Llan (placename element)
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Llan or Lan is a common place name element in Brythonic languages such as Welsh, Cornish, Breton, Cumbric, and possibly Pictish. In Wales there are over 630 place names beginning with 'Llan', pronounced [ɬan]. In Cornwall and Brittany the element is usually spelled 'Lan' or 'Lann', occasionally 'Laun'.
The original meaning of llan in Welsh is "an enclosed piece of land", but it later evolved to mean the parish surrounding a church. Most places beginning with Llan have some connection to a saint, usually of the Celtic church. The element following 'Llan' is usually the name of the saint, for example Llandewi 'Enclosure or Church of Saint David'.The English word Lawn may derive from an unusual adoption of the original Brythonic meaning of 'grassed enclosure', as distinct from a 'field'. [1]
However a number of place names beginning with Llan evolved from other Welsh words like 'Glan' ('river bank') or 'Nant' ('stream' or 'small valley'), for example Llanbradach (from Nant Bradach, 'valley of the River Bradach'). In Cornish as well, some place names beginning with 'Lan' derive from Cornish 'Nans' ('valley'), such as Lanteglos from Nanseglos ('valley of the church').
It is believed that the term "llan" originated not just for an enclosure, but more importantly the 'tribal enclosure' and possibly just 'tribe'; when the original peoples arriving after the last Ice Age, were nomadic. With the coming of the first Celtic Christian missionaries, these early Christians sought to place their centres of worship in an area of some security. With the conversions of the tribes, this obviously fell within the tribal compound, the llan. With the disintegration of the tribal boundaries, all that remained of most of these enclosures was the church, or at best a walled village or town. The original meaning of 'llan' with its tribal connotations disappeared.[citation needed]
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[edit] Place names in Wales
[edit] Places named after saints
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This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
- Llanarmon-yn-Iâl, Denbighshire, Saint Garmon or St. Germanus of Auxerre
- Llanbadarn Fawr, Saint Padarn
- Llanbadrig, Saint Patrick
- Llanbedr, Saint Peter
- Llanberis, Saint Peris
- Llandegla, Saint Tecla
- Llanddarog, Saint Twrog
- Llanddeusant, Anglesey, two saints: Saint Marcellus and Saint Marcellina
- Llanddeusant, Carmarthenshire, two saints: Saint David and Saint Teilo
- Llandeilo, Saint Teilo
- Llandewi, Saint David
- Llandudno, Saint Tudno
- Llandybie, Saint Tybie
- Llanedi, Saint Edith
- Llanegwad, Saint Egwad
- Llanellen, Saint Helen
- Llanelli, Saint Elli
- Llanfachraeth, Church of the little beach
- Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Saint Mary and Saint Tysilio
- Llanfoist, Saint Fwyst
- Llanfynydd, Mountain Church
- Llangadog, Saint Cadoc
- Llangain, Saint Cain
- Llangathen, Saint Cathan
- Llangeler, Saint Celert
- Llangelynnin, Saint Celynin
- Llangennech, Saint Cennych
- Llangennith, Saint Cenydd
- Llangollen, Saint Collen
- Llangolman, Saint Colman
- Llangunnor, Saint Cynnwr
- Llangyfelach, Saint Cyfelach
- Llangyndeyrn, Saint Cyndeyrn
- Llangynllo, Saint Cynllo
- Llangynog, Saint Cynog
- Llanharan, Saint Aaron
- Llanidloes, Saint Idloes
- Llanilar, Saint Hilary
- Llanllawddog, Saint Llawddog
- Llanmadoc, Saint Madoc
- Llanmartin, Saint Martin
- Llanishen (Llanisien), Saint Isan
- Llannon, Saint Non
- Llanpumsaint, five saints: Gwyn, Gwynno, Gwynoro, Ceithio and Celynin
- Llansadwrn, Saint Sadwrn
- Llanrhidian, Saint Rhidian
- Llansadwrn, Saint Sadwrn
- Llansamlet, Saint Samlet
- Llansawel, Saint Sawell
- Llanstephan, Saint Stephen
- Llantrisant, three saints: Illtud, Gwynno and Dyfodwg
- Llanwenog, Saint Gwenog
- Llanwrda, Saint Cwrda
[edit] Place names with religious connections other than a saint
- Llandaff, named after the River Taff [1]
- Llangefni, named after the River Cefni (Previously known as Llangyngar, after Saint Cyngar)
[edit] Place names without a religious connection
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This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
- Llanboidy, name evolved from Nantbeudy
- Llanbradach, name evolved from Nant Bradach
- Llancarfan, name evolved from Nantcarfan
- Llandarcy, named after William Knox D'Arcy
- Llanmorlais, name evolved from Glan Morlais
- Llangoedmor in Ceredigion, originally Llangoedmawr, Great Wood.
