Morphology: originally boch+rhiw+garn
Phonetic: voch-riw
The more recent form of the name should correctly be Y Fochriw and the literal translation of this village name is often given as "slope of the pigs" as the assumption is that the word "moch" (pigs) has mutated to "foch". The original word however, was "boch" as the full name for the settlement is Bochriw’r Garn. This changes the meaning, as "boch", though usually meaning "a cheek" as on a face, can also mean a bulge in the ground or a hill, possibly referring to a rounded piece of rock on the slope ("rhiw") below the "carn", the Roman stone found above the village on Gelligaer Common. Examples of the name can be found as far back as c1170 with Bohrukarn, later y voyghryw garn c1700 and Y Fochriw in 1867.