A number of common place name elements can be interpreted easily and usually accurately and are a starting point to understanding the meanings of townlands, landscape features and so on. Caution must be used however as only by examining old sources can the names be identified with some certainty, and sometimes not even then. Nevertheless many elements and often whole place names can be inferred from a list such as this.
| Gaelic Spelling |
Anglicized form |
Meaning |
Example |
| Achadh |
Aghy |
Field, Clearing |
Aughnavallog (Achadh na bhFáinleog - field of the swallows) |
| Allt |
Alt |
Steep glen or stream |
Altadreen (Allt an Draighin - Steep glen/stream of the blackthorn) |
| Ard |
Ard |
Height |
Ardtimacormick (Ard Tí Mhic Cormaic - height of MacCormick's house) |
| Áth |
Ath, Augh |
Ford |
Aughnacloy (Áth na Cloiche - ford of the stone) |
| Baile |
Bally |
Town/townland |
Ballynahone Beg (Baile na hAbhann Beag - little townland of the river) |
| Ban |
Ban, bane |
White |
Lurganbane (An Lorgain Bhán - the white ridge) |
| Beag |
Beg |
Small |
Tullaghbeg (An Tulach Bheag - the little hillock) |
| Bearnais |
Barnes, Barnish |
Gap or pass |
Barnish (Bearnais - a gap or pass) |
| Breac |
Brack |
Speckled |
Knockbrack (An Cnoc Breac - the speckled hill) |
| Bruíon |
Breen |
Fairy Dwelling |
Breen (Bruíon - Fairy Dwelling) |
| Buí |
Boy |
Yellow |
Magheraboy (An Machaire Buí - the yellow plain) |
| Bun |
Bun |
Bottom |
Bunshanacloney (Bun Seanchluana - bottom of the old meadow) |
| Caol |
Keel |
Narrow |
Ballykeel (Baile Caol - narrow townland) |
| Carn |
Carn |
Cairn - burial mound |
Carnkirn (Carn Caorthainn - cairn of the rowan) |
| Carraig |
Carrick |
Rock |
Ballynagarrick (Baile na gCarraig - townland of the rocks) |
| Ceathru |
Carrow |
Quarter (often of a ballybetagh) |
Carrowlaverty (Ceathrú Ui Laifeartaigh - O'Laverty's quarter) |
| Chabrach |
Cabragh |
Rough or bad land |
Cabragh (An Chabrach - rough land) |
| Cill |
Kill |
Church |
Kilminioge (Cill M'Fhionnóg - Little Finn's Church) |
| Clár |
Clare |
Plain |
Clare (An Clár - the plain) |
| Cloch |
Clough, Clog |
Stone (or sometimes stone castle) |
Cloughanmurray (Cloch Dhún Muirigh - Stone castle of Murrays fort) |
| Cluain |
Clooney, Clon, |
Pasture |
Coolnacran (Cuain Chrannacháin - meadow of the wooded place) |
| Cnoc |
Knock |
Hill |
Knockbane (An Cnoc Bán - the white hill) |
| Coill |
Kill |
Wood |
Kilkinamurray (Coill Chon Murchaidh - wood of Murchadh's hound) |
| Corr |
Cor |
Strange, noticeable |
Corbally (Corrbaile - odd townland) |
| Creagán |
Creggan |
Rocky place |
Cregganboy (An Creagán Buí - the yellow rocky place) |
| Cuíl |
Col, cool |
Corner, recess |
Coolsallagh (Cuíl Saileach - recess of the willow) |
| Darach |
Dara, Derry |
Oak Tree |
Edenderry (Éadan Darach - hill-face of the oak tree) |
| Dearg |
Derg |
Red |
Aghaderg (Achadh Dearg - red field) |
| Domhnach |
Donagh |
Church |
Donaghcloney (Domhnach Cluana - church of the meadow) |
| Dísert |
Desert |
Hermitage |
Desertmartin (Dísert Mhartain - Martin's hermitage) |
| Doire |
Derry |
Oak grove |
Derrylough (Doire Locha - the oakgrove of the lake |
| Draighean |
Dreen |
Blackthorn place |
Dreen (Draighean - place of blackthorns) |
| Droím |
Drum |
Ridge |
Drumo (Droím Eo - ridge of Yews) |
| Dubh |
Doo, duff |
Black |
Lough Doo (Loch Dubh - Black lake) |
| Dún |
Doon, Dun |
Fort |
Duneane (Dún Dá Éan - fort of the two birds) |
| Éadan |
Eden |
Hill face |
