List of Celtic place names in Portugal

Iberian Peninsula at about 200 BC [1].

In the area of modern Portugal a significant number of towns with Celtic toponymic were already mentioned by ancient Greek and Roman authors.

The regions where we can find a greater number of these names are in the north (inhabited by the Callaici or Callaeci) and center (inhabited by the Lusitanians) of Portugal. However, Celtic toponymy occurs throughout the whole country and is also found in the south (the Alentejo, inhabited by the Celtici, and the Algarve, inhabited by the Cynetes), which correspond to the ancient Roman provinces of Gallaecia and Lusitania.

The name of Portugal (Portvgalliæ) itself is partly of Celtic origin (see: Name of Portugal and Portus Cale).

Ancient (bracketed) and modern places in the Iberian Peninsula which have names containing the Celtic elements -brigā or -bris < -brixs 'hill, hillfort'. Celtic toponymy of Portugal (Western side of Iberia) is shown light-blue and yellow on the map.

List of towns and places

Celtic name	Modern name
Anobrega	Ponte da Barca
Anobra	Anobra in Condeixa-a-Nova. Likely derived from ānniyobris "hill", "ring" (Cf. old Irish ainne "ring"),[1]
Arabriga	probably Alenquer or between Sesimbra and Outão
Arcobica	probably Torrão in Alcácer do Sal
Arcobriga	probably near Braga
Aritium Praetorium	probably Tamazim, near Bemposta
Aritium oppidum vetus	Casal da Várzea
Aritium Vetus	Alvega in Abrantes
Aranni	probably near Ourique
Arandis	near Ourique
Ardila
Armona	Ilha de Armona
Auobriga/ *Aobriga	in the Ave Valley region
Equabonna/Aquabona	Coina in Barreiro
Auaron Pr.	Carreiro in Póvoa de Varzim (Cape Santo André)
Axabrica/Axabrix	Xabregas
Boidobr(ig)a (?)	Boidobra, in Covilhã. A combination of two elements: boudi[2] or *boudo- 'victory' (Welsh budd 'gain, benefit') and "briga".
Bracara	Braga
Brigantia	Bragança
Brita/s
Budens	Budens
*Burrulobriga	around Elvas
Caetobriga/Caetobrix/Kaitobrix	Setúbal
Caeilobricoi	Castro Daire in Lamas de Moledo
Calabria > Caliabriga	Castelo Calabre in Vila Nova de Foz Côa
Caladunum	probably Vilar de Perdizes in Montalegre
Cambra<Calambriga	Vale de Cambra (Aveiro), Casal de Cambra (Sintra)
Cale	Vila Nova de Gaia; Portucale; Portugal
Cantippo
Castellum Araocelum	São Cosmado in Mangualde
Catraleucus/ Contraleuco
Cempsibriga	Sesimbra
Colobre	Alcolobre in Constância (Colobre, 935 C.E.): the first element derives from *k^wolu- 'wheel'[3]
Conimbriga	Conímbriga, Condeixa-a-Nova; Coimbra (name only)
Civitas Aravorum <Aravi>	Marialva
Collippo	Batalha
Corumbriga
Cottaiobriga	near Almeida
Ebora	Évora
Eburobrittium	Óbidos
*Elaneobriga	around Braga
Evion
Ercobriga
Etobrico	Alenquer
Jerabrica/Gerabrica/Hierabrica	between Lisbon and Santarém
Jurumegna	Juromenha in Alandroal
Lacobriga	Lagos
Lamecum	Lamego
Langobriga	Fiães
castello Letiobri	around Braga
Lemos
Londobris	Berlengas
Longobriga	Longroiva in Mêda
Lubrigos	Vila Real
Civitas Aravorum <Aravi>	Marialva (Mêda)
Malaceca/Malateca	Marateca
Medrobiga	Marvão
Meidubriga	in Beira Alta
Mirobriga	Miróbriga
Mirobriga	Montemor o Velho
Meribriga/Merebriga	in Alentejo
Merobriga	probably Sines or near river Mira
Montobriga/Mundobriga	around Castelo de Vide
Moron	Almorol or Montalvão
Ocelum	Ferro probably in Covilhã
Pendraganum	Pedrógão Grande
Seliobriga	São Martinho de Pedrulhais in Sepins
Senabriga	Seia
Talabriga	Lamas do Vouga
Talabriga	Ponte de Lima, Estourãos
Tameobriga	near Paiva and Douro
Terena	Terena
Tongobriga/ Tuntobriga	"capela dos mouros" in Freixo
Tur(o)lobriga	around Chaves
Uxonoba
Vicus Camalocensis	around Crato
Vicus Veniensis	Cabeço de Lameirão in Meimoa
Vipasca	Aljustrel

