Welsh Town Name Generator
Authentic Welsh place names from Llan to Aber
Generate Welsh town names that look and sound like real dots on a map of Cymru: Machynlleth, Betws-y-Coed, Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Pontrhydfendigaid, Cwm Penmachno, Ysbyty Ifan. Perfect for fiction set in Wales, Celtic fantasy, Arthurian stories and worldbuilding with a Brythonic flavour.
About Welsh town names
Welsh town names are built from a small vocabulary of landscape words, which is why they are so recognisable and so easy to get wrong. The most common prefix is Llan, a church enclosure, followed by a saint's name mutated by Welsh grammar: Llanfair (Mary), Llandeilo (Teilo), Llanbedr (Peter), Llanfihangel (Michael). Aber is a river mouth (Aberystwyth), Pont a bridge (Pontypridd), Tre a settlement (Tregaron), Caer a fort (Caernarfon), Cwm a valley, Nant a stream, Rhyd a ford, Bryn a hill, Pen a head or top, Porth a harbour and Ynys an island.
Longer names chain these together with y or yr ("the") in the middle (Betws-y-Coed is "the chapel in the wood", Cwm-y-Glo "the valley of the coal"), and finish with adjectives such as fawr (big), fach (small), newydd (new), uchaf (upper), isaf (lower), gwyn (white), coch (red) and du (black). Double l, double d, double f, w and y as vowels, and ch as in "loch" are all normal; a name without any of them rarely reads as Welsh.
The list is drawn from real towns, villages and hamlets from Anglesey to Gwent, so every name follows the genuine rules; use them directly in fiction set in Wales, or as models for coining a place that is not on any map.
How to choose Welsh town names
- Pick one element that tells the reader what the place is: Aber for a coastal or river-mouth town, Llan for an old parish village, Cwm or Nant for a hamlet up a valley, Pont for a crossing point, Caer for somewhere with a castle or Roman past.
- Respect the spelling system: ll, dd, ff, ch and rh are single letters in Welsh, w and y are vowels, and there is no k, v, x or z in native names. Swapping in English letters is the quickest way to make a name look fake.
- Long names are real but rare; most Welsh towns are two or three syllables (Bala, Nefyn, Tywyn, Corwen). Save a Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant for one memorable location.
- Give the fictional town a river and a mountain with matching Welsh words (Afon, Mynydd, Moel, Cadair, Carn) so the whole map speaks the same language.
- The Valleys have their own flavour: chapel names and industrial coinages such as Bethesda, Beulah, Nelson, Six Bells and Fleur-de-lis sit beside Welsh ones. A mining-town story can mix both.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Llan' mean in Welsh town names?
Llan originally meant an enclosure and came to mean a church and its land. Almost every Llan name is followed by the saint the church was dedicated to (Llandeilo is St Teilo's church, Llanbadarn is St Padarn's), with the saint's name often changed by Welsh consonant mutation, so Mair becomes Llanfair.
How do I pronounce the double L?
Put your tongue where you would say an L, then blow air around the sides without voicing it: a soft hissing sound. Dd is the th in 'this', f is v, ff is f, u is roughly 'ee', w is 'oo' and y is 'uh' or 'ih' depending on position. Machynlleth is roughly mah-HUN-hleth.
Are these real Welsh towns?
Yes. They are real towns, villages and hamlets from every part of Wales, from Holyhead to Chepstow, including many small places you will not have heard of. For a fictional setting, pick an obscure one, or recombine the elements (Llan + a saint, Aber + a river, Cwm + a colour) using the rules in the tips to coin a name that does not exist.
Can I use these names for a fantasy world?
Yes. Welsh is the closest living language to the speech of Arthurian Britain, and authors from Tolkien (Sindarin) to Lloyd Alexander (Prydain) have drawn on it. Use the short forms for ordinary villages and keep the long compound names for a handful of important, ancient places.
