Names that mean “valley”
37 fragments across 26 traditions carry this sense. 25 of them close a name against 12 that open one, so it usually lands as the second element.
Valley names across the traditions
¶They are spread across 6 different families, from real world outward, which is the mark of a sense so basic that almost every tradition needs a word for it. Celtic is among those carrying the most, with 4 separate fragments for it — a tradition that needs this many words for one idea is telling you something about what it cares about.
Nanto initial · nantos final · nanta final · nanton final
- Nantorix
Nanto valley + rix king
valley king
- Nantonertos
Nanto valley + nertos strong
valley strong
- Nantobannos
Nanto valley + bannos peak
valley peak
- Argionantos
Argio silver + nantos valley
silver valley
- Vironantos
Viro man + nantos valley
man valley
- Bitunantos
Bitu world + nantos valley
world valley
- Bitunanta
Bitu world + nanta valley
world valley
- Catunanta
Catu battle + nanta valley
battle valley
- Nemetonanta
Nemeto sacred + nanta valley
sacred valley
- Ritunanton
Ritu ford + nanton valley
ford valley
- Rigonanton
Rigo royal + nanton valley
royal valley
- Gabronanton
Gabro goat + nanton valley
goat valley
thal final · vale final · Dolina initial · dol final
- Totenthal
Toten dead + thal valley
dead-valley
- Nikolthal
Nikol victory + thal valley
victory-valley
- Grabthal
Grab grave + thal valley
grave-valley
- Zlatavale
Zlata golden + vale valley
golden-valley
- Lianavale
Liana vine + vale valley
vine-valley
- Bogdavale
Bogda god-given + vale valley
god-given-valley
- Dolinaweg
Dolina valley + weg road
valley-road
- Dolinaquelle
Dolina valley + quelle water source
valley-water source
- Dolinamond
Dolina valley + mond moon
valley-moon
- Lupdol
Lup wolf + dol valley
wolf-valley
- Branadol
Brana gate + dol valley
gate-valley
- Tiefdol
Tief deep + dol valley
deep-valley
del final · Vale initial
- Ulfdel
Ulf wolf + del valley
wolf valley
- Sardel
Sar shield + del valley
shield valley
- Zardel
Zar flame + del valley
flame valley
- Valemoor
Vale valley + moor wild upland
valley wild upland
- Valethatch
Vale valley + thatch roof straw
valley roof straw
- Valefrost
Vale valley + frost biting cold
valley biting cold
tani final · dani final
- Masatani
Masa correct + tani valley
correct valley
- Namitani
Nami wave + tani valley
wave valley
- Shizutani
Shizu quiet + tani valley
quiet valley
- Kodani
Ko small + dani valley
small valley
- Kitadani
Kita north + dani valley
north valley
- Kurodani
Kuro black + dani valley
black valley
Val initial · dalle final
- Valpre
Val valley + pre meadow
valley meadow
- Valvaux
Val valley + vaux vales
valley vales
- Valbec
Val valley + bec stream
valley stream
- Puydalle
Puy peak + dalle valley
peak valley
- Vertdalle
Vert green + dalle valley
green valley
- Granddalle
Grand great + dalle valley
great valley
val final · Vallee final
- Speculval
Specul mirror + val valley
mirror valley
- Nemval
Nem grove + val valley
grove valley
- Pratval
Prat meadow + val valley
meadow valley
Glyn initial · Cwm initial
- Glyngoch
Glyn valley + goch crimson
valley crimson
- Glynfad
Glyn valley + fad lucky
valley lucky
- Glynfro
Glyn valley + fro vale
valley vale
- Cwmwen
Cwm valley + wen white
valley white
- Cwmwyllt
Cwm valley + wyllt wild
valley wild
- Cwmlwyd
Cwm valley + lwyd grey
valley grey
dal final
- Onndal
Onn opened + dal valley
opened the valley
- Calddal
Cald froze + dal valley
froze the valley
- Lammdal
Lamm lamed + dal valley
lamed the valley
Val initial
