Old Irish ibar "yew-tree", Welsh efwr "alder buckthorn", Breton evor "alder buckthorn") and suffix *-āko(n) "place" (cf.
Welsh -og) meaning either "place of the yew trees" (cf.
In recent decades, the economy of York has moved from being dominated by its confectionery and railway-related industries to one that provides services.
The University of York and health services have become major employers, whilst tourism has become an important element of the local economy.
In the following century Alcuin of York came to the cathedral school of York.
He had a long career as a teacher and scholar, first at the school at York now known as St Peter's School, founded in 627 AD, and later as Charlemagne's leading advisor on ecclesiastical and educational affairs.
The Anglo-Saxon newcomers probably interpreted the ebor part as eofor, and -rac as ric (meaning rich), while -um was (and is) a common abbreviation of the Saxon -heem, meaning home. As is common in Saxon place names, the -um part gradually faded; eoforic.The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events in England throughout much of its two millennia of existence.The city offers a wealth of historic attractions, of which York Minster is the most prominent, and a variety of cultural and sporting activities making it a popular tourist destination.When the Danish army conquered the city in 866, its name became Jórvík.Jórvík, meanwhile, gradually reduced to York in the centuries after the Conquest, moving from the Middle English Yerk in the 14th century through Yourke in the 16th century to Yarke in the 17th century.