Welsh Place Names R
RADYR (SGl) Radur (1254). Meaning: probably derived from LATIN oratorium ‘oratory'.
RAGLAN / RHAGLAN (Gwe) Raghelan (1254). Meaning: probably from WELSH rhag ‘fore' and glan ‘bank', hence ‘rampart'.
RAMSEY ISLAND / YNYS TYFANOG (Dyf) Ramesey (1326). Earliest Record: Limen (Roman period). Meaning: "Hrafn's OSCAN ey ‘island' ". Hrafn meant ‘raven'. In WELSH "St. Tyfanog's island".
RHAYADER / RHAEADR (Pow) Raedr' (1291). Earliest Record: Raidergoe (1191). Meaning: from WELSH rhaeadr ‘waterfall'; there was a large waterfall here before the bridge was built in 1780.
RHONDDA (MGl) Glenrotheny (1268). Earliest Record: Rotheni (12th century). Meaning: from WELSH glyn ‘glen' of the River Rhondda. The name derives from rhoddni, related to ad-rawdd ‘to tell, to speak', and means ‘noisy'.
RHOSSILI (WGl) Rossili Meaning: from WELSH rhos ‘moor' of Sulien.
RHUDDLAN (Clw) Rundlan (1254). Earliest Record: Roeland (1086). Meaning: from WELSH rhudd ‘red' and glan ‘bank'. The castle was built by Edward I after 1277.
RHYL (Clw) Ryhull (1301). Meaning: from OE hyll ‘hill', admittedly very slight. The modern spelling is a corruption of WELSH yr ‘the' ‘hill`.
RHYMNEY (MGl) Rempney (13th century). Meaning: from the river name which derives from WELSH rhwmp and -ni and means ‘auger'.
ROATH (SGl) Roath Meaning: possibly from WELSH rhtd ‘stream' or OE rod ‘clearing'.
ROBESTON WATHEN (Dyf) Roberdeston (1366). Earliest Record: Villa Roberti (1282). Meaning: "Robert's OE tun ‘farm, settlement!' "; another personal name Wathen was added in the 16th century.
ROCH (Dyf) Roche (1271). Earliest Record: Rupe (1259). Meaning: from OFRENCH roche ‘rock'.
ROCKFIELD (Gwe) Roukevile (1291). Earliest Record: ecclesia de Rochevilla (c. 1069). Meaning: named by a Norman settler after Rocheville (`the town on the rock') in Normandy.
ROSEMARKET (Dyf) Rosmarche (c. 1230). Meaning: "Roose or Rhos OE market". Rhos, meaning ‘moor', was the name of the local area.
RUABON / RHIWABON (Clw) Rywnabon (1291). Meaning: from WELSH rhiw ‘hill' and the personal name Mabon.
RUTHIN / RHUTHUN (Clw) Ruthun (1253). Meaning: from WELSH rhudd ‘red' and, probably, din ‘fort' and hin ‘bank, edge'.