Place Names 2
That many English place names dating from the Anglo-Saxon and Danish periods of settlement in England include personal names is well known. Thus the ‘ingas’ roots means a people as in Goring meaning Gara’s people (E.Ekwall, (The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names (fourth edition, Oxford, 1960, 201). The Danish ‘thorpe’ as in Grimesthorpe means Grim’s farm or hamlet, (Ekwall, 469 and 205). But the post-Conquest practice of adding prefixes and suffixes to otherwise common names such as Acton, Aston, Compton, Stoke, Sutton and Wooton contains references to specific new families coming from many parts of Europe.
It is not surprising that my analysis of over seven hundred such names using Ekwall’s dictionary shows that the most popular of such names are Norman. The Bassets are recalled in twelve places, Beauchamp in eight, Giffard in seven and Keynes in six. Vauxhall in South London echoes King John’s ruthless soldier, Falkes de Bréauté, as it means Falkes’ hall. But other parts of France are also represented. From Touraine there is Bessels Leigh (or Besselsleigh) in Berkshire. Henry III’s half brothers, the Lusignans of Poitou are remembered in five places under the name of Valence, the birthplace of one of them. This results in Benham Valence in Berkshire, Compton in Dorset, Moreton in Gloucestershire, Newton in Hampshire and Sutton in Kent. From Savoy came the Pugeys family found in Broughton Poggs (Oxfordshire) and Stoke Poges (Buckinghamshire). A family from Brittany is exhibited in Layer Breton Essex.
But not only French places are found. Switzerland is recalled by Stretton Grandison in Switzerland from whence came the illustrious Grandson family in the reign of Henry III. Denmark is found in Sock Dennis and Seavington Denis, Somerset, from the Dacus/Daneys family meaning The Dane as does Farnley Tyas, Yorkshire from Le Tyes or The German. Belgium can be said to be represented by the four Fleming suffixes in Cornwall, Devon and Yorkshire. These examples retain memories of non-toponymic surnames.
So an otherwise boring car journey can be enlivened by wondering about how these new people fitted into England. Newton Pagnell and Sutton Scotney service stations need never seem quite the same again.
That many English place names dating from the Anglo-Saxon and Danish periods of settlement in England include personal names is well known. Thus the ‘ingas’ roots means a people as in Goring meaning Gara’s people (E.Ekwall, (The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names (fourth edition, Oxford, 1960, 201). The Danish ‘thorpe’ as in Grimesthorpe means Grim’s farm or hamlet, (Ekwall, 469 and 205). But the post-Conquest practice of adding prefixes and suffixes to otherwise common names such as Acton, Aston, Compton, Stoke, Sutton and Wooton contains references to specific new families coming from many parts of Europe.
It is not surprising that my analysis of over seven hundred such names using Ekwall’s dictionary shows that the most popular of such names are Norman. The Bassets are recalled in twelve places, Beauchamp in eight, Giffard in seven and Keynes in six. Vauxhall in South London echoes King John’s ruthless soldier, Falkes de Bréauté, as it means Falkes’ hall. But other parts of France are also represented. From Touraine there is Bessels Leigh (or Besselsleigh) in Berkshire. Henry III’s half brothers, the Lusignans of Poitou are remembered in five places under the name of Valence, the birthplace of one of them. This results in Benham Valence in Berkshire, Compton in Dorset, Moreton in Gloucestershire, Newton in Hampshire and Sutton in Kent. From Savoy came the Pugeys family found in Broughton Poggs (Oxfordshire) and Stoke Poges (Buckinghamshire). A family from Brittany is exhibited in Layer Breton Essex.
But not only French places are found. Switzerland is recalled by Stretton Grandison in Switzerland from whence came the illustrious Grandson family in the reign of Henry III. Denmark is found in Sock Dennis and Seavington Denis, Somerset, from the Dacus/Daneys family meaning The Dane as does Farnley Tyas, Yorkshire from Le Tyes or The German. Belgium can be said to be represented by the four Fleming suffixes in Cornwall, Devon and Yorkshire. These examples retain memories of non-toponymic surnames.
So an otherwise boring car journey can be enlivened by wondering about how these new people fitted into England. Newton Pagnell and Sutton Scotney service stations need never seem quite the same again.
posted by snarlerson at 3:49 AM
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