- Valfleur
Val valley + fleur norse inlet
valley norse inlet
- Valpont
Val valley + pont bridge
valley bridge
- Valfort
Val valley + fort stronghold
valley stronghold
koilas final
- Chionokoilas
Chiono snow + koilas valley
snow valley
- Koilokoilas
Koilo hollow + koilas valley
hollow valley
- Trachokoilas
Tracho rough + koilas valley
rough valley
dale final
- Huntdale
Hunt game seeking + dale valley
game seeking valley
- Cedardale
Cedar fragrant wood + dale valley
fragrant wood valley
- Kirkdale
Kirk church + dale valley
church valley
slad final
- Corrslad
Corr crane + slad valley
crane valley
- Gormslad
Gorm blue + slad valley
blue valley
- Rathslad
Rath earthwork + slad valley
earthwork valley
dal final
- Durdal
Dur enduring + dal valley
enduring valley
- Urddal
Urd fate + dal valley
fate valley
- Kragdal
Krag crag + dal valley
crag valley
nan final
- Rynnan
Ryn oak + nan valley
oak valley
- Galnan
Gal tree + nan valley
tree valley
- Arnnan
Arn sun + nan valley
sun valley
Val initial
- Valpré
Val valley + pré meadow
valley meadow
- Valville
Val valley + ville town
valley town
- Valverger
Val valley + verger orchard
valley orchard
tal final
- Langtal
Lang long + tal valley
long valley
- Sandtal
Sand sandy ground + tal valley
sandy ground valley
- Brauntal
Braun brown + tal valley
brown valley
combe final
- Garthcombe
Garth yard + combe valley
yard valley
- Podcombe
Pod seedcase + combe valley
seedcase valley
- Cobcombe
Cob hazelnut + combe valley
hazelnut valley
dale final
- Pinedale
Pine pine tree + dale valley
pine tree valley
- Mapledale
Maple maple tree + dale valley
maple tree valley
- Milldale
Mill grinding house + dale valley
grinding house valley
Glen initial
- Glennure
Glen valley + nure yew
valley yew
- Glengar
Glen valley + gar short
valley short
- Glenail
Glen valley + ail cliff
valley cliff
vale final
- Ormvale
Orm serpent + vale valley
serpent valley
- Fenvale
Fen marsh + vale valley
marsh valley
- Vindvale
Vind wind + vale valley
wind valley
dale final
- Bramdale
Bram bramble + dale valley
bramble valley
- Golddale
Gold yellow metal + dale valley
yellow metal valley
- Newdale
New recent + dale valley
recent valley
Dale initial
- Dale Bentley
Dale valley + bentley bent-grass meadow
valley, bent-grass meadow
- Dale Stanton
Dale valley + stanton stone settlement
valley, stone settlement
- Dale Sutton
Dale valley + sutton south settlement
valley, south settlement
Vale initial
- Vale Halyard
Vale valley + halyard sail rope
valley, called the sail rope
- Vale the Red
Vale valley + the red red
valley, called the red
- Vale Bilgewater
Vale valley + bilgewater bilge water
valley, called the bilge water
vallis final
- Albvallis
Alb white + vallis valley
white valley
- Salvallis
Sal salt + vallis valley
salt valley
- Caelvallis
Cael sky + vallis valley
sky valley
Glen initial
- Gleninch
Glen valley + inch water meadow
valley water meadow
- Glenmod
Glen valley + mod courage
valley courage
- Glenkirk
Glen valley + kirk church
valley church
dale final
- Westdale
West evening side + dale valley
evening side valley
- Blackdale
Black burnt dark + dale valley
burnt dark valley
- Ashdale
Ash ash tree + dale valley
ash tree valley
Senses that travel together
Each of these shares at least two traditions with “valley”. Senses that keep turning up in the same sets usually belong to one semantic field — the small vocabulary a naming tradition returns to again and again.
Corpus under CC BY 4.0 — every fragment above has a stable anchor, so you can cite one entry rather than the whole site.