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All 500 Welsh town names
A: 28 names
- Abbeycwmhir
- Aberaeron
- Aberbargoed
- Aberbeeg
- Abercanaid
- Abercraf
- Abercynon
- Aberdare
- Aberdaron
- Aberdulais
- Aberdyfi
- Aberfan
- Aberffraw
- Abergarwed
- Abergavenny
- Abergele
- Abergynolwyn
- Aberkenfig
- Abermule
- Aberporth
- Abersoch
- Abersychan
- Abertillery
- Abertridwr
- Aberystwyth
- Amlwch
- Ammanford
- Arthog
B: 42 names
- Bala
- Bangor
- Banwen
- Bargoed
- Barmouth
- Barry
- Beaumaris
- Beddau
- Beddgelert
- Bedwas
- Benllech
- Berriew
- Bethel
- Bethesda
- Bethesda Bach
- Bettws
- Betws-y-Coed
- Betws-yn-Rhos
- Blackmill
- Blaenau Ffestiniog
- Blaenavon
- Blaencwm
- Blaengarw
- Blaengwrach
- Blaenllechau
- Blaenrhondda
- Blaina
- Bodedern
- Bodelwyddan
- Bodffordd
- Bontddu
- Bontnewydd
- Borth
- Brecon
- Bridgend
- Bronllys
- Brynamman
- Brynmawr
- Brynrefail
- Brynsiencyn
- Builth Wells
- Burry Port
C: 58 names
- Caerleon
- Caernarfon
- Caerphilly
- Caersws
- Caerwys
- Caldicot
- Capel Curig
- Capel Garmon
- Cardigan
- Carmarthen
- Carno
- Carrog
- Castle Caereinion
- Cefn Cribwr
- Cefn Hengoed
- Cefn-coed-y-cymmer
- Cemaes
- Cenarth
- Cerrigydrudion
- Chepstow
- Chirk
- Churchstoke
- Chwilog
- Cilcain
- Cilfrew
- Cilfynydd
- Cilgerran
- Cilycwm
- Clawddnewydd
- Clydach
- Clydach Vale
- Clynnog Fawr
- Coed-y-Cwm
- Coelbren
- Conwy
- Corris
- Corwen
- Cowbridge
- Creigiau
- Criccieth
- Crickhowell
- Cross Hands
- Crumlin
- Crymych
- Crynant
- Cwm Penmachno
- Cwmavon
- Cwmbran
- Cwmdu
- Cwmgwrach
- Cwmllynfell
- Cwmparc
- Cwmtaf
- Cwmtillery
- Cwmtwrch
- Cwmystwyth
- Cymmer
- Cynwyl Elfed
D: 13 names
- Deganwy
- Deiniolen
- Denbigh
- Deri
- Dinas Cross
- Dinas Mawddwy
- Dolau
- Dolgellau
- Dolwyddelan
- Dowlais
- Dwyran
- Dyffryn Ardudwy
- Dyserth
E: 5 names
- Ebbw Vale
- Efail Isaf
- Eglwysbach
- Erwood
- Ewenny
F: 9 names
- Fairbourne
- Felindre
- Ferndale
- Ferryside
- Ffos-las
- Fishguard
- Flint
- Fochriw
- Foel
G: 26 names
- Gaerwen
- Ganllwyd
- Garnant
- Garndiffaith
- Garndolbenmaen
- Garreg
- Gellideg
- Gelligaer
- Gilfach Goch
- Gilwern
- Glan Conwy
- Glanaman
- Glasbury
- Glyn Ceiriog
- Glyncoch
- Glyndyfrdwy
- Glynneath
- Goetre
- Goodwick
- Govilon
- Gowerton
- Guilsfield
- Gwalchmai
- Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen
- Gwyddelwern
- Gwytherin
H: 9 names
- Harlech
- Haverfordwest
- Hay-on-Wye
- Hengoed
- Heolgerrig
- Hirwaun
- Holyhead
- Holywell
- Howey
K: 3 names
- Kenfig
- Kidwelly
- Knighton
L: 115 names
- Laleston
- Lampeter
- Laugharne
- Llan Ffestiniog
- Llanaelhaearn
- Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog
- Llanarmon-yn-Iâl
- Llanarth
- Llanbadarn Fawr
- Llanbadarn Fynydd
- Llanbedr
- Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd
- Llanbedr Ystrad Yw
- Llanbedrog
- Llanberis
- Llanbister
- Llanblethian
- Llanbradach
- Llanbrynmair
- Llanddaniel Fab
- Llanddeiniolen
- Llanddewi Brefi
- Llanddoged
- Llanddona
- Llanddulas
- Llandegla
- Llandegley
- Llandeilo
- Llandenny
- Llandinam
- Llandovery
- Llandrillo
- Llandrindod Wells
- Llandudno
- Llandudno Junction
- Llandybie
- Llandysul
- Llanegryn
- Llanelli
- Llanelltyd
- Llanelly Hill
- Llanerfyl
- Llanfachreth
- Llanfaelog
- Llanfaethlu
- Llanfair Caereinion
- Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd
- Llanfair Talhaiarn
