Lleoedd Places

Welsh places

Explore the historic counties of Wales and see how your ancestors lived and moved.

Siroedd Counties

The thirteen historic counties

156 parishes

Anglesey

Ynys Môn

Ancient seat of Welsh princes and druids, rich in royal genealogies and tribal links back to the Mabinogi.

Royal lineagesAncient churches
89 parishes

Breconshire

Sir Frycheiniog

Land of the Beacons and the old kingdom of Brycheiniog, home to many Norman-Welsh families.

Norman influenceBrecon Beacons
89 parishes

Caernarfonshire

Sir Gaernarfon

Heart of medieval Gwynedd and Caernarfon Castle, with some of the strongest genealogical traditions and many royal lines.

Gwynedd royaltyHistoric castles
128 parishes

Carmarthenshire

Sir Gaerfyrddin

The garden of Wales: farming country, Merlin's legendary birthplace, and extensive records.

Merlin legendsAgricultural
75 parishes

Cardiganshire

Sir Aberteifi

Coastal county with strong scholarly traditions, early universities and distinctive patronymic naming.

Scholarly traditionCoastal heritage
67 parishes

Denbighshire

Sir Ddinbych

The Vale of Clwyd and Denbigh's market heritage, with many gentry families and well-documented lineages.

Market townsVale of Clwyd
56 parishes

Flintshire

Sir y Fflint

Industrial border county: patterns shaped by English neighbours and mining communities.

Industrial heritageBorder region
118 parishes

Glamorganshire

Sir Forgannwg

From Cardiff's growth to the mining Valleys: how industry changed Welsh family patterns.

Industrial revolutionCardiff
48 parishes

Merionethshire

Sir Feirionnydd

Mountain heartland of Welsh culture, with some of the oldest and most intact genealogical traditions.

SnowdoniaCultural heart
91 parishes

Monmouthshire

Sir Fynwy

Border county with a mixed heritage: Welsh-English marriages and a blend of cultures.

Border cultureEnglish influence
73 parishes

Montgomeryshire

Sir Drefaldwyn

Mid Wales borderland with many gentry families and well-kept estate records.

Estate recordsGentry families
117 parishes

Pembrokeshire

Sir Benfro

The far west: Norman settlement, Flemish immigration and seafaring family links.

Maritime heritageNorman castles
41 parishes

Radnorshire

Sir Faesyfed

Remote uplands with scattered settlements, old genealogical patterns and March heritage.

Upland heritageMarch territory
Chwilio Search

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Search birth records by place, year and name.

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Daearyddiaeth Historical geography

The maps behind the counties

Ancient kingdoms

Gwynedd, Powys, Deheubarth, Morgannwg and more. Use them to trace royal and noble lines from before the counties.

Kingdoms →

Tribal territories

Each of the 186 patriarchal tribes had its own lands. Research often follows them rather than later boundaries.

Tribes →

Marcher lordships

Norman Marcher Lords carved out territories along the border, each with its own patterns.

Church parishes

Most baptism, marriage and burial records are organised by parish, not county.

Hundreds and commotes

Divisions within counties, often based on the old cantrefi. They help you place a family inside a big county.

Commotes →

Sea connections

Coastal families moved by sea between Welsh counties and to Ireland, Scotland and Brittany.

Canllaw Guide

Using places in your research

  1. Start with what you knowTake the latest place you know for your ancestor and work backwards; families often moved between nearby parishes.
  2. Find the parish recordsEach parish kept baptisms, marriages and burials. Know the boundaries and you'll find the right register.
  3. Check the neighboursFamilies often married within a cluster of neighbouring parishes. Can't find someone? Try the next parish.
  4. Read the landscapeMountains, rivers and valleys shaped where families moved.
  5. Follow the workMining and quarrying drew big movements of people within Wales in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  6. Think tribe, not just countyTribal genealogies often cross several counties, and an ancestor's tribe may matter more than where they lived.