This list includes places in Great Britain (including neighbouring islands such as the Isle of Man), some of which were part of the Roman Empire, or were later given Latin place names in historical references.

Background Until the Modern Era, Latin was the common language for scholarship and mapmaking. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, German scholars in particular have made significant contributions to the study of historical place names, or Ortsnamenkunde. These studies have, in turn, contributed to the study of genealogy. For genealogists and historians of pre-Modern Europe, knowing alternative names of places is vital to extracting information from both public and private records. Even specialists in this field point out, however, that the information can be easily taken out of context, since there is a great deal of repetition of place names throughout Europe; reliance purely on apparent connections should therefore be tempered with valid historical methodology.

Caveats and notes Latin place names are not always exclusive to one place — for example, there were several Roman cities whose names began with Colonia and then a more descriptive term. During the Middle Ages, these were often shortened to just Colonia. One of these, Colonia Agrippinensis, retains the name today in the form of Cologne (from French, German Köln).

Early sources for Roman names show numerous variants and spellings of the Latin names.

The modern canonical name is listed first. In general, only the earliest source is shown for each name, although many of the names are recorded in more than one of the sources. Where the source differs in spelling, or has other alternatives, these are listed following the source. As an aid to searching, variants are spelled completely, and listed in most likely chronology.

Cities and towns in England

Latin name English name Aquae Arnemetiae Buxton Aquae Sulis Bath Bremetennacum Ribchester Calleva Atrebatum Silchester Camulodunum Colchester Cantabrigia (medieval Latinisation) Cambridge Cataractonium Catterick Coria, Corspitium Corbridge Corinium Cirencester Danum Doncaster Deva Chester Derventio Coritanorum Derby DunelmumAlso other spellings Durham Durnovaria Dorchester Durocobrivis Dunstable Durobrivae Rochester Durovernum Cantiacorum, Cantuaria Canterbury Eboracum York Exonia Exeter Glevum Gloucester Isca Dumnoniorum Exeter Isurium Brigantum Aldborough Lindinis Ilchester Lindum Colonia Lincoln Londinium London Londonia London Luguvalium Carlisle Mamucium, Mancunium"Mancunium" derives from an early misspelling of the Roman name. Manchester Margidunum Bingham, Nottinghamshire Noviomagus Reginorum Chichester Oxonium, Oxonia Oxford Petuaria Brough Pons Aelius, Novum Castrum Newcastle upon Tyne Ratae Corieltauvorum Leicester Rēgulbium, Rēgulvium Reculver Rutupiae Richborough Sobriodunum Salisbury Venta Belgarum, Wintonia Winchester Verulamium St AlbansVigorniaWorcester Viroconium Cornoviorum Wroxeter

Cities and towns in Scotland Canonical Latin name Other Latin names English name AndreanaeHLU: Hofmann, Johann Jacob (1635–1706): Lexicon Universale Kirkruel?,'?' probably historical mistake Reguli Fanum, Andreopolis; GOL:GOL: The standard reference to Latin placenames, with their modern equivalents, is Dr. J. G. Th. Grässe, Orbis Latinus: Lexikon lateinischer geographischer Namen des Mittelalters und der Neuzeit (1861), an exhaustive work of meticulous German scholarship that is available on-line in the second edition of 1909. To use it, one must understand German names of countries, as they were in 1909. The original was re-edited and expanded in a multi-volume edition in 1972. Sanctae Andreae Coenobium, Kirkrule, Kilrule St Andrews Devana2PG2: Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus), Geographia; book "PG" chapter (that is, "2PG2" instead of the usual "II.2"). Ptolemy wrote in Greek, so names are transliterated back into Latin to reveal the original form. Aberdonia, Aberdona, Verniconam; GOL: Aberdonum, Aberdonium, Abredonia), Devanha Aberdeen DunedinumBSH: Buchanan, George (1506–1582): Rerum Scoticarum Historia (1582) Edinburgum, Edinum; GOL: Edimburgum, Edenburgum, Alata castra, Alatius burgus, Aneda, Puellarum castra) Edinburgh Glascouium Glascovia, Glascum, Glascua, Glasgua Glasgow Trimontium Newstead

Cities and towns in Wales Canonical Latin name Other Latin names English name Alabum Llandovery Bangertium Bangor Blestium Monemuta Monmouth Bovium Cowbridge (disputed) Burrium Usk Cambria Wales Canovium Caerhun Castra Diva Chester Cicutio Pumsaint Gobannium Abergavenny Isca Silurum AI: Antonine Itinerary Isca, IscaeRC: Ravenna Cosmography, Ravennatis Anonymi Cosmographia Isca Augusta, Isca Legio, Castra Legionis Caerleon Mediomanum Caersws Menevia Meneva St Davids Moridunum Carmarthen Nidum Neath Segontium Segontio, Seguntio, Seguntium Caernarfon Venta Silurum Caerwent

Island names + Island names Latin name English nameBotis ButeCaesarea JerseyClota (Insula) ArranEbudae HebridesMalaeus2PG1: Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus), Geographia; book "PG" chapter (that is, "2PG1" instead of the usual "II.1"). Ptolemy wrote in Greek, so names are transliterated back into Latin to reveal the original form MullMona AngleseyMonapia, Monaoeda Isle of ManOrcades OrkneyScetis SkyeTaniatide ThanetVectis Isle of Wight

Region or country names + Region or country names Latin name English nameAlbionTacitus (Gaius Cornelius Tacitus), Agricola Great BritainAnglia EnglandBritannia Great BritainCaledonia ScotlandCambria WalesCornubia CornwallHibernia IrelandOrientalium Anglorum East AngliaScotia Scotland, and formerly applied to IrelandSalopia Shropshire

See also List of Roman place names in Britain List of Latin place names used as specific names

References

Sources In order of likely publication:

TA: Tacitus (Gaius Cornelius Tacitus), Agricola PNH: Pliny (Gaius Plinius Secundus), Naturalis Historia; book "PNH" chapter (that is, "37PNH81" instead of the usual "N.H.xxxvii.81"). PG: Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus), Geographia; book "PG" chapter (that is, "2PG3" instead of the usual "II.3"). Ptolemy wrote in Greek, so names are transliterated back into Latin to reveal the original form. AI: Antonine Itinerary ND: Notitia Dignitatum RC: Ravenna Cosmography, Ravennatis Anonymi Cosmographia BSH: Buchanan, George (1506–1582): Rerum Scoticarum Historia (1582) HLU: Hofmann, Johann Jacob (1635–1706): Lexicon Universale HD1851: Rejected by modern historians, but seen in this document from 1851 – and (bottom of one page to top of next) GOL: The standard reference to Latin placenames, with their modern equivalents, is Dr. J. G. Th. Grässe, Orbis Latinus : Lexikon lateinischer geographischer Namen des Mittelalters und der Neuzeit (1861), an exhaustive work of meticulous German scholarship that is available on-line in the second edition of 1909. To use it, one must understand German names of countries, as they were in 1909. The original was re-edited and expanded in a multi-volume edition in 1972. A.L.F. Rivet and Colin Smith, The place-names of Roman Britain, London, 1979 (reprinted by Book Club Associates, 1981).

External links Antonine Itinerary Buchanan, Rerum Scoticarum Historia Grässe, Orbis Latinus Grässe, Orbis Latinus Historical Directories, England and Wales, from 1750 to 1919 Hofmann: Lexicon Universale Notitia Dignitatum: The British Section Pliny the Elder: the Natural History Ptolemy: the Geography Roman Map of Britain Tacitus: Agricola (English) List of Latin placenames in Britain