Where the name Sunderland came from
Destination Sunderland > History > Where the name Sunderland came from
The most historic part of Sunderland is on the North bank by the coast called Monkwearmouth. Sunderland was originally part of Monkwearmouth and this is where the name ‘Sunderland’ derives. `Sundered Land’, is land that was sundered or separated, in this case from the monastic estates of Monkwearmouth.
For centuries Sunderland was only a part of Wearmouth and although the name Sunderland was commonly used for the whole area, it was not until 1719 that Sunderland itself achieved the status of a separate parish. In 1897 roles were finally reversed and Monkwearmouth officially became part of the town of Sunderland.