Glasgow is often said to mean ‘the dear green place’, and it is one of the best-loved facts about the city. The name comes from an old Brittonic word, written in early records as something like Glasgu, from the Celtic language once spoken across southern Scotland. The popular translation is ‘dear green place’ – but the honest truth is that scholars are not certain, and the real meaning is genuinely debated.

The popular translation

The much-loved reading breaks the name into two parts: glas, meaning green, and a second element taken to mean ‘dear’ or ‘hollow’. It is easy to see why Glaswegians have embraced it. The city has always been proud of its open spaces, from the ancient common of Glasgow Green to the dozens of Victorian parks that still ring the centre, so a name that means ‘dear green place’ fits the city’s image perfectly.

What the name might really mean

The difficulty is that the old Brittonic tongue is not fully understood. The word glas could mean green, but it could equally mean grey or a grey-blue, and the second part of the name is uncertain. Some scholars prefer ‘green hollow’ and others read it differently again. So while ‘dear green place’ is the version everyone knows, it is best thought of as a beloved tradition rather than a settled fact.

Saint Mungo and the first Glasgow

Whatever the name means, the place it describes grew up around a single church. By tradition, Saint Mungo built his church beside the Molendinar Burn around the year 543, and a settlement gathered around it that would become the city. You can read the fuller story of how the city began on our page about the origins of Glasgow.

What language does the name Glasgow come from?

It comes from Brittonic, sometimes called Cumbric, the Celtic language spoken in the old kingdom of Strathclyde before Gaelic and English. The exact meaning of the words has been lost, which is why the translation is uncertain.

Is Glasgow actually green?

Yes. Glasgow is famous for its parks and open spaces, with dozens of them across the city, and the historic common of Glasgow Green at its heart. The ‘dear green place’ reputation lives on today.

Who named Glasgow?

No single person named the city. The name grew with the settlement that formed around Saint Mungo’s church, and the famous ‘dear green place’ translation was popularised much later.