Part of our work with the list of historic Place Names is to encourage people from all parts of Wales to send their place names in to us. These names will not only be included in the List and kept safe there forever, but the public will also be able to search for them according to source on the website. As you’ll see when using the Advanced Search function, the ones we have currently include names of houses, farms, fields and the like, which were sent in by people from Ceredigion. These were either the fruit of local place name projects, or were drawn from maps owned or compiled by the families who sent them in.

More than thirty names have already been collected by three people in Ceredigion, and there are more on the way, so come on rest of Wales! Don’t let the Cardis take all the glory! We’ve already got names from Ffos y Ffin, Pont Siân, and Aberystwyth, with Cwmystwyth soon to follow, but what about Bethesda, Halkyn, Maenclochog or Patrishow? What about Sully or Abertillery? You can send your place names in either through the enquiries form, which can be found on the website, by emailing us directly, or by speaking to our Place Names Officer, James January-McCann after he’s given a talk on the List in your area. (Of course, you’ll have to arrange for him to visit first... he doesn’t charge an appearance fee!)

So what are you waiting for? The List belongs to the people of Wales, and it’s vial that you take ownership of it. There are thousands and thousands of place names which only exist in speech, without any written record, and the only way for us to upload them to the List is for you to send them in to us. So, speak to your grandparents, ask your local historians and experts, and send the names in!

For those of you who missed James' interview on Radio Cymru this week, or if you fancy hearing it again, here's the link below to listen again:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09r7nzk

The talk lasts from 40:50 to 57:05, and includes a discussion of the current state of place names in Wales, of the process which led to the creation of the List, and the sources which were used to compile it. If you haven't yet had the opportunity to attend one of the talks James has been giving across Wales, this will provide a good introduction to the history and contents of the List. 

A brief note for those of you who are learning Welsh - both James and Dei speak fairly slowly throughout the interview, so don't be afraid to listen in. Enjoy!