Workington

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A town in Cumbria, England, known for its industrial heritage and coastal location
2. A community situated on the northwest coast of England notable for its historical industries and harbor
3. A small urban area in the United Kingdom recognized for its manufacturing past and port facilities

Etymology: Workington is a port town on the Cumbrian coast, where the River Derwent meets the Solway area of the Irish Sea. Its name is an Old English place-name built from two parts. The ending "-ton" means "farmstead" or "settlement," one of the most common elements in English place-names. The first part is most likely a personal name, probably "Weorc" or a similar name, so the whole name would mean something like "the settlement of Weorc's people" (the "-ing" element marks a group of people descended from or belonging to that person). The first part is uncertain, since personal names of this period survive only in scattered records and can be read in more than one way. What is clear is that the name is English in origin and reflects the Anglo-Saxon settlement pattern that gave many northern towns their names.