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

Vochriw. — Some are of opinion that it is the ancient Bochrkiw-carn, which is translated in " The Lives ofBritish Saints," " the check on a stony road ' Others derive it from mock, pigs; and rhiw, slope. Viewing thephysical aspect of the place, one may be induced to derive it from moch, ready, quick, swift and rhiw, slope;signifying a steepy hill-side. Mocu ddwyreog, quickly rising. Some think the prefix is bat, cheek, from thegeographical position of the place, Bach-rhiw, the little slope, is suggested by others as the right etymology.English name — Steephill.Waunarlwydd. — Waun, meadow; arlwydd, modt Welsh arglwydd, a lord, a lord of the manor. I Griffiths,Bryn Dafydd, purchased a piece of land which belonged to the lord of the manor, from wl. In thecircumstance the place was called Waunarlwydd, the lord's meadow. English name — Lord's Meadow.Walnut Tree Bridge. — On a well-known plot of ground, in the place, three walnut trees had grown neareach other, and in order to facilitate the construction of the Taff Vale railway in the place, it was necessary touproot these beautiful trees and build a bridge on the spot; hence the name.Wenvoe. — A corruption of Gwynfa, which signifies white or blessed land. Gwyn, white; fa-mai, a region.English name — Whitland.Wauntrodau. — Waun, a meadow; trodau, per lexing. Some think it is a corruption of Ty Rhoda, the houseof Rhoda. Others say it is a corruption of trotian, to trot, to go on trot; trodi, to journey. Others think the nameis a contraction of Gwauntroedyda, which signifies the meadow where traces of cows' feet were visible. Insupport of the first derivation, it is certified that an old house called Castell Rhode, Rhode's castle, oncestood in the place. English name — Moorton.Wick. — An Anglicized form of the Welsh Wig, a wood. The place was once called Y Wig Fawt, the greatwood, which implies that the locality was some time thickly wooded. English name — Woodham.Walterston. — So called in honour of Walter de Mapres, son of Blondel de Mapres, who is supposed tohave been the founder of the place.Ystrad Owen. — Prince Owen, the son of Morgan Hen, the king of Glamorgan, took up his abode in thisparish, and his remains were consigned to their last resting-place here in the year 987; hence the name.English name — Owenston.Ystalyfera. — Ys, the; tal, front, end; y, the; few-beta, a pyramid, a stack of corn or hay; signifying the end ofthe rick. Or, perhaps the prefix is ystdl, a stock or produce, a stall. English name — Stallton.Ynyspenllwch. — Ynys, island; pen, head; llwch, lake; signifying a place at the head of a lake. It appearsthat the vale was once studded with many lakes. English name — Lakesend.Ynyslwyd. — So called from a cottage bearing the name, situate on the river Cynon. Some say it is Ynys ytywod llwyd, an island on grey sands. English name — Greyham.Ynyshir. — So named after a farmstead of the name. It means long island. English name — Longtown.Ystradyfodwg. — The Parish Church was dedicated to Tyfodwg ab Gwilfyw, a saint of the sixth century.English name — Tyvodwg.Ynysybwl. — A corruption, perhaps, of Ynys-y-pwll, the island near the pit; or, perhaps, the suffix is pwl,meaning unprofitable. We are inclined to think the right wording is Ynys-y-bel, which signifies the ballmeadow.It was in olden times a famous rendezvous for ball-players. English name — Ballton.MERIONETHSHIRE.The county takes its name from the old cantrev of rion y so called in honour of Meirion, grandson of leddaWledig. The affix eth is a modification of the lsh ydd, a particle denoting agency or personality, it's the onlyNorthern county that has kept its original title.Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 71