Why is Bradford called Bradford?
We say its name on a regular basis - but have you ever stopped to wonder why Bradford is called Bradford?
The city's name is derived from two Old English words - 'brad', which means broad, and 'ford' - the name for a crossing point of a river which is still in use today.
So Broadford eventually became Bradford, and was named after the crossing of the Bradford Beck at Church Bank, near the site of Bradford Cathedral. The Saxon town grew around this area, and by 1086, following the Norman invasion, the spelling had become Bradeford. It gradually evolved into the modern spelling of Bradford.