The official name of the bridge has been a subject of debate. Locally, it has been called the Queen Ethelfleda Viaduct, but is also called the Britannia Bridge. It has been claimed that it was named after Ethelfleda, a ruler of the historic Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, and that the southern abutments and pier of the bridge have been built on the site of the Saxon burh that had been erected by her in 915. This connection is alleged to be the reason why LNWR had opted to have elements of the bridge castellated. There are three shields above the footway showing, from the southern end, the Coat of Arms of the City of London, and on the central and Widnes end, Britannia (from the crest of the railway company). Because of the presence of the crest, the bridge is also known as the Britannia Railway Bridge, and has also been referred to as "Tueller's Girder".
