South Tyneside being found on the south side of the North East’s River Tyne is an obvious naming convention, but less is known about why the towns which make up the region are named the way they are.
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Come with us as we take a look through history at why each town is named the way it is across the area we call home.
5. Jarrow
Jarrow was not lived in throughout most of its history, and its name reflects that. The town's name is recorded in 750 AD as Gyruum, an old English term referring to marshland. Photo: Google
6. South Shields
The term South Shields is taken from the area's location within a former fishing settlement. These settlements used to be known in anglo-saxon times as Scheles, and the name stuck! It is not known exactly when the name South Shields came to be. It was not recorded until the 13th century when it was referred to as ‘the Sheales upon the South’. Photo: Stu Norton
7. Whitburn
There are three ideas for how this town got its name. Areas with the term 'burn' at the end usually refer to a form of river or water source so it may refer to the town's coastal position. Theories also suggest it developed from the old English term for white barn or Hwita Byrgen, the place of burial for a Saxon nobleman named Hwita. Photo: Stu Norton