We have a knack for naming things well in Wales.
Take our highest peak for example: Yr Wyddfa. While the mountain’s English name, Snowdon, is thought to stem from the Old English for “snowy hill”, the landmark’s Welsh name is a touch more evocative, translating to ‘the tomb’, in reference to the legend of a giant being buried at the mountain’s summit.
Then of course there’s the oft-(mis)quoted, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, a village with the longest placename in the UK. The lengthy name was supposedly chosen deliberately in an attempt to drum up tourism to the destination on the isle of Ynys Môn (Anglesey) – an endeavor that proved quite the success, given the stream of selfie-snapping visitors that still visit the village’s elongated railway sign today.
However, one man is now delving beyond these famous examples, and has set himself the hefty challenge of uncovering the story behind every single placename in Wales.
Josef Roberts, from Colwyn Bay in North Wales, has had a fascination with language and history since he was young. Having spent years yacking to friends and colleagues about the etymology of various Welsh words, he realised there was an interest in uncovering the historic meaning behind Welsh placenames – and certainly a better format to try and explain them to people.
As a result, in November 2024, Joe launched Tirlun. Named after one of the Welsh words for “landscape”, the video-focused project features Joe travelling around Wales explaining the origins and forgotten histories behind the names of towns, mountains, rivers, lakes, and anything else he finds interesting.
Since launching the project, which is shared on various social platforms, including Instagram and YouTube, Joe has already discussed the etymology behind more than 200 Welsh names. Though he isn't able to select a particular favourite.
‘I personally like it a lot when a place is connected to a definite historical event or person,’ he says. ‘It's also nice when you notice the logic of a place name, like Llandudno, which, in English, means “the settlement attached to the church of St Tudno”, with the church still standing on the headland overlooking the town today.’
Aside from scratching an intellectual itch and giving him a great reason to get out exploring the Welsh countryside, Joe believes the project also serves a more serious purpose, providing a stepping stone for people, particularly visitors to the country, to engage with Welsh culture.
‘There's a bit of tension around the restoration and removal of placenames in Wales at the moment,’ says Joe. ‘I think ultimately it's a good thing that steps are being taken to preserve the Welsh placenames, but I feel that sometimes it's a lot to ask someone to use a name that they aren't familiar with, in a language they aren't familiar with.’
‘I think that by explaining to people who don't speak Welsh the meaning of a place, the pronunciation, the history of it, in a pleasant way, you can help encourage people to understand why these things are important as part of our heritage, and maybe even get people trying to use them,’ he adds.
Joe holds weighty ambitions for the project, with an overall goal of digging into the meaning behind every placename in Wales. With at least 5000 names to comb through, according to Joe’s own calculations, he believes that that feat will take him anywhere between three to ten years to achieve.
In the shorter term, he aims to steadily grow his ever-increasing number of followers, who are eager to learn more about the Welsh language and see some lesser-explored parts of the country on screen. He also hopes to manoeuvre into a position where he can focus on the project full time, securing collaborations and partnerships to financially support his endeavour, which allows him to intertwine his personal passions with the joy of getting outside and seeing more of his homeland.
‘I'm a bit of an explorer at heart, and I walk to almost everywhere I film,’ he says. ‘I've particularly enjoyed exploring the uplands of Flintshire recently, as well as pretty much anywhere along the coastal path – but really it's beautiful wherever I go, it's hard to find an ugly place in Wales!’
There’s certainly no hidden meaning in those words.
Follow Joe’s progress on the Tirlun Instagram page, as well as on YouTube and TikTok.