Topname - This is the 'headword' under which all historic forms are stored. The spelling follows that used on the OS 1:25,000 Provisional Series maps. The conventions used by the OS can be criticized because too much use was made of hyphenation and the use of inappropriate accents. Accents are not included in the database but their existence is noted in the Text field.

Historic Forms (Names) - This field contains all the historic forms related to the specified Topname that have been identified from specified sources

Date - The date of the document of the Historic Form. Where an earlier document is recited in a later one then the date is expressed 1233(1380) or 1830(1969), the latter being a OS map of 1830 reprinted in 1969.

NGR - The National Grid Reference expressed in 4, 6 or 8 numbers depending on confidence. Where the location of a place-name has not been specifically identified, but the parish is known, then the SW corner of the KM square within which the parish church stands is entered followed by (P) to indicated the NGR is known only for the Parish. For example the location of the placename .'Gwyhan' mentioned in a 1326 source has not been identified but was within the Manor of Meidrim and thus within Meidrim parish. The parish church is at NGR SN289209 which is in KM square SN2820, so SN2820(P) has been entered for the NGR of this reference. In some cases the SW corner of a KM Square falls outside the parish boundary or there is no parish church, so then a visual centroid of the parish has been chosen. What the user must note is that any NGR which has letters in brackets after it means that the precise location of the place-name is not known. The other qualifier used is (C) for the place-name of an administrative area that is bigger than a parish, the given NGR being the visual centre of a Commote or Cantref.

Source (Scode) - The bibliographical or MS source details for sources specified in the Names table. This is shown as a short form, and can be used to look up the full form.

Source Specific - this gives a MS Ref Number, page number etc.

Parish - The Civic Parish expressed as an abbreviation which can be used to look up the full civil parish name. Where a place-name straddles two or more boundaries, then more than one parish is given. See list of parishes.

Text - This field has been used to note uncertainties about location or source data. In some cases it has been used to discuss particular points about a meaning or the history of a place-name. However the database has not been assembled by a toponomists, nor has it yet been used 'in anger' by academics so it does not attempt to interpret meaning. That is for the future.

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