There are many theories regarding the Origins of the place name Middlesbrough, one that is considered to be close to the truth is based on the geographical position half way between Durham and Whitby Abbeys, this would make sense at first i.e. half way - middle. but this theory like the others totally ignores the original place names recorded long before the monks started rewriting them to suit their beliefs. Ancient Cleveland was named by early Nordic sailors and settlers long before Rome arrived in other parts of Briton, its place names match many in central Denmark and Southern Sweden, the very place the Angles came from.
Middlesbrough i believe in name has changed its spelling many times, in the same way Rosebery topping has over not hundreds of years but thousands of years i.e.Rothburge from Odin’s hill from old Norse, in fact most of our place names can be traced back to old Norse via the Angles, Redcar - Saltholme - Saltburn - Thornaby etc, i believe Middlesbrough’s true spelling would have been Middlbro, a place name yet again from old Norse via the Angles, Middle we understand but Bro needs looking into, it simply means Bridge, so we are left with Middle Bridge.
We have to remember until recent history the Tees was not the straight deep passage it is now , it was in fact a shipping nightmare, it was as the image above shows a delta that meandered between Seaton Carew and Saltburn as we know it now, its flows and currents could change overnight, to get across would mean more than one crossing i.e. geological high points from one side to the other, i believe this is why we were named Middlebridge - Middlesbrough .
