Editing Caernarfon (section)

== Toponymy ==
The town's name consists of three elements: {{Langx|cy|[[caer]]|label=none}} , {{Langx|cy|yn|label=none}}, and {{Langx|cy|Arfon|label=none}}. "Caer' means 'fortress", in this case either the Roman fort of [[Segontium]], which lies on the outskirts of the modern town, or the [[Normans|Norman]] castle erected near the mouth of the [[Afon Seiont]]. "Arfon" means "opposite Môn (Anglesey)", and the full name therefore means "the fortress in the land opposite Anglesey".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carnarvon - Carnarvonshire {{!}} British History Online |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/wales/pp202-228 |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Caernarfon place-name - History Points |url=https://historypoints.org/index.php?page=caernarfon-place-names |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=historypoints.org}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Taylor|1997|p=4}}</ref>

The earlier [[Celtic Britons|British]] and [[Romano-British culture|Romano-British]] settlement at [[Segontium]] was named ''{{lang|owl|[[caer|Cair]] Segeint}}'' ("[[caer|Fort]] Seiont") after the river. It was also known as ''{{lang|owl|Cair Custoient}}'' ("Fortress of Constantine"),<ref>Stevenson's 1838 edition, P.&nbsp;20.</ref> after a belief that it was the capital of Gwynedd under Constantine, a supposed son of [[Saint Elen]] and the Emperor [[Magnus Maximus]]. Both names appear in the ''[[Historia Brittonum]]'' traditionally ascribed to [[Nennius]].<ref name="nashford">Ford, David Nash. "[http://www.britannia.com/history/ebk/articles/nenniuscities.html The 28 Cities of Britain] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415120312/http://www.britannia.com/history/ebk/articles/nenniuscities.html|date=15 April 2016}}" at Britannia. 2000.</ref> A [[medieval Welsh literature|medieval romance]] about Maximus and Elen, ''[[Breuddwyd Macsen|Macsen's Dream]]'', calls her home ''{{lang|cy|Caer Aber Sein}}'' ("Fort Seiontmouth" or "the fortress at the mouth of the Seiont") and other pre-conquest poets such as [[Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd]] used the name ''{{lang|cy|Caer Gystennin}}''.<ref>[[Ifor Williams|William, Ifor]]. ''Breuddwyd Maxen''. (Bangor), 1920.</ref> A 1221 charter by [[Llywelyn the Great]] to the canons of [[Penmon]] priory on Anglesey mentions ''{{lang|cy|Kaerinarfon}}'', and the Welsh chronicle {{Langx|cy|[[Brut y Tywysogion]]|label=none}} mentions both ''{{lang|cy|Kaerenarvon}}'' and ''{{lang|cy|Caerenarvon}}''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carnarvon Rent Rolls 1832 and Poor Relief 1788 |url=http://www.cefnpennar.com/carnarvon/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331172809/http://www.cefnpennar.com/carnarvon/index.htm |archive-date=31 March 2009 |access-date=11 January 2022 |website=www.cefnpennar.com}}</ref><ref>Jones, Thomas (ed.). ''Brut y Tywysogion[:] Peniarth MS. 20''. (Cardiff), 1941.</ref>

The town and the county named after it were officially spelled "Carnarvon" until 1926. At a meeting on 10 November 1925 the borough council resolved to ask the county council to change the spelling to "Caernarvon".<ref>{{cite news |title=Caernarvon |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=Lancashire Evening Post |date=11 November 1925 |location=Preston |page=4}}</ref> The county council gave permission for the change of spelling for the name of the borough with effect from 14 January 1926, and at the same time decided to ask the government to also change the spelling of the county's name to Caernarvon.<ref>{{cite news |title=Caernarvon |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=Holyhead Mail |date=15 January 1926 |page=5}}</ref> The government confirmed the change in the spelling of the county's name with effect from 1 July 1926.<ref>{{cite book |title=Census of England and Wales, 1931: Counties of Anglesey and Caernarvon |date=1932 |publisher=Census Office |page=8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OoIcAAAAIAAJ&q=1931%20census%20caernarvon%20carnarvon |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>

The [[municipal borough]] was designated a royal borough in 1963.<ref name="Coflein" /> When the borough was abolished in 1974 the status of "royal town" was granted to the new [[community council|community]] which succeeded it.<ref name="Coflein" /> The spelling of both borough and county remained "Caernarvon" until they were abolished in 1974.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref> The spelling of the community's name was changed from "Caernarvon" to "Caernarfon" with effect from 2 June 1975 by order of [[District of Arfon|Arfon Borough Council]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical information from 1973 onwards |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ordnancesurvey.co.uk%2Fdocuments%2Fboundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |website=Boundary-Line support |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>