Place-names Advisory Service

The Board has a statutory responsibility to advise on the standard forms of Welsh place-names. This responsibility was inherited from the Place-names Advisory Committee.

We offer advice on the standard forms of Welsh place-names to individuals and organisations of all kinds in every part of the country. We work closely with Local Authorities, Ordnance Survey and others to advise them on the standard forms of place-names.

We are advised by our place-names consultant Professor Hywel Wyn Owen who is a recognized authority in the field and also by a team of experts, the Board's Place-names Standardization Team. We follow specific guidelines in carrying out this work.

You can read our Guidelines for Standardizing Place-Names in Wales by clicking here.

To discover the standard forms of Welsh place-names, please contact us using the address post@byig-wlb.org.uk.

We publish the forms recommended by us in the Enwau Cymru database (link on the right).