Edenmore (Éadan Mór - Big hill face) |
| Eanach |
Annagh, Anna |
Marsh |
Annaghanarva (Eanach an Arbha - marsh of the corn) |
| Fada |
Fad, fada |
Long |
Killyfad (An Choillidh Fhada - long wood) |
| Gabhan |
Gowan |
Smith |
Ballygowan (Baile an nGabhann - townland of the smiths) |
| Gaoithe |
Gee |
Wind |
Drumnagee (Droim na Gaoith - ridge of the wnd) |
| Garbh |
Garvey, Garvagh |
Rough |
Garvaghy (Garbhachadh - rough field) |
| Glas |
Glass |
Green |
Moneyglass (An Muine Glas - the green thicket) |
| Gleann |
Glen |
Gken, valley |
Glengomna (Gleann Gamhna - the glen of the calf) |
| Gort |
Gort, gart |
Enclosed field |
Gortnamony (Gort na Mónadh - enclosed field of the bog) |
| Grianán |
Greenan |
Place facing the sun |
Greeenan (Grianán - sunny place) |
| Iolair |
eelar, illar |
Eagle |
Drummiller (Droim Iolair - ridge of the eagle) |
| Inis |
Inish, Inch |
Island |
Inisharoan (Inis an Róin - seal island ) |
| Lag |
Lag, Leg |
Hollow |
Legmore (Lag Mór - big hollow) |
| Leargaidh |
Largy |
Sloping hill |
Largy (Leargaidh - sloping hill) |
| Lios |
Lis |
Fort |
Lisnasliggan (Lios na Sliogán - fort of the shells) |
| Locháin |
Lochan |
Little Lakes (Loch - lake - plus diminutive) |
Loughan (Na Locháin - the little lakes) |
| Loch |
Lough |
Lake |
Drumlough (Ridge of the lake) |
| Lorgain |
Lurgan |
Ridge |
Lurgantamry (Lorgain an tSamhraidh - ridge of summer) |
| Machaire |
Maghera |
Plain |
Magherabeg (Machaire Beag - small plain) |
| Maigh |
Moy |
Plain |
Moira (Maigh Rath - Plain of the fort) |
| Mór |
More |
Big |
Tamnaghmore (An Tamhnach Mhór - big field or clearing) |
| Muine |
Money |
Thicket, shrubbery |
Moneynick (Muine Chnoic - thicket of the hill) |
| Mullach |
mullach |
Hill summit |
Mullabrack (Mullach Breac - speckled hill summit) |
| Mullán |
Mullan |
Summit |
Mullinsallagh (Mullán Saileach - summit of the willows) |
| -na- |
-na- |
of the |
Culnafay (Cuíl na Bheithe - corner of the birch) |
| Poll |
Pol |
Hollow |
Ballybollen (Baile na bPollán - townland of the hollows) |
| Poirt |
Port |
Landing place |
Portdoo (An Port Dubh - the black port) |
| Ramhar |
rammer |
Broad |
Drumramer (Droím Ramhar - broad rifdge) |
| Rath |
Rath |
Fort |
Rathfriland (Rath Fraoileann - Fraiole's fort) |
| Riabhach |
Reagh |
Grey |
Ballyreagh (An Baile Riabhach - grey townland) |
| Rinn |
Ring |
Point |
Ringclare (Rinn Chláir - point of the plain)r |
| Saileach |
Sally, sallagh |
Willow |
Drumsallagh (Droim Saileach - ridge of willow) |
| Sceach |
Skeagh |
Hawthorn |
The Skeagh (An Sceath - the hawthorn) |
| Sliabh |
Slieve |
Mountain |
Slievenabrock (Sliabh na mBroc - mountain of the badgers) |
| Sráid |
Straid |
Street/village |
Straid (Sráid - street/village) |
| Sruthán |
Struan |
Stream |
Surhanleanantawey (Sruthán Léana an tSamhaidh - stream of the sorrel meadow) |
| Tamhnach |
Tawney, Tonagh |
Field |
Tonaghmore (Tamhnach Mór - big field) |
| Tamlaght |
Tamlacht |
Pagan burial place |
Tamhlacht (Tamhlacht - pagan burial place) |
| Teampall |
Temple |
Church |
Templastragh (Teampall Lasrach - Lasair's church) |
| Tobar |
Tober |
Well |
Tobernaveen (Tobar na bhFiann - well of the Fianna) |
| Tuar |
Tor |
Cattlefield |
Tornaroan (Tuar na Ruán - Cattlefield of the red patches) |
| Tulaigh |
Tully |
Mound or hill |
Tullyree (Tulaigh Fhraoigh - hill of the heather) |
| Tir |
Tyr, tir |
Land |
Tirfergus (Tir Fearghais - Fergus' land) |
| Uachtar |
Aughter |
Upper part |
Aughterclooney (Uachtar Cluana - upper part of the meadow) |