Recommended place-names in Snowdonia

The Eryri National Park Authority (previously Snowdonia NPA) has recommended the use of some Welsh place-names when referring to features in Snowdonia, Wales, now known by its Welsh language name, Eryri.

Most place-names in Snowdonia are of Welsh origin, with some of them having connections to Welsh folklore.^[1] However, a few recent private name-changes from Welsh into English have inspired a campaign to use the Welsh names of places in Snowdonia which currently use English place names or anglicisations, to allow the promotion of the Welsh language and culture. Standardisation of Welsh place names has also been conducted, choosing a preferred Welsh form over multiple versions.

The status of Welsh place names had been debated for decades, with them only becoming present on road signs in Wales in the 1960s following a long campaign to make the signs bilingual rather than in English only. Protesters argued that the use of such English-only signs was an indication that Wales was an "English and British territory" and that bilingual signs would distinguish Wales as a separate country with its own language and identity.^[2]

In recent years, localised private name changes have been occurring elsewhere in Wales, replacing the previously long-standing Welsh name with an English alternative. This include the renaming of an Aberystwyth caravan park from the long-standing "Glan y Môr" to an English name "Aber Bay",^[3] a Ceredigion farm changing its name from "Faerdre Fach" to "Happy Donkey Hill" to appeal to tourists, and the use of "Cable Bay" over the older Welsh name of "Porth Trecastell" in Anglesey, and the tourist name "Lake Australia" over the older Welsh "Llyn Bochlwyd" in Snowdonia. These were cited as examples of Welsh place-names being under threat by language campaigners, who are now leading a campaign for the protection, re-emphasis and "rediscover[y]" of Welsh place-names.^[2][4]

In 2022, a Gwynedd councillor put forward a motion asking the national park authority to stop using the English names Snowdon and Snowdonia.^[5]

On 16 November 2023, the Snowdonia National Park Authority voted to use the Welsh names Eryri and Yr Wyddfa, over their pre-existing names used in English, Snowdonia and Snowdon, respectively. In the same meeting, the NPA adopted a paper on "Place Name Principles" which would be the guide the NPA is to use when addressing place-names within the national park. By the time of the meeting, the NPA had already prioritised the Welsh names in documents, while keeping the English names in parentheses as a temporary courtesy.^[6][5] The NPA stated that using the Welsh name would make visitors engage with the Welsh language and culture.^[5]

The national park authority worked with Cardiff University School of Welsh and the Welsh Language Commissioner to recommend a standard list of the names of lakes in Snowdonia. The NPA then voted in a meeting on 15 November 2023 to accept the list's recommendations; it voted unanimously in favour. The NPA stated that the list was to "safeguard" the area's Welsh place-names and its heritage.^[7][8] The list most notably recommends that use of all the few English-language names for lakes in Snowdonia be discouraged in favour of their Welsh names.^[9] Notable discouraged names are "Bala Lake" (or "Lake Bala"), to be replaced by "Llyn Tegid"; "Australia Lake" (or "Lake Australia"), to be replaced by "Llyn Bochlwyd"; and "Bearded Lake", to be replaced by "Llyn Barfog".^[10][11] The move was described as being part of a campaign by language activists for historical sites to be referred to by their Welsh names only, and was referred to as "Welsh names for Welsh places".^[9]

The NPA is to look at the names of waterfalls and mountains in the national park.^[10]

• Carnedd Uchaf to Carnedd Gwenllian – 2009 name change to honour Gwenllian of Wales.^[12]
• There has been dispute over the spelling of the name of the mountain Cadair Idris, with the national park authority preferring "Cader Idris".^[13][14] It has been argued that "Cadair" is the more-widely used correct spelling.^[15]
• Snowdon changed to Yr Wyddfa – On 16 November 2022, the NPA announced that it would be phasing out its use of "Snowdon" and instead be using the Welsh name "Yr Wyddfa".^[5][16] The Welsh Language Commissioner still recognises Snowdon in their list of standardised Welsh place-names in Gwynedd.^[17]
• Snowdonia National Park changed to Eryri National Park – On 16 November, the NPA announced that it would be phasing out its use of "Snowdonia" for the Welsh name "Eryri".^[5] The English name is set in law, so would still be required on statutory documents.^[18] A local marathon, the Snowdonia Marathon, endorsed this change when announced a rebranding as Marathon Eryri.^[19]

The main issues with the existing toponymy to be addressed, as part of a standardisation of names, were:^[20]

• To decide whether a name is to be with or without hyphens, or mutations, and recommend a name over colloquial versions.
• Consider the history, meaning and origin of the name. Emphasise local use, consultations with those closely connected to the names, and using specialised local knowledge.
• Using the knowledge of national park wardens to correct any misspellings that have been prevalent on maps for years.

The list below is from the documents prepared for the 15 November 2023 meeting in which the national park authority voted on whether to support the list. However, the NPA has not publicly released a list, and it is not known whether its list matches that presented during the meeting.^[21] Some alternative names were provided in an earlier NPA meeting.^[22]

Various reasons were provided for the selection of names on the original list.

The NPA has announced that it is now to look at the names of waterfalls and mountains in the national park.^[10] A list of standardised names of waterfalls has not been released as of November 2023, but it is reportedly likely to encourage use of Welsh names only.^[9]

• List of lakes in Wales
• List of standardised Welsh place-names
• List of standardised Welsh place-names in Gwynedd
• List of standardised Welsh place-names in Conwy County Borough