| Back Dike |
aller hop (burna) |
the secluded valley overgrown with alders |
Should perhaps be the burn from the secluded valley overgrown with alder, or the burn from Allerhop |
NY |
631609 |
| Backworth |
Bacc(an) weorþ |
Bacc(a)'s dwelling |
|
NZ |
303717 |
| Backworth Letch |
Bacc(an) weorþ |
Bacc(a)'s dwelling |
|
NZ |
039557 |
| Bagraw |
Bacgan raw |
Bacga's row |
|
NY |
851961 |
| Bamburgh |
bebban burh |
Bebba's stronghold |
|
NU |
180349 |
| Barhaugh |
bere healh |
barley haugh |
Hodgson says that "the rich and sunny haughs of the place are still adapted to the growth of grain" (2.3.67) |
NY |
696512 |
| Barlow |
bere leah |
barley field |
|
NZ |
155607 |
| Barmoor |
Beagheres mör |
Beaghere's moor |
Beaghere not attested elsewhere. |
NU |
001398 |
| Barmston |
Beornes tun |
Beorn's farm |
"le ford" refers to a ford on the R Wear. |
NZ |
319565 |
| Barrasford |
bearwes ford |
Ford by a grove |
Would have expected bearu-ford > barrowford? |
NY |
916733 |
| Barrow Law |
brere lawe |
briary hill |
Identification is not certain |
NT |
864116 |
| Barrow Law |
bere hlaw |
barley hill |
Mawer speculates that the 1250 form represents an alternative "bere-hyll" + pleonastic "lawe" ie "Bieral lawe" The modern form is pleonastic. |
NT |
864116 |
| Barrow Law |
Bieral Lawe |
hill called Bieral |
Mawer speculates that the 1250 form represents an alternative "bere-hyll" + pleonastic "lawe" ie "Bieral lawe" The modern form is pleonastic but relating to the other two forms.. |
NT |
864116 |
| Barton House |
bær tun |
? Farm |
cf 410 |
NU |
086125 |
| Barton House |
bara tun |
bare farm |
|
NU |
086125 |
| Barton House |
bär tun |
boar farm |
cf 410 |
NU |
086125 |
| Batailshiel Haugh |
Batailes scheles |
shielings associated with the Bataile family |
DD Dixon notes that the reference shows that the shieling was so-named because of its former owner and not from some raiding party. Haugh is a later element |
NT |
881101 |
| Bavington Hall |
Babbing(a)tun |
farm of Babba or his sons |
|
NY |
991787 |
| Beadnell |
Bedwines healh |
Bedwine's land in the river bend |
Very improbable that this is a shorter name like Beda, preserving the -an suffix |
NU |
231293 |
| Beal |
beo hyll |
bee hill |
|
NU |
066427 |
| Beanley |
bean leah |
bean field |
|
NU |
082183 |
| Bearl |
bere hyll |
barley hill |
|
NZ |
055641 |
| Beaufront Castle |
beau froun |
fine brow |
|
NY |
963659 |
| Bebside North Farm |
Bebban sæte |
Bebba's seat |
|
NZ |
271810 |
| Bebside North Farm |
Bebban sceat |
Bebba's offshoot of land |
cf 493 |
NZ |
271810 |
| Bebside North Farm |
|
Bibba/Bebba's piece of land/dwelling |
|
NZ |
271810 |
| Bedlington Bridge |
Bedelinga tun |
the farm of Bedel or his sons |
|
NZ |
267814 |
| Beldon Burn |
Beola denu |
Beola's valley |
|
NY |
921496 |
| Belford |
Beolan ford |
Beola' ford |
|
NU |
109339 |
| Bellingham |
Beoling(a) ham |
Homestead of the sons of Beola |
|
NY |
838834 |
| Bellingham |
Beoling(a) ham |
Homestead of Bainel |
Probably a scribal blunder. The alternative is to be favoured. |
NY |
838834 |
| Bellister Castle |
Bella ceaster |
Bella's chester |
|
NY |
701630 |
| Bellshiel |
Bell shiel |
Shieling at Bell's hope |
Earlier name: Bell's hope |
NT |
819493 |
| Bellshiel |
Bell's hop |
Bell's enclosed valley |
|
NT |
819493 |
| Belsay Castle |
Belles hoh |
Bell's/Bella's heel of ground |
Modern Belsay is not the site of the original village. In the Middle Ages the village lay to the immediate west of the castle, hence why the castle is used here to locate the settlement. |
NZ |
084785 |
| Belsay Castle |
Belles hoh |
Bell's/Bella's heel of ground |