List of rivers

Celtic name	Modern name
Arda from Proto-Celtic *ardwo- [4]	Arda
Latinised Arduinna from Celtic *ardwo- hight, related to forests, Goddess of the forests [5]	Ardena
Ardila *same as above	Ardila
Latinised Arauca from Celtic[6]	Arouca
Latinised Arauca from Celtic[7]	Arouce
Latinised Arauca from Celtic[8]	Arunca
Latinised Cavalum from Celtic/Gaulish *caballos - horse[9]	Cavalum
Lethes	Lima
Minius	Minho
Munda, Latinised Mundaecus or Mondaecus	Mondego
Latinised Tamaga, likely from Tamaca[10]	Tâmega

References

1. Prósper (2002) p. 376.
2. Delamarre, Xavier [in French] (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental [Dictionary of the Gaulish language: A linguistic approach to Old Continental Celtic]. Vol. (Collection des Hespérides, 9), 3rd edition, Éditions Errance. Errance. page boudi- of 83-84. ISBN 978-2877722377.
3. Matasovic (2009) s.v. k^wol-u-.
4. "An Etymological Lexicon of Proto-Celtic | Languages of Europe | Philology".
5. "Inactive".
6. "Arouca | Definição ou significado de Arouca no Dicionário Infopédia de Toponímia".
7. "Arouca | Definição ou significado de Arouca no Dicionário Infopédia de Toponímia".
8. "Arouca | Definição ou significado de Arouca no Dicionário Infopédia de Toponímia".
9. Whiter, Walter (1800). Etymologicon magnum, or Universal etymological dictionary, on a new plan [By W. Whiter]. Cambridge [England] Printed by F. Hodson, for the author. p. 158. caballos celtic etymology.
10. "Tâmega | Definição ou significado de Tâmega no Dicionário Infopédia de Toponímia".

• Falileyev. Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-Names. Aberystwyth University
• Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography
• Gamito, Teresa. The Celts in Portugal. Universidade do Algarve. E-Keltoi. Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies. Volume 6. The Celts in the Iberian Peninsula]
• Freire,José. "A Toponímia Céltica e os vestígios de cultura material da Proto-História de Portugal". Revista de Guimarães, Volume Especial, I, Guimarães, 1999, pp. 265–275
• Mapa pormenorizado dos Povos Pré-Romanos da Península Ibérica (200 AC)
• [2]
• Vias Romanas em Portugal Archived 2021-02-12 at the Wayback Machine
• Juan, Alonso. -Briga Toponyms in the Iberian Peninsula. University of Salamanca. E-Keltoi. Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies. Volume 6. "The Celts in the Iberian Peninsula"
• Buchanan, George. The history of Scotland... to the present time. pg 108
• Hazlitt, The Classical Gazetteer. Ancient Library. pg 190]
• Braganca Bragança, or Braganza, or Brigantia, or Juliobriga (Portugal) Encyclopædia Britannica online
• Atlas das Cidades Romanas em Portugal
• "Corumbriga" The Cambrian Journal. Cambrian Institute p 183
• Ptolemy's Geography. Book II, Chapter 4. Location of Lusitania Hispania (Second Map of Europe.Lacus Curtius]
• Perestrello da Câmara, Paulo. Diccionario geographico, historico, politico e litterario do reino de Portugal e seus Domínios pg 494 (two Mirobrigas)
• Bautista de Castro, João. Mappa de Portugal, pg 18 (Catraleucus)
• Pérez Vilatela, Luciano. Lusitania: Historia y etnología pg.7 (two Arcobrigas in Lusitânia)
• Memorias de la Real Academia de la historia. pg 81 Real Academia de la Historia. (three Arcobrigas)
• Alarcão,Jorge. Notas de arqueologia, epigrafia e toponímia – II
• Guerra, Amílcar. Caepiana: uma reavaliação crítica do problema da sua localização e enquadramento histórico. IPA Ministério da Cultura. (Longroiva)
• Alarcão,Jorge. Notas de arqueologia, epigrafia e toponímia – III^{[dead link‍]} (Valabriga-Merobriga)
• Guerra, Amílcar. POVOS, CULTURA E LÍNGUA NO OCIDENTE PENINSULAR: UMA PERSPECTIVA, A PARTIR DA TOPONOMÁSTICA Acta Palaeohispanica IX Palaeohispanica 5, (2005), pp 814–817]
• Los topónimos: Sus blasones y trofeos (la toponimia Mítica) pg 10 (Anobrega)
• Nascentes, Antenor. (1932) Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa. (ref. Xabregas)

See also

• Roman Geography of Portugal
• List of Celtic place names in Galicia
• List of Latin place names in Iberia
• List of Celtic place names in Italy