Wigwig, New Invention, lynx and midges - the origins of some of Shropshire's weird and wonderful place names

With many years of mismatched pronunciations and inconsistent spellings, unpicking the origins of place names isn't always an easy task. 

Last year, we delved into the history behind the names of some of Shropshire's larger towns to discover the origins of Shrewsbury, Wellington, Ludlow and more. 

But for Shropshire Day 2025, we're having a look at some of the stranger names of smaller villages and hamlets to uncover the history behind the street signs that may make you double take. 

To the north of Much Wenlock is a very small hamlet with the unusual name of Wig Wig (or Wigwig). 

Its name is recorded in the Domesday book as "Wigewic", is probably derived from an Old English personal name along the lines of Wyga - along with wic, meaning  "settlement" ("Wyga's settlement").

Wigwig, and its neighbour, Homer, inspired the title and main characters of the 1969 children's book, Wigwig and Homer, by Philip Turner.

The naming of the tiny hamlet of New Invention appears to be a little mysterious. There's a rumour circulating around the internet that a local farrier had the idea of fitting horseshoes backwards to confuse the enemy in times of war, but given the same rumour is circulating about Napoleon and Pancho Villa - it has all the markings of a local legend. 

There's also a theory that they were the first village in the district to use water power to help with spinning - but that's almost certainly been discredited too.

What's a bit more likely is that the modern prefix 'New Inn' has been added to an older name, possibly acquiring 'Vention' from 'Fenton' or 'Fentone' meaning 'settlement in a marshy place'. 

There's also a document at the Shropshire Archives that talks about "that new house called the New Invention", so the hamlet could have simply taken the name of a house or inn. Not as fun as backwards horseshoes though.

This Shrewsbury street took its name from the medieval version of a speed bump. It's a mutation of the word 'duckpole' was a pole that was suspended across the end of a street which forced people to dismount from horseback. A much more savoury street name origin than its Shrewsbury sibling, Grope Lane.

There's not a huge amount to say about Pant, near Oswestry - but it's name evokes a chuckle from those seeing it for the first time and is therefore still worth a mention.

Pant simply means 'hollow' or 'valley' in Welsh and is used in a similar way as the English like to bandy 'Bottom' around in their place names.

The border town shares its name with several Pant siblings in Wales - alongside much fancier Pants, including Pantyfallen, Pant-y-Phillip and Pantycoch.

A classic version of Salopian's taking the Welsh name and butchering the spelling - documentation from the late 19th century states the ancient name of Knockin was Cnukyn or Cnwcyn, which is the Welsh word for 'small mound' or 'hillock'.

Quite possibly the most wholesome place name in our fair county - the use of the word Hope in toponymy usually comes from the Old English word for 'valley', which was 'hop'.

Lostford near Hodnet, might not seem like the most interesting place name but it's cooler than you might think. As well as being able to use place names to reconstruct earlier landscapes (like Shrewsbury's origins as Scrobbesbyrig - meaning 'fort in the scrubland region'), they can also tell us about the wildlife that lived there.

Older versions of the name Lostford include the Old English word lox, for 'lynx', in place of 'lost' - which tells us that in Anglo-Saxon times at least, the lynx still frequented this part of Shropshire.

Speaking to the Shropshire Star about this back in 2015, Dr John Baker said: "Until recently, it was believed that the lynx had become extinct in England before the Anglo-Saxon period, but archaeological remains are also beginning to corroborate the evidence of this place name, showing that the lynx survived until at least the 6th or 7th centuries."

Along similar lines, I was hopeful that the small village of Howle, or Howl, near Newport would have some kind of wolfy origins. Much to my disappointment, it appears that it's actually a mutation of the Old English personal name Hyge or from a word meaning hill. It's recorded in the Domesday Book as the manor of Hugle.

Yet another animal-esque place name with no connection to animals. The picturesque village of Badger near Bridgnorth used to be referred to as 'Bagsore'. 

The late and great toponymist Margaret Gelling believed this to have originated from the Anglo-Saxon personal name 'Bæcg-' similar to the origins of Beckbury, and '-ofer' meaning hill spur.

Monkhall in Monkhopton is an interesting example of how modern attempts to understand the origins of a place name can impact its pronounciation. 

From the earliest spellings (e.g. Muggehala 1182) toponymists believe Monkhall originally meant 'nook infested by midges' from the Old English mycg/midge and halh/nook. 

That suggests that it was originally pronounced Mughall, which would have soon become Muckhall, neither of which sound all that appealing. 

The area also has a longstanding connection with Wenlock Priory, so by the 19th century, the name began to be written as Monk Hall, or Monkhall. 

Shropshire Day is celebrated on February 23 to mark the creation of Shropshire's County Council in 1889. It's a day to celebrate the county's history, culture, and natural beauty. Residents often have events, festivals, and activities to honour the region. Join the Shropshire Star in celebrating everything that makes our region special!