What Does The Name Chester Mean?

The word chester comes from the old English word ceaster meaning a city or walled town. It was used to describe a walled town that had originally been a Roman Station such as Dorchester. In many instances the meaning seems to have extended to indicating any sort of pre historic fort that was there on the site of the town.

The name also crops up in town and village names as Caster and caster. Castleford in Yorkshire, for example, was originally Casterford as there was a ford to cross the river near a walled town. There was not castle there – the nearest one was 5 miles away at Pontefract.

Other examples are Chichester in Sussex and Rudchcester in Northumberland.

The use of this wording in place names usually suggests an Anglo Saxon settlement that took over from a Roman or pre Roman settlement or fort. Under Norman influence, the names became –cester as in Gloucester and Cirencester and even –eter, as in Wroxeter. Ceaster is one of three types of anglo saxon settlements used in place names, the others being burgh and port.