Place-names are not just arbitrary sounds or quaint words. They had meaning to our remote ancestors who derived them for a reason. They give us insight into their physical world as well as revealing details of their daily lives such as their religion, the gods they worshipped, the superstitions they held and the kind of agriculture they practised.
In this article we look at just a few of some of Guernsey’s place names and their meanings.
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| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| ABREUVEUR | Cattle trough |
| ANE | Donkey |
| AUMONE | Alms |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| BAISSIERE | Lowland, Bog |
| BANQUE | Beach |
| BARRA(T) | Ditch |
| BAS | Below, Lower |
| BECQUET | Point |
| BERGER | Shepherd |
| BISSON | Bush |
| BORDAGE | Sub division of Fief |
| BOT | Bay |
| BOUET | A Wood |
| BOURG | Hamlet |
| BRAYE | Mud Flats |
| BRECQUE | Breach, Gap |
| BUTTES | Archery range |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| CACHE | Track |
| CAMP | Strip of land |
| CARREFOUR | Crossroads |
| CAPELLE | Chapel |
| CARRIERE | Quarry or Stony Path |
| CAUCHIE | Jetty, Causeway |
| CHAROTTERIE | Tannery |
| CHEMIN | Pathway |
| CHENE | Oak |
| CLERCS | Priory Houses |
| CLOTURE | Enclosure |
| COLOMBIER | Dove Cot |
| CORBIN | Crow, Raven |
| CORDERIE | Rope Walk |
| CORVEE | Stony field, used for making roads |
| COTTE | Croft |
| COUDRE | Copse |
| COUPE | Promontary |
| COUPEE | Summit |
| COURTIL | Field |
| CREVE COEUR | Nightshade |
| CREUX | Cave |
| CROUTE | Hard soil enclosure |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| DEHUS | Cromlech |
| DOUIT | Watercourse |
| DOUVRE | Bank, Earthwork |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| ECLUSE | Mill pond |
| ENCLOS | Estate, Enclosure |
| EPEROUERIE | Fish drying grounds |
| EPINE(L) | Thorns, Briars |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| FALAISE | Hill |
| FEUGRE or FEUGUEREL | Brackenfield |
| FIEF | Land division |
| FOSSE | Ditch, Porthole |
| FOUR | Kiln |
| FRENE | Ash |
| FRIE | Ley, Meadow |
| FRIQUET | Small grass plot |
| FROCQ | Wasteland |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| GALET | Shingle |
| GARENNE | Warren |
| GALLIE | Pebble Path |
| GENATS | Furzebreak |
| GIROUETTE | Weather Vane |
| GOTS | Boulders |
| GOUFFRE | Cave, Hollow |
| GRES | Gravel pit |
| GUET | Lookout place |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| HAUTGARD | Rickyard |
| HECHE | Field gate |
| HERITAGE | Estate |
| HOUGUE | Knoll, Mound |
| HOUMET or HOMMET | Islet or Peninsula |
| HURE | Hollow below ridge |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| ISSUES | Springs |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| JAONNIERE | Furzebreak |
| JUCQUER | Perch |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| LANDE | Moor, Common |
| LIEVRE | Hare |
| LORIERS | Bay leaves |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| MALADRIE | Burial ground |
| MARES | Marshes |
| MARAIS | Lowland, Marsh |
| MARESQUET | Salt swamp |
| MIELLE | Sandy heathland |
| MOYE | Point of land |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| NOCQ | Sluice gate |
| NOUETTE | Swamp |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| PENDUE | Summit, top of rock |
| PEZERIE | Fish drying ground |
| PICQUET | Guard House |
| PLANCHE or PLANQUE | Fording place |
| POMARE | Apple orchard |
| POMMIER | Apple tree |
| PONT | Bridge or dry crossing |
| PORTLET | Cove, Haven |
| PRE(PRAIS) | Fallow land |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| QUERIERE | Cart track |
| QUESNE | Oak |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| RAIE | Furrow |
| ROCQUE | Rock, Menhir |
| ROCQUER | Boulder |
| ROCQUAINE | Rocky coast |
| RONDIAUX | Marsh |
| RUISSE | Brooklet, Runnel |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| SALINE | Salt marsh |
| SAPIN | Pine |
| SAUVAGE | Swamp or Briar |
| SOUCIQUE | Marigold or Gold Bird |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| TRAPPE | Dolmen |
| TREPIED | Dolmen |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|
| VACHEUL | Swamp |
| VAL,VALLON | Valley |
| VARDE | Cairn |
| VARENDE | Fish drying ground |
| VARIOUF | Werewolf |
| VAU | Valley |
| VAZON | Swamp |
| VIDECLIN | Slope |
| VIVIER | Fish pond |
