / CASTELL-NEDD (WGl) Neth (1272). Earliest Record: Nidum (Roman period). Meaning: from a British river name Nid, possibly related to LATIN nideo ‘to shine'. The Abbey was founded c. 1130. The WELSH form contains castell ‘castle'.
NEFYN (Gwy) Nefyn Meaning: from a WELSH personal name.
NEIGWL (Gwy) Neigwl Meaning: uncertain. This was a religious centre in the 13th century
NEVERN (Dyf) Nanhyfer Meaning: from WELSH nant ‘river, valley' and, possibly, hyfr ‘gelded he-goat'.
NEW RADNOR (Pow) Radenore Nova (1277). Meaning: see Old Radnor.
NEWCASTLE EMLYN / CASTELLNEWYDD EMLYN (Dyf) Emlyn with New Castle (1257). Earliest Record: Novum Castrum de Emlyn (c. 1240). Meaning: Emlyn was the name of the local area, from WELSH am ‘near' and glyn ‘glen'. Welsh Meaning: WELSH castell ‘castle' newydd ‘new'.
NEWGALE (Dyf) Newgol Meaning: uncertain.
NEWPORT / TREFDRAETH (Dyf) Nuport (1282). Earliest Welsh Record: Trefdraeth (1215). Meaning: from OE niwa ‘new' port ‘market town'. Welsh Meaning: from WELSH tref ‘town' and traeth ‘strand'.
NEWPORT / CASTELLNEWYDD AR WYSG (Gwe) Neuborh (1291). Earliest Record: Novus Burgus (1138). Earliest Welsh Record: Castell Nweyd ar Wysc (14th century). Meaning: from OE niwe ‘new', port or burh ‘market town'. Welsh Meaning: WELSH castell ‘castle' newydd ‘new' ar ‘on' the River Usk. (See Usk.)
NEWTON / TRENEWYDD (Pow) Niwetone (c. 1250) / Drenewyth (1394). Meaning: from OE niwe ‘new' tun ‘town'. In WELSH tref ‘town' and newydd ‘new'.
NEWTON (MGl) Neuton Notash (1314). Earliest Record: Nova Villa et Notasse (1272). Meaning: although Newton and Nottage are now separate, the original manor combined both names. From OE niwe ‘new', tun ‘farm, settlement', hnot ‘cropped' and aesc ‘ash-tree'.
NEWTOWN / TRENEWYDD (Pow) Newentone (c. 1250) / Drenewyth (1394). Meaning: from OE niwe ‘new' and tun ‘settlement, town'. Welsh Meaning: WELSH tref ‘town' and newydd ‘new'.
NOLTON (Dyf) Noltone (13th century) Meaning: from an OE personal name and tun ‘farm, settlement'.
NORTHOP (Clw) Norhop (1265). Meaning: OE nord ‘north, northern' and hop ‘valley'.
NORTON (Pow) Nordton' (1193). Earliest Record: Nortune (1086). Meaning: from OE nord ‘north' (ie. of Presteign) and tun ‘farm, settlement'.
NOTTAGE (MGl) Neuton Notash (1314). Earliest Record: Nova Villa et Notasse (1272). Meaning: see Newton, MGl.
OGMORE (MGl) Uggemore (c. 1250). Earliest Record: Ocmur (c. 1150). Meaning: possibly from og- ‘cave' and môr ‘sea'. The castle dates from the 12th century
OLD RADNOR (Pow) Old Radenouere (1252). Earliest Record: Raddrenoue (1086). Meaning: from OE read ‘red' with either ora or ofer ‘hillside, bank`.
OLD COLWYN / HEN COLWYN (Clw) Coloyne (1334). Meaning: from WELSH hen ‘old' and WELSH colwyn ‘young animal', which was often used as a stream name.
OSWESTRY / CROESOSWALD (Shr) Oswaldestre (1272) / Croesoswald (1254). Earliest Record: Osewaldstreu (c. 1190). Meaning: "St. Oswald's OE treo ‘tree' (possibly in the sense of a ‘wooden cross') ". In WELSH it was "St. Oswald's cross".
OVERTON (Clw) Overton (1277). Earliest Record: Overton (1201). Meaning: from OE ofer ‘river bank' and tun ‘farm, settlement'.
OXWICH (Dyf) Oxenwiche (1230). Meaning: from OE oxa ‘ox' and wic ‘working farm'. The castle dates from the 16th century
OYSTERMOUTH (WGl) Oystermouth Meaning: from MIDDLE ENGLISH oyster derived from OFRENCH huistre. The castle was rebuilt in stone in 1280.