 The ancient township of Eglwysegl (also spelt "Eglwysegle" or "Egloysegle", and the root of the modern name Eglwyseg) occupied part of the area.Some antiquaries, such as Edward Lhuyd and Thomas Pennant, speculated that it may have taken its name from Eliseg (Elisedd ap Gwylog), a historical king of Powys.It is, however, more likely that the name Eglwysegl was in fact derived from the Latin "ecclesicula", a diminutive of "ecclesia" - a "churchlet or chapel".