- Llanfairfechan
- Llanfairpwllgwyngyll
- Llanfechain
- Llanfechell
- Llanfihangel-ar-Arth
- Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa
- Llanfoist
- Llanfrothen
- Llanfyllin
L, continued
- Llangadfan
- Llangadog
- Llangammarch Wells
- Llangedwyn
- Llangefni
- Llangeinor
- Llangeitho
- Llangennech
- Llangernyw
- Llangoed
- Llangollen
- Llangrannog
- Llangurig
- Llangwm
- Llangybi
- Llangybi Fawr
- Llangynidr
- Llanharan
- Llanharry
- Llanhilleth
- Llanidloes
- Llanllyfni
- Llanmaes
- Llannerch-y-medd
- Llanon
- Llanover
- Llanpumsaint
- Llanrhaeadr
- Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant
- Llanrhidian
- Llanrhystud
- Llanrug
- Llanrwst
- Llansannan
- Llansantffraid
- Llansawel
- Llansilin
- Llansoy
- Llansteffan
- Llantrisant
- Llantrisant Fawr
- Llantwit Fardre
- Llantwit Major
- Llantysilio
- Llanuwchllyn
- Llanvair Discoed
- Llanwddyn
- Llanwern
- Llanwnog
- Llanwrda
- Llanwrtyd Wells
- Llanybydder
- Llanymynech
- Llanystumdwy
- Llwyngwril
- Llwynypia
- Llysfaen
- Llyswen
M: 25 names
- Machen
- Machynlleth
- Maenclochog
- Maentwrog
- Maerdy
- Maesteg
- Malltraeth
- Mallwyd
- Manorbier
- Marcross
- Margam
- Mathry
- Meifod
- Menai Bridge
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Minera
- Moelfre
- Mold
- Monmouth
- Montgomery
- Morfa Nefyn
- Morriston
- Mumbles
- Myddfai
- Mynachlog-ddu
N: 18 names
- Nant Peris
- Nant-ddu
- Nantgarw
- Nantlle
- Nantmor
- Nantyglo
- Nantymoel
- Narberth
- Neath
- Nefyn
- Nevern
- New Quay
- Newborough
- Newbridge
- Newbridge-on-Wye
- Newcastle Emlyn
- Newport
- Newtown
O: 5 names
- Ogmore Vale
- Ogmore-by-Sea
- Old Colwyn
- Onllwyn
- Oxwich
P: 60 names
- Padog
- Pant
- Pant-y-Dwr
- Pembrey
- Pembroke
- Pen-y-Bont-Fawr
- Penarth
- Pencader
- Penclawdd
- Pencoed
- Penderyn
- Pendine
- Pengam
- Pengenffordd
- Penisarwaun
- Penmaenmawr
- Penmon
- Penpedairheol
- Penperlleni
- Penrhiwceiber
- Penrhyndeudraeth
- Pentraeth
- Pentre
- Pentre Berw
- Pentrebach
- Pentrefoelas
- Pentyrch
- Penybont
- Penybont Llanerch Emrys
- Penybontfawr
- Penydarren
- Penygraig
- Penygroes
- Pontardawe
- Pontarddulais
- Pontarfynach
- Ponterwyd
- Pontfadog
- Pontlottyn
- Pontneddfechan
- Pontnewydd
- Pontrhydfendigaid
- Pontrobert
- Pontsticill
- Pontyates
- Pontyberem
- Pontycymer
- Pontygwaith
- Pontypool
- Pontypridd
- Port Eynon
- Porth
- Porthcawl
- Porthgain
- Porthmadog
- Prestatyn
- Presteigne
- Pumsaint
- Pwllheli
- Pyle
R: 17 names
- Raglan
- Resolven
- Rhayader
- Rhigos
- Rhiw
- Rhoose
- Rhoscolyn
- Rhosllanerchrugog
- Rhosneigr
- Rhossili
- Rhuddlan
- Rhyd Ddu
- Rhymney
- Risca
- Rowen
- Ruabon
- Ruthin
S: 8 names
- Saundersfoot
- Senghenydd
- Sennybridge
- Solva
- Southerndown
- St Asaph
- St Athan
- St Davids
T: 43 names
- Taffs Well
- Tal-y-bont
- Tal-y-Cafn
- Talgarth
- Taliesin
- Talsarnau
- Talybont-on-Usk
- Talysarn
- Talywain
- Tanygrisiau
- Tenby
- Tintern
- Ton Pentre
- Tondu
- Tongwynlais
- Tonna
- Tonypandy
- Tonyrefail
- Trawsfynydd
- Trearddur
- Trebanog
- Trecastle
- Tredegar
- Trefdraeth
- Trefechan
- Trefeglwys
- Trefil
- Trefin
- Trefor
- Treforest
- Trefriw
- Tregaron
- Treherbert
- Trelawnyd
- Trellech
- Tremadog
- Treorchy
- Trimsaran
- Troedyrhiw
- Tudweiliog
- Tynewydd
- Tythegston
- Tywyn
U: 1 name
- Usk
V: 2 names
- Varteg
- Vaynor
W: 3 names
- Waunfawr
- Welshpool
- Whitland