Modern Belsay is not the site of the original village. In the Middle Ages the village lay to the immediate west of the castle, hence why the castle is used here to locate the settlement. |
NZ |
084785 |
| Benridge Hall |
bean hrycg |
bean ridge |
|
NZ |
149758 |
| Benridge Hall |
bean hrycg |
bean ridge |
|
NZ |
149758 |
| Bensham |
Bernes helm |
Bern's hill (helm shaped) |
|
NZ |
249620 |
| Bensham |
Beornes helm |
Beorn's hill (helm shaped) |
|
NZ |
249620 |
| Bensham |
Beornices helm |
Beornic's hill (helm shaped) |
|
NZ |
249620 |
| Bensham |
Bernices helm |
Bernic's hill (helm shaped) |
|
NZ |
249620 |
| Benton |
beonet tun |
farm on the 'bents' (coarse grasses) |
|
NZ |
279689 |
| Benton |
bean tun |
bean farm |
|
NZ |
279689 |
| Benwell |
Beonnas well |
Beonna's well |
It is probable that the later form is derivative of the earlier Bynnewalle rather than a new feature. Ben's Well, a pond in the grounds of Benwell Tower, confuses this issue further. |
NZ |
213647 |
| Benwell |
binnan wealle |
behind/within the Wall |
|
NZ |
213647 |
| Berrington |
Beringa dun |
Hill of Bere or his sons |
Anglian form of Bære is Bere |
NU |
006431 |
| Berwick Hill |
bere wic |
barley dwelling |
berwick, barton, etc. later denotes a demesne farm |
NZ |
173755 |
| Bickerton |
bikkares tun |
Bikkar's farm |
Supported by dialect bicker for beaker |
NT |
995001 |
| Bickerton |
bekkjar tun |
enclosure by the water |
Mawer thinks unlikely because beck is not used in Nthb and would expect historic forms in "beck" whereas they are universally "bick" |
NT |
995001 |
| Bickerton |
bicker tun |
quarrel farm |
name referring to disputed ownership? |
NT |
995001 |
| Bickerton |
bikarr tun |
farm by the marsh |
|
NT |
995001 |
| Biddlestone |
*Biteles denu |
The valley of *Bitel |
|
NT |
959082 |
| Biddlestone |
*Bydeles denu |
The valley of *Bydel |
|
NT |
959082 |
| Biddlestone |
*Bideles denu |
The valley of *Bidel |
|
NT |
959082 |
| Biggin Farm |
bygging |
building |
|
NZ |
212418 |
| Billy Mill |
Billings mill |
Billing's mill |
|
NZ |
336691 |
| Bilton |
Billa(n) tun |
Billa's farm |
|
NU |
228109 |
| Bingfield |
Billinga feld |
the field of Billa's sons |
|
NY |
977725 |
| Bingfield Comb |
grene camb |
green ridge |
|
NY |
989724 |
| Birchhope |
Beohtwines hop |
Beorhtwine's hop |
Complex evolution through Norman scribes handling of Beorht- names through to dialect normalisation in error along lines of birk/birch |
NY |
803869 |
| Birkenside |
birken side |
hill overgrown with birches |
|
NZ |
035523 |
| Birling |
*Berelingas |
The folk of *Berel |
|
NU |
248066 |
| Birling |
*Berelingas |
The folk of *Berela |
|
NU |
248066 |
| Bishopwearmouth |
Bishop's Wermouth |
Wearmouth of the Bishop of Durham |
There is no scope here for confusion with Biscop, founder of Wearmouth as the earliest form is Wermouth Episcopi. The name arose as a differentiation between it and the Wearmouth of the monks |
NZ |
393572 |
| Bishopwearmouth |
ad uiura muða |
at the mouth of the Wear |
|
NZ |
393572 |
| Black Callerton |
cealfra dun |
calf-hill |
Later gains adjective "black", probably referring to the soil |
NZ |
174697 |
| Black Callerton |
blæc cealfra dun |
black calf-hill |
Black probably refers to the soil |
NZ |
174697 |
| Black Callerton |
Calverdon Delaval |
Calverdon of the Delavals |
Black Callerton was once part of the Delaval estates |
NZ |
174697 |
| Black Law |
black law |
black hill |
Feature here is one of many Black Laws in this area. It is the closest one to Simonburn. Mawer marks this as a "lost" name |
NY |
808738 |
| Black Lough |
black mere |
black water |
No record in Mawer of date changed to lough. |
NU |
133084 |
