Camerton, (NY035305

Camerton, (NY035305)Workington Camberton 1174. Armstrong et al discuss Ifor William's suggestion that it contain cymer "confluence",  but there isn't one there.

 James (2016) considers it may containr cymer  or Cymry but is uncertain because of the forms consistently showing Cam-. He doesn't think it is. Cumbri - so not the farm of the Cumbrians. There is a Camerton in East Yorkshire and another in Somerset.  The Cumbrian one could represent Cam + bre  which would reduce to Cammer in local dialect. This would mean "crooked hill (brow or brae)" and suits the topography with English -ton farm added later.

 I am not wholly disuaded that Camerton is not *Cumberton - Cumbrian's Farm, because of the alternation between Cambria and Cumbria, both from Cömbri "Cymry, Cumbrians, Welsh". In the life of St Kentigern by Jocelin, they talk of Cumbria as Cambria. So it might still be "ton" of the Cumbrians and relate to 10th or 11th Century settlement.

 However, Cambre fits and this would seem to be an earlier name, perhaps dating from the Northumbrian occupation.
 

There is Cammerlaws NT655505 (with English hlaw "hill") by a bend in the river Blackadder.  

 The other option is cambus - a bend in a river. This fits. It comes from Celtic *camb- "bent" and in Southern Scotland as Cambus, it is common, always at a river loop. Camerton Church is right by a half loop in the River Derwent, so this meaning is attractive. but the Camber- is difficult to explain. There is Camberley, in Surrey, but that's late and Camberwell in London - by a bend in the Thames which Ekwall, to my mind unconvincingly, derives from Cranmere or Cranburna "Crane Lake" or "Crane Stream." Then there is Camber in East Sussex. Some of the Scottish Cambus names are by the sea. I wonder whether Camber is from a British Camb "crooked" + ber .  We see aber meaning "river mouth" literally "Flow At" and cymer "confluence, flow together" so camb + ber = "crooked flow" is possible.