Llandybie , Carmarthenshire Llandeilo , Carmarthenshire Llangenech, Carmarthenshire
[edit] Place names in England
[edit] Cornwall and Devon
- Lamorran (Cornish: Lannvorenn), Saint Morenna
- Landewednack (Cornish: Lanndewynnek), Saint Gwynnek
- Landkey (near Barnstaple, Devon), Saint Kea
- Landulph (Cornish: Lanndhelek), Saint Dilic
- Laneast (Cornish: Lannast)
- Lanherne (Cornish: Lannhernow), Saint Hernow
- Lanhydrock (Cornish: Lannhydrek), Saint Hydrek
- Lanivet (Cornish: Lanneves), Saint Neves
- Lanlivery (Cornish: Lannlivri), Saint Livri
- Lanreath (Cornish: Lannreydhow), Saint Reydhow
- Lansallos (Cornish: Lannsalwys), Saint Salwys
- Launcells (Cornish: Lannseles), Saint Kellys
- Launceston (Cornish: Lannstefan), Saint Stefan
- Lelant (Cornish: Lannanta), Saint Anta
- Lewannick (Cornish: Lannwenek), Saint Gwenek
- Lezant (Cornish: Lannsans), Saint Sans
- Linkinhorne (Cornish: Lanngynhorn), Saint Kenhorn
- Luxulyan (Cornish: Lansulien), Saint Sulien
[edit] Cumbria
The Cumbric language was spoken in Cumbria up to the Early Middle Ages, and so some place names in Cumbria have a Celtic origin.
- Lamplugh (Cumbria), Saint Moloch (Lamplugh has also been explained as being derived from Llan Plwyf 'parish church', 'Nant Bluch 'bare valley', or Irish Glan Flough 'wet dale')
[edit] English counties bordering Wales
- Lancaut (Welsh: Llan Cewydd), Gloucestershire
- Llancillo, Herefordshire
- Landican (Birkenhead, Merseyside), Saint Tegan
- Llandinabo, Herefordshire
- Llanfair Waterdine, Shropshire
- Llangarron, Herefordshire
- Llanrothal, Herefordshire
- Llanveynoe, Herefordshire
- Llanwarne, Herefordshire
[edit] Place names in Brittany
- Lampaul-Guimiliau (Breton: Lambaol-Gwimilio), Saint Paul
- Landerneau (Breton: Landerne), Saint Ténénan
- Langolen (Breton: Langolen), Saint Collen
- Landeleau (Breton: Landelo), Saint Teilo
- Lanildut (Breton: Lannildud), Illtud
- Lannédern (Breton: Lannedern), Saint Edern
- Landévennec (Breton: Landevenneg), Winwaloe
- Landivisiau (Breton: Landivizio), Saint Gwisiau
- Landudal (Breton: Landudal), Tudwal
- Lanhouarneau (Breton: Lanhouarne), Saint Hervé
- Landévant (Breton: Landevant), Saint Tevant
- Landudec (Breton: Landudeg), Saint Tadec
- Landunvez (Breton: Landunvez), Sainte Tunvez
- Langoëlan (Breton: Lanwelan), Saint Gouelan
- Languidic (Breton: Langedig), Saint Cynedd
- Landéda (Breton: Landeda), Saint Tédia or Saint Tydeu
- Landujan (Breton: Landujan), Saint Tudin (Tudwal)
- Langast (Breton: Lanwal), Saint Gal
- Langourla (Breton: Langourlae), Saint Gourla
- Languenan (Breton: Langenan), Saint Kenan
- Langonnet (Breton: Langoned), Saint Konoed (Saint Cynwyd)
- Lanmodez (Breton: Lanvaodez), Saint Maudez
- Landrévarzec (Breton: Landrevarzeg), Saint Harzheg
- Lanarvily (Breton: Lannarvili), Saint Haeruili
- Lanvénégen (Breton: Lannejenn), Saint Menegean
- Lanvollon (Breton: Lannolon), Saint Volon
- Landaul (Breton: Landaol), (Perhaps Saint Teilo)
- Landébia (Breton: Landebiav), Saint Tebiav
- Lannéanou (Breton: Lanneanoù), Saint Leanou
- La Harmoye (Breton: Lanhervoed), Saint Harmoël
- La Landec (Breton: Lannandeg), Saint Deg
- Landéhen (Breton: Landehen), Saint Guéhen
- La Méaugon (Breton: Lanvealgon), Saint Algon
- Lancieux (Breton: Lanseeg), Saint Séoc (or Sieu)
- Langueux (Breton: Langaeg), Saint Guéthénoc
- Lanhélin (Breton: Lanhelen), Saint Helen
- Laniscat (Breton: Lanniskad), Saint Escat
- Lanneuffret (Breton: Lanneured), Saint Gwévret
- Saint-Urbain (Breton: Lannurvan), Saint Urvan
- Lannion (Breton: Lannuon)
- Landebaëron (Breton: Landebaeron)
- La Malhoure (Breton: Lanvelor)
[edit] Place names in Scotland
Some place names in Scotland have Pictish elements such as Aber and Lhan that are cognate with other Brythonic languages such as Welsh.
- Lhanbryde (Gaelic: Lann Brìghde), Saint Bride (the place name is first recorded as Lamanbride in 1215, and the modern Welsh-like spelling is probably a 19th century innovation)
[edit] In fiction
- The long running American soap opera One Life To Live is set in fictional Llanview, Pennsylvania, set just outside the city of Philadelphia. In the fictional universe of the soap, Llanview is the county seat for Llantano County. An important historical estate, Llanfair, is also set in Llanview.
