Place-name: | Chang Hill |
Suggested Meaning: | ‘tongue shaped hill’ |
First element: | Gaelic teanga ‘tongue’ |
Blaeu Coila (1654): | Chayng Hil |
OS Name Books (1855-57): | Chang Hill |
Location: | Ordnance Survey (1937-1961) |
Other Early Forms: |
Chayng hil (1654), Schang (1759), Chang (1803) , Changhill (1803), Changuehill (1816), Chanquehill (1845) |

Chang Hill appears in Blaeu Coila Provincia as the impressive Chayng Hill. The farmstead Chorg downstream appears to be a mis-spelling of Chang; taking its name from the hill.
The properties of Schang (1759), Changhill (1803), Chang (1803) and Changuehill (1816) appear in the Land Tax Rolls of those years.
In 1854 the ‘Lands of the Estate of Dalleagles‘ were put up for sale including the “Lands and farm of Chanquehill” [3].

The Ordnance Survey shows a cluster of three ‘Chang hills’ with Littlechang Hill lying immediately east of Chang Hill while High Chang Hill neighbours it to the south.
Sir Herbert Maxwell identifies Chang in Galloway as Gaelic teanga ‘a tongue, expressing a long strip of land’ and tongue-shaped perfectly describes Chang Hill.
Although its neighbours Littlechang hill and High Chang Hill could be described as tongue-shaped as well, they perhaps take their name from the proximity to Chang Hill – with little and high used to differentiate them from one another.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
References |
[1] Malcolm MacLennan ‘Gaelic Dictionary’ |
[2] Sir Herbert Maxwell ‘The Place-Names of Galloway” |
[3] The British Newspaper Archive |The Glasgow Herald, Monday November 13, 1854 |
Maps |
Reproduced with the permission of The National Library of Scotland |
https://maps.nls.uk/ |
Map 1 | Blaeu Map | Chayng Hil |
Map 2 | Ordnance Survey| Chang Hill |
Ordnance Survey Name Books |
By Permission of Scotland’s Places |
scotlandsplaces.gov.uk |
Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49|Chang Hill |
Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49 |Littlechang Hill |
Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49 |High Chang Hill |
Land Tax Rolls |
By Permission of Scotland’s Places |
scotlandsplaces.gov.uk |
Land Tax Rolls 1759|Schang |
Land Tax Rolls 1803| Chang, Changhill |
Land Tax Rolls 1816| Changuehill |