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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. 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.

In November 2024, the authority stated that the change to Yr Wyddfa and Eryri over Snowdon and Snowdonia respectively, had been a "success".

Background

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.

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", 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" of Welsh place-names.

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

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. The NPA stated that using the Welsh name would make visitors engage with the Welsh language and culture.

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. 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. 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". 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".

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

In November 2024, the authority stated that the name changes had been a "success" as many businesses and media had followed suit. The authority stated that a summer survey showed "strong support" from locals and visitors for the name change. While some concerns were raised over misconceptions by some that the Welsh names were new and mispronunciations, the authority stated that the change resulted in the park being more associated with a Welsh identity, and more different from other UK national parks. The authority is set to make a pronunciation guide, a report on the changes, and update its logo which still contains Snowdonia.

Notable individual renamings

• Carnedd Uchaf to Carnedd Gwenllian – 2009 name change to honour Gwenllian of Wales.
• There has been dispute over the spelling of the name of the mountain Cadair Idris, with the national park authority preferring "Cader Idris". It has been argued that "Cadair" is the more-widely used correct spelling.
• 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". The Welsh Language Commissioner still recognises Snowdon in their list of standardised Welsh place-names in Gwynedd.
• 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". The English name is set in law, so would still be required on statutory documents. A local marathon, the Snowdonia Marathon, endorsed this change when announced a rebranding as Marathon Eryri.

Lake name standardisation

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

• 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.

List of standardised lake names

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. Some alternative names were provided in an earlier NPA meeting.

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

Further reviews

The NPA has announced that it is now to look at the names of waterfalls and mountains in the national park. 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.

See also

• 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

References

1. "Place Names". Snowdonia National Park. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
2. ^ Jones, Rhys (2 February 2023). "Welsh place names are being erased – and so are the stories they tell". The Conversation. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
3. "Outrage as caravan park replaces 100-year-old Welsh name with English alternative". ITV News. 29 April 2022.
4. Renwick, Will (19 April 2023). "Welsh places often get renamed - but usually into English". TGO Magazine. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
5. ^ "Snowdon: Park to use mountain's Welsh name Yr Wyddfa". BBC News. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
6. G, Ioan (16 November 2022). "Paper on Place Names Principles approved in order to safeguard and celebrate Welsh place names within the National Park". Snowdonia National Park. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
7. "Eryri National park lake names to only be referred to in Welsh". ITV News. 16 November 2023.
8. GwenAeron (15 November 2023). "The National Park Authority, The School of Welsh at Cardiff University and the Welsh Language Commissioner work in collaboration to standardise a list of Eryri's lake names". Snowdonia National Park. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
9. ^ "Wales' largest national park to only use Welsh names for lakes and waterfalls". The Independent. 19 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
10. ^ "Snowdonia: Eryri National Park to use Welsh lake names only". BBC News. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
11. NationCymru (4 August 2020). "It's Llyn Bochlwyd, not Lake Australia: Why we should protect our Welsh place names". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
12. "Yr Wyddfa: National park to continue using Welsh name for Snowdon". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
13. Williams, Sally (23 September 2009). "Honour bestowed on Wales 'lost Princess'". Wales Online. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
14. Jones-Williams, Eryl (13 April 2016). "Cadair or Cader Idris? Row breaks out over Snowdonia mountain's spelling". North Wales Live. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
15. "Row over spelling of Cader Idris mountain settled". BBC News. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
16. "Cadair Idris sign campaign to name mountain Cader Idris". BBC News. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
17. "Mount Snowdon to be known by Welsh name 'Yr Wyddfa' rather than English after National Park vote". ITV News. 17 November 2022.
18. "Welsh Place Names". www.welshlanguagecommissioner.wales. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
19. "Snowdon and Snowdonia to be referred to by Welsh names, authority decides". Cambrian News. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
20. "Snowdonia Marathon ditches English name in favour of Marathon Eryri". Sky News. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
21. Price, Stephen (20 November 2023). "Historic Welsh lake names safeguarded by National Park Authority". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
22. "NOTICE OF MEETING" (PDF). Snowdonia National Park Authority. 15 November 2023.
23. "Notice of Meeting" (PDF). Snowdonia National Park Authority. 13 October 2021.

• Welsh language
• Snowdonia
• Welsh toponymy
• Welsh nationalism
• Geographical renaming