page_title: List of Celtic place names in Galicia
section_title: Ancient Celtic toponyms
hierarchical_section_title: List of Celtic place names in Galicia / Ancient Celtic toponyms
caption_attribution_description: Galego: Río Tambre na parroquia de Portomouro, Val do Dubra, Galiza Publish by= Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez.
context_page_description: The Celtic toponymy of Galicia is the whole of the ancient or modern place, river, or mountain names which were originated inside a Celtic language, and thus have Celtic etymology, and which are or were located inside the limits of modern Galicia.
context_section_description: In Galicia, approximately half of the non Latin toponyms transmitted from antiquity in the works of classical geographers and authors (Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder, Ptolemy...), or in epigraphic Roman inscriptions, have been found to be Celtic, being the other half mostly Indo-European but either arguably non Celtic, or lacking a solid Celtic etymology.
  Here is a non exhaustive list of toponyms which have been found to be, probably, Celtic. The most characteristic element is -bri(s), from Proto-Celtic *brigs, with its derivative *brigā, both meaning 'hill', and thence 'hillfort' and 'town'. The only type of settlement known in Galicia during the Iron Age are forts and fortified towns (castros) built in hills and peninsulas. Many of them were abandoned after the Roman conquest.
  Aediobri: From a votive inscription to the god BANDVE AEDIOBRICO. To *aydu- 'fire' or *(p)ētu- '(grass)land, territory', and *brixs 'hill(fort)'. Cf. Irish brí 'hill' and Welsh brig 'crest', and the people of the Aedui in Gaul.
  Asseconia or Assegonion: A town. Maybe to *Ad-sego- 'The very strong one'.
  Aviliobris: Castle (hillfort) in NW Galicia. To *Awelyobrixs 'Windy Hill'. Cf. Breton/Welsh awel 'wind'.
  Adrobricam urbem: City of the Artabri. To *brig- 'hill(fort)'.
  Alanobricae – Eiras in San Amaro
  Albiones: A people living in between the rivers Navia and Eo. To *albiyo- '(upper) world' or 'country'.
  Arrotrebae: A people living by the seashore, in NW Galicia. To *trebā 'settlement', and *aryo-, either 'free man' or a derivative of *(p)are- 'in front of'.
  Aunios: An island on the Atlantic Ocean, modern Ons. To Celtic *auni-, of unclear meaning and etymology. Hydatius mentions a local people called Aunonenses, confronted with the Suevi newcomers in the 5th century.
  Berisamo: A hillfort of the Cileni. Probably to the superlative *Bergisamo- 'The highest one'.
  Beriso: A hillfort of the Cabarci, probably to the comparative *Bergiso- 'The higher one'.
  Bonisana: A town. To *bonu- 'foundation, base, butt'. Cf. Old Iris bun 'foundation, base, estuary'.
  Brevis: A town. To *brīwā 'bridge'.
  Brigantia: Ancient city, most probably modern A Coruña (Faro Bregancio in 971 CE). From *brigant- 'relevant, powerful'.
  Callaecia 'The land of the Callaeci', to *kallā- 'wood' with a local complex suffix -āik-. Later it became Gallicia, modern Galicia or Galiza.
  Calubriga: A hillfort. To *brigā 'hill(fort)', and a first element of unclear meaning.
  Cambetum: A town. To *kambo- 'crooked, twisted'.
  Canibri: A town. To *kani- 'good, nice' and *brigs 'hill(fort)'. Cf. Old Irish cain 'good, nice'.
  Celtici: Either a descriptive name applied by classical geographers to a group of peoples living in Western Galicia, or a Celtic endonym based on the *kelt- theme also present in a series of Hispano-Celtic names: CELTIATUS, CELTIATIS, ARCELTI, CONCELTI, CELTIUS.
  Cistonia: A town. To *kistā- 'woven basket', and eventually 'chariot'.
  Coelerni: A people living in southern Galicia. To *koyl- 'thin (naked, bold)'. Cf. Old Irish cóil 'meagre, lean'.
  Coeliobriga: An oppidum near Celanova, most probably the capital of the Coelerni. To *koyl- and *brigā.
  Copori: A people dwelling in central Galicia, from the confluence of the Sar and Ulla rivers in the west, until Lugo in the east. Their name is probably non-Celtic, but note the Pictish *copor- 'confluence', maybe to *kom-bero- 'confluence' (or 'bring together').
  Ebora: Harbour, by the mouth of the Tambre river. To *eburo- 'yew'.
  Ebronanto (Valerio of Bierzo, Ordo Cerimonialis, c. 650). A state near modern Rubiá. To *Eburo-nantu 'Yew-Valley'.
  Equasei: A people living in southern Galicia. To *ekʷo- 'horse'. Cf. Old Irish ech 'horse'.
  Ercoriobri: A hillfort of the Albiones. A composite with first element *(p)are-koro- 'blow, shot' (cf. Old Breton ercor 'blow, stroke'), or *Ēri-corio- 'army/tribe of the west', and *brixs 'hill / hillfort'.
  Gigurri: A people living in actual Valdeorras. From *Gigur-yo, maybe 'the gander (people)'. Cf. Old Irish gigrann 'gander'.
  Glandomirum: To *glendos- 'valley, shore'.
  Iria: modern Padrón. To *(p)īweryā- 'Ferti
caption: The Tambre river, ancient Tamaris.
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