Near where the city of Norwich now stands, there were settlements going back well before Roman times, and after the Roman invasion there were important towns in what is now Norfolk. However, the Roman settlements (such as Venta Icenorum) eventually fell into disuse, and the present-day city of Norwich has a history unconnected with the Romans.

After the Romans left in the 5th century, a new town was built up by the invaders, especially Angles, who took over this part of the country when the Romans were gone. This town was on the north bank of the River Wensum, and had the name Norwic. 'Nor' comes from north (north bank) and wic or wike is a Saxon suffix that means farm or hamlet - so probably 'Norwic' began as a farmstead, grew into a village and then a town.

There is also a northern connection because Norfolk was the northern part of the kingdom of East Anglia - as distinct from Suffolk in the south.