new town

The name of the town, Cwmbran, derives from the Welsh "Cwm Brân", meaning "valley of the river Brân". This was the name of a village located in the valley, which had grown up around the tinplate works of the Cwmbran Iron Company. "Brân" means "crow", which could be allusion to the dark waters of the river, or perhaps may have been the personal name of a local chieftain associated with the area.

Cwmbran was established in 1949 as a new town, to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield, following the passing of the 1946 New Towns' Act.

Based around the villages of Old Cwmbran, Pontnewydd, Upper Cwmbran, Croesyceiliog, Llantarnam and Llanyrafon, its population had grown to 47,254 by 2001. This makes it the sixth largest urban area in Wales.