When I was a child we travelled by train from Brum to visit my grandparents in Bargoed, to my young eyes the Sugarloaf was the only mountain seen from the train that looked like a “real mountain”. The Sugar Loaf was the name they told me, but back then (the 40’s) I heard very little Welsh in the valleys, it hadn’t started to mushroom. Even the old folks and the women in the shops chatted together in English. I doubt any of them knew of Pen Y Fal, and its translation, head of the ball, leaves you scratching your head - but so do a lot of names!
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I have no comments on the above but this seems to be the right place to ask our Greek colleagues why so many summits in Greece are called Prof. Ilias
Example below from SV/PL region - there are many, many more in the whole association.
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Something to do with the 
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I was struck by the numbers of summits called “Bald Knob” around here. The W4V association has two with the official name “Bald Knob”: W4V/BR-004 and W4V/LX-006 plus W4V/HB-004 “Little Bald Knob,” and at least one more W4V/FC-001 (“Little Salt Pond”) with a locally more common used name of Bald Knob. Somewhere I have a picture of me posing my shaved head in front of the summit sign there.
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Around here it’s “Bald Mtn” or Baldy, or about any name with
Baldy or Bald in it. Then there’s “Bear Mtn”. I don’t know how many of those there are. It goes on and on…
K6YK
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I don’t think there are any hills named that here. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to why…
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In the US alone, there are 363 versions of “Bald” summits.
Elliott, K6EL
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You’re probably joking. If not, that’s a bit unfair because the map makers aren’t usually naming the landscape features but rather simply recording what the locals call them.
The tautology almost certainly arises because the hills (villages, etc) were often named by ancient tribes speaking languages (like the ones you listed) not spoken there for centuries or millennia and later (mostly illiterate) inhabitants have simply added meaningful prefixes or suffixes in their own language.
For example, my own village (in Cumbria) has a Norse name (it started as a Norse settlement like so many others in the British Isles). Until the age of the internet no modern Briton would know that unless they were a language scholar.
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I think that’s because you have so many tree lined summits (in certain areas). Over here they are all bald. (Awaits pedantics to reel off list of tree clad tops!)
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Hi Fraser, in my posts I’ve learnt to add words like “almost all” or “probably” to avoid pedants like me coming back. My nearest SOTA summit [Arnside Knott, G/LD-058, the smallest in England] is (annoyingly) covered in trees. So was Claife Heights G/LD-053 until several strong winter storms a few years ago knocked all the mature conifer trees down at the summit [providing great views and excellent VHF take-off now].
BTW: I hope we manage a 2m S2S tomorrow to discuss it (or not!)
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That trap was laid for you Andy. 
Yes, there are a few. Even in GM/ES, I can think of eight of the eighty eight summits that have a few trees through to dense plantation on top.
That would make both of our days, I’d imagine!
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I have the opposite here in VK5 near Hawker a Summit I visit is called Black Jack but on the survey maps and Google its called Watts Sugar Loaf so that name is on the SOTA maps list. When I contacted the owners for access permission and asked them if I could visit Watts Sugar Loaf they did not know the hill I was talking about on their property. OH you mean Black Jack was the reply. Permission granted thankfully.
Regards CZ …
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I was very pleased with the article about the mountain names, Armin. I always wondered where the many names come from and what they mean.
73 Chris
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The 300 odd old money proper UK mountain’s over 3000’ feet. I can’t think of one……
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That’s because 3000’ is above the tree line for us, however with global warming and less deer around, Mar Lodge NTS estate in the Cairngorms have reported new tree growth up towards Munro height.
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When I first went winter climbing some 50 years ago, up in the Corries (Corrie Cas, Corrie an Lochan etc., from the Cairngorm ski area, I cannot recall any pines growing on the walk in . Over the years `i’ve noticed more and more Scots Pines growing on the walk in, many well above the ski slopes.
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Fair point, I’d forgotten what Scottish winters can be like ! 
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