What's in a name? How Newcastle, Gateshead and Northumberland towns got their names

North Tyneside and South Tyneside being on respective sides of the Tyne is common sense, but what about other parts of the North East?

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The names of the present often shine a light on the region’s past, so come with us as wel travel both across the North East and back in time as we take a look at how areas and towns got their names.

Newcastle

The name comes from a ‘new castle’ built in 1080 by Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror. This castle was built on the same land which used to house Roman fort and, although nothing remains of the original castle, it was on the sale site as the current castle keep in the city centre.

Gateshead

You may think Gateshead’s name comes from the same gate related names on the other side of the city such as Westgate Road and Gallowgate, but this is not the case.

It is thought the name actually comes from an old English name for the area to the south of the Tyne as the goat’s head, meaning a headland or hill home to goats.

Northumberland

The county of Northumberland can trace its name further south, with the name being recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as norð hẏmbra land, meaning land north of the Humber.

Blyth

The town’s name comes from the River Blyth, which in turn comes from the old English term for gentle or merry. This may refer to the nature of the tidal water.

Cramlington

This is one of many areas which is thought to have been named from invaders throughout the history of the Northumberland coast. It is believed Cramlington was first referred to as the homestead where the Scandinavians called Little Cram farmed.

It is thought that every UK place name in the UK ending in ‘thwaite’, ‘thorp’ ‘kirk’ or ‘by’ such as Brackenthwaite, Scunthorpe, Falkirk or Grimsby.

Ashington

It is suggested the name of this Northumberland town originates from Essendene which has been referred to since 1170, this may come from the Saxons who are known to have sailed from Germany into the River Wansbeck.

Morpeth

Morpeth offers one of the least known origin stories, with no one theory confirmed.

One of the theories comes from a traditional name for the area which has changed slightly over time. This name is ‘murder-path’ after the number of nearby crimes being referenced in the 1600s.

A far less gory theory suggests the name comes from moor path, meaning the town on the track across the moor.

Alnmouth

This is a fairly straighforward naming convention, with the name coming from the area at the mouth of the River Aln, which itself is thought to come from an old English word for river.

Alnwick

Alnwick also takes its name from the River Aln, while wic is an old English term for farm, street or village.

Bamburgh

The Anglo Saxons also had a say in Bamburgh’s name. It is thought the area was initially a major part of the area named Bernica, an old Celtic word for ‘victory bringer’ which ran from County Durham into Scotland.

When the area was taken over by the Anglo Saxons, settlers called the area Bebbanburh, meaning Queen Bebba's stronghold, throughout time this turned into the modern name we use today.

Berwick

Originally, the name comes from framland on the area. More specifically, the old English term berewíc, meaning corn farm. This is why various places share the name including North Berwick in Scotland, while the Northumberland town has previously been named South Berwick.

The ‘Upon-Tweed’ part of the town’s name obviously comes from the river which flows through the area. This raiver gets its name from the old Celtic word for border due to its location between England and Scotland.

Hexham

Further inland, Hexham is a middle English word and is a contration of variations of Hagustaldesham. This is thought to refer to an owner of a fenced plot of land and unmarried man or bachelor while the common ending ‘ham’ means home or village.

Just along the train tracks from Hexham is Corbridge, which is named after the old English word for ‘bridge near Corchester’ - an old Celtic name for the area.