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 is a mis-spelling of Chang; taking its name from the hill. In the Land Tax Rolls the properties of Schang (1759), Changhill (1803), Chang (1803) and Changuehill (1816). In 1845 the ‘Lands of the Estate of Dalleagles‘ were put up for sale including the “Lands and farm of Chanquehill” (The Glasgow Herald).

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
Sir Herbert Maxwell identifies Chang in Galloway as Gaelic teanga ‘a tongue, expressing a long strip of land’. Tongue-shaped perfectly describes Chang Hill and its ‘little tongue’ neighbour while High Chang appears as tongue-shaped extension of Enoch Hill.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
References |
[1] Malcolm MacLennan ‘Gaelic Dictionary’ |
[2] Sir Herbert Maxwell ‘The Place-Names of Galloway” |
The British Newspaper Archive |
The British Newspaper Archive |
[1] 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 |