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 :
 | 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. |
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