Northumbria was one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England, named because it was to the north of the River Humber. It was one of the Heptarchy. The name survives as an alternative description for North East England, which formed the heartland of the Kingdom.
The name Northumbria has been adopted by the English Tourist Board as the more appropriate and historically accurate name for the region of North East England and is seen in the name of the regional police constabulary, the Northumbria Police (which covers only Northumberland and Tyne and Wear). There is a Northumbria University, which has campuses in Newcastle upon Tyne, Morpeth, and Carlisle. The regional water company covering North East England is called Northumbrian Water.