Over the course of the United Kingdom's colourful history, many place names have changed multiple times, influenced by the early Celtic peoples, the Romans, Germanic tribes, the Vikings, the Normans and the Danes. Below is a list of 76 names, one for each of the 76 cities in the United Kingdom. These are comprised both of contemporary linguistic alternatives (such as Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh names) and place names from antiquity. How many can you name?
Abbreviations of sources and languages: Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (c. 731): B Chronicon ex chronicis (c. 1140): CC Common Brittonic: CB Cornish (Kernowek): K Domesday Book (Liber de Wintonia, 1086): DB Historia Birttonum (c. 828): HB Irish (Gaeilge): G Latin (lingua latīna): L Middle English (Englisch) E Old English (Ænglisc): Æ Old Norse (Norrœnt mál): NM Old Welsh (Hen Gymraeg): HG Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig): SG Welsh (Cymraeg): C
Beware: Some of these place names are cognates, while others bear absolutely no resemblance to the contemporary English name
Not every historical name corresponds to the exact boundaries of the modern city