It covered parts of nine former districts from the administrative counties of Caernarfonshire and Denbighshire, which were all abolished at the same time:[2] ‡From Denbighshire (rest from Caernarfonshire) The new district was named Aberconwy, meaning mouth of the River Conwy, with the same name being used in both Welsh and English.

The Aberconwy area merged with the neighbouring Colwyn district from the county of Clwyd to become a county borough which the government originally named "Aberconwy and Colwyn".

[4] During the transition to the new system, the shadow authority requested a change of name from "Aberconwy and Colwyn" to "Conwy".

The government confirmed the change with effect from 2 April 1996, one day after the new council came into being.

[9] After Aberconwy's abolition in 1996, Bodlondeb became the headquarters of the replacement Conwy County Borough Council.