Alternative Name: Bargod
Morphology: bargod
Phonetic: bar-god
The name means "boundary" – the river formed the boundary between two "hundreds", or areas of land many years ago. The word "bargod" can mean "eaves" but in this context literally means "boundary" – though it can be argued that the eaves of a house are the boundary between the wall and the roof. The "e" has been inserted into the name by mapmakers over the years, since at least 1629, as if the word derives from "coed" meaning wood – as in other local names that refer to wood such as Hengoed and Argoed. A map of Glamorganshire in 1796 shows only Capel Glatis (St Gwladys Chapel) in the area and a later map for "England and Wales Delineated" in 1843 shows the place name as Gilfach-fargawd-fawr – or "Greater Gilfach Bargoed" and the tradition of naming Bargoed together with neighbouring Gilfach remains commonplace today.