| Blackblakehope |
black blakeup |
black place called Blakeup |
|
NY |
756996 |
| Blackburn |
black burn |
black stream |
|
NZ |
196451 |
| Blackhall Farm |
black hall |
the black hall |
|
NZ |
115572 |
| Blagdon Hall |
blæc denu |
black valley |
Hodgson (2.2.317) says it had its name from a "dark woody dene or dingle, the water of which runs into the Blyth below Bellasis bridge." |
NZ |
215771 |
| Blakehope |
blake hop |
pale coloured hop |
See also Blackblakehope (same entry in Mawer) |
NY |
859945 |
| Blanchland |
blanc(he) lande |
white untilled ground |
Froissart refers to Blachland as "une blanche abbaye qui etait tout arse, que on clammoit au temps le roi Artus le Blanche Lande". Mawer notes "but his account of the age of the name need hardly be taken seriously" |
NY |
965503 |
| Blaydon |
bla dun |
bluish-grey hill |
May be ON blá |
NZ |
185629 |
| Bleaklaw |
blacan hlæw |
black hill |
blace, blacan are inflected forms of blæc |
NY |
848757 |
| Bleaklaw |
blake lawe |
pale hill |
Modern form with "bleak" not referenced by Mawer, who only says it has arisen "in modern times". Bleak is a Scandinavian loan word cognate with bläc, blake. |
NY |
848757 |
| Bleaklaw |
bläc hlæw |
pale hill |
Modern form with "bleak" not referenced by Mawer, who only says it has arisen "in modern times". Bleak is a Scandinavian loan word cognate with bläc, blake. |
NY |
848757 |
| Blenkinsopp Hall |
Blenkins hop |
Blenkin's hop |
Blenkin as a name is obscure - link to Blancarn, Cumbria, has been made but it is unlikely to form a personal name as early as 1177. Poss of Low German origin - diminutive ending in -chen or -kin |
NY |
681641 |
| Blyth (MB and CP) |
bli muþa |
the mouth of the Blye |
|
NZ |
293807 |
| Blyth Harbour |
blithe muða |
the mouth of the Blyth |
|
NZ |
317817 |
| Blyth Harbour |
blyth snook |
the snook of the R. Blyth |
Later transitional form |
NZ |
317817 |
| Blyth Harbour |
snoc of bliemue |
the snook of blythmouth |
Transitional form |
NZ |
317817 |
| Bockenfield |
becen feld |
beechen field |
|
NZ |
178978 |
| Bockenfield |
bocen feld |
beechen field |
This form is possible original - exemplified elsewhere in England - Bochidene, Warw & Bockingfold, Kent. |
NZ |
178978 |
| Bolam |
bol ham |
homestead by the rounded hill |
There is a strong case (not put forward by Mawer) that this is actually a dative plural "at the rounded hills" This is borne out by the fact that none of the early forms records an h. |
NZ |
092825 |
| Boldon |
bol dun |
rounded hill hill |
|
NZ |
362616 |
| Bolton |
botl tun |
enclosure around a building |
|
NU |
107137 |
| Bolton |
bold tun |
enclosure around a building |
|
NU |
107137 |
| Bolts Law |
Boltr's hlaw |
Bolt's hill |
|
NY |
691818 |
| Bothal |
(æt) Botan healh |
at the healh of Bota |
|
NZ |
239866 |
| Bothal |
(æt) Botan healh |
at the healh of Bote |
|
NZ |
239866 |
| Boulmer |
bulan mere |
bull's mere |
The mere must be a sea pool, referring to the shallow lagoons found on the sea-shore here. |
NU |
266141 |
| Boulmer |
Bulan mere |
Bull's mere |
The mere must be a sea pool, referring to the shallow lagoons found on the sea-shore here. |
NU |
266141 |
| Bowmont Water |
? |
a pre English name |
Corrupt in its modern form and clearly of pre-English origin |
NT |
867334 |
| Bowmonthill |
beau mont |
fine hill |
|
NT |
839317 |
| Bowsden |
bolles dun |
Boll's hill |
|
NT |
993418 |
| Bowsden |
bolles denu |
Boll's valley |
|
NT |
993418 |
| Bradford |
bradford |
broad ford |
|
NZ |
068797 |
| Bradford |
bradford |
broad ford |
|
NU |
151323 |
| Bradley |
bradleah |
broad clearing |
|
NY |
776679 |
| Bradley Farm |
bradleah |
broad clearing |
|
NZ |
119633 |
| Brainshaugh |
*Bregnes |
*Bregn (Bregwine)'s (place) |
The form in S.D. (see sources) is corrupt - it is also an example of a place being known by its owner's name with no suffix added. |
NU |
202031 |
| Brainshaugh |
Brayn(es) haugh |
The haugh at Brayn or of Brayn |
The form in S.D. (see sources) is corrupt - it is also an example of a place being known by its owner's name with no suffix added. |
NU |
202031 |
| Brainshaugh |
Brain(es) ley |
The clearing at Brayn or of Brayn |
The form in S.D. (see sources) is corrupt - it is also an example of a place being known by its owner's name with no suffix added. |
NU |
202031 |
| Brandon |
brom dun |
broom hill |
|
NU |
041171 |
| Brandon |
brame dun |
briar or bramble hill |
Whatever the original - this was clearly a hill with spiky shrubbery! |
NU |
041171 |
| Brandon |
bremel dun |
bramble hill |
|
NU |
041171 |
| Branton |
brame tun |
briar or bramble enclosure |
|
NU |
046162 |
| Branton |
bramel tun |
bramble enclosure |
|
NU |
046162 |
| Branton |
brom tun |
broom enclosure |
|
NU |
046162 |
| Branxton |
Brannoces tun |
Brannoc's farm |
Brannoc is a diminutive of Brand (Scand?) |
NT |
894376 |
| Brenkley |
Bryncan hlaw |
Brynca's hill |
brink does not suit this location. (N.B. the grid ref is actually that of Brenkley Colliery because of deletion) |
|
|
| Brier Dene Farm |
brier denu |
briar valley |
|
NZ |
334740 |
| Brinkburn Mill |
Bryncan wella |
Brynca's spring |
|
NZ |
117983 |
| Brinkburn Mill |
|
spring beneath the brink or hill |
|
NZ |
117983 |
| Brinkburn Mill |
|
burh beneath the brink |
burh is only attested in one source - aberration? |
NZ |
117983 |
| Brinkburn Mill |
Bryncan burh |
Brynca's burgh |
burh is only attested in one source - aberration? |
NZ |
117983 |
| Brinkburn Mill |
Bryncan burna |
Brynca's burn |
|
NZ |
117983 |
| Brinkburn Mill |
|
burn beneath the brink |
|
NZ |
117983 |
| Broadstruther |
brad strother |
broad marsh |
|
NT |
941248 |
| Brockley Hall |
broccleah hyrst |
Brockley wood |
|
NU |
165208 |
| Brockley Hall |
brocc leah |
badger haunted clearing |
|
NU |
165208 |
| Brockley Whins |
brocc leah |
badger haunted clearing |
Whins - gorse or stone? |
NZ |
348632 |
| Brockwell |
brocc wielle |
badger spring |
|
NZ |
162619 |
| Brockwell |
broccwell strother |
Brockwell marsh |
|
NZ |
162619 |
| Broomhaugh |
brom halh |
broom haugh |
|
NZ |
020615 |
| Broomhope |
brom hop |
hop where broom grows |
|
NY |
887838 |
| Broomley |
bromleah |
broom clearing |
|
NZ |
038601 |
| Broomshiels Hall |
brom scheles |
schele where the broom grows |
|
NZ |
116423 |
| Brotherwick |
bróðir(es)wic |
brother's dwelling |
Brother can be seen as either Scandinavian or Middle English. It may be a personal name |
NU |
228057 |
| Brotherwick |
Bróðir(es)wic |
brother's dwelling |
Brother can be seen as either Scandinavian or Middle English. It may be a personal name |
NU |
228057 |
| Brownridge |
brun hrycg |
brown ridge |
|
NU |
100283 |
| Broxfield |
brocces feld |
the field of the badger |
|
NU |
201167 |
| Broxfield |
Brocks feld |
the field belonging to Brock |
Evidently Brocc is not an OE name? |
NU |
201167 |
| Brunton |
burna tun |
farm by the stream |
Form with Bataill shows connection with the family of the same name. |
NU |
206248 |
| Brunton Mill |
burna tun |
farm by the stream |
shows metathesis of letter r |
NZ |
210698 |
| Buckton |
Buccan tun |
Bucca's farm |
Mawer does not consider the possibility of boc tun - book farm. |
NU |
082384 |
| Buckton |
buccan tun |
goat farm |
bucca is usually a he-goat. Mawer does not consider the possibility of boc tun - book farm. |
