handbook of the origin of place-names in wales and monmouthshire

Gwydir. — Prima facie one may take it to be a compound of gwy, water, and tir, land. Some derive it fromgwydir, glass, upon the supposition that the mansion of Gwydir was the first house in Wales to have glasswindows. Sir John Wynn mentions a date of 1512 on a window at Dolwyddelen, which is long before thebuilding of Gwydir. Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, who flourished about the year 1250, mused the following line:—" Trwy ffenestri Gwydir yd ym gwelant " —that is, " They see me through the glass windows."The name probably is a corruption of gwaed, blood, and tir, land, signifying the bloody land. Bloody battleswere fought here between Llywarch Hen and his foes about the year 610, and also between Grufiydd abCynan and Traehaearn ab Caradog, and others. English name — Bloodham.Gyffin. — An inflection of cyffin, a confine, a limit, a border. The village is situated on the rivulet Gyffin, aboutthree-quarters of a mile from Conway, which was anciently called Caer Gyffin. English name — Borderton*.Hirael. — Hir. long; ael, brow; ael bryn, the brow of a hill. The name is quite descriptive of the situation of thevillage. English name— Longbrow.Hebron. — The village took its name from the Congregational Chapel that was built in the place.Llanaelhaiarn. — The church is dedicated to Aelhaiam, a brother of Llwchhaiarn, and a saint of the .sixthcentury. English name — Ironbrow.Llanddyniol. — The church is dedicated to Deiniolen, a descendant of Dunawd, the founder of BangorIscoed. English name— Danielston.Llanllechid. — The church is dedicated to Llechid, daughter of Ithel Hael, and a saint of the sixth century.English name — Lurkton.Llaneugan, or Llaneinon. — The church is dedicated to Einion, a royal saint of the sixth century. Thefollowing inscription was in the belfry of the church some time ago : " Eneanus Rex Wallia Fabricavit" Englishname — Rexton.Llandegwynin. — The fair church of Gwynin, a saint of the seventh century, to whose memory it wasdedicated. English name — Whitham.Llangwnadle. — The church is dedicated to Gwynodl, son of Seithenyn, and a celebrated saint of the sixthcentury. English name — Lifeton.Llanrhychwyn. — According to the " Myvyrian," the church was dedicated to Rhychwyn, son of Ithel Hael.English name — Wailton.Llandwrog. — The church is dedicated to Twrog, son of Ithel Hael. English name — Towerton.Llanfor. — The church is dedicated to Mdr ab Ceneu ab Coel, a saint of the fifth century. English name —Morton.Llaniestyn. — The church is dedicated to Iestyn ab Geraint, the founder of it. He flourished about the end ofthe sixth century. English name— Iestyn.Llandudwen. — The church was dedicated to Tudwen, a Welsh saint. English name — Whitplace.Llandudno. — The church is dedicated to Tudno, son of Seithenyn, and a saint of the sixth century. Acurious rocking stone, called Cryd Tudno, Tudno's cradle, is seen on the Great Orme's Head. English name— Stopton.Llanberis. — The church was dedicated to Peris, a saint of the sixth century, and a cardinal missioned fromRome, took up his abode and died here. English name — Causeton.Llanarmon. — The church is dedicated to Gartnon, or Germanus, a saint and bishop of the fifth century.English name — Garmon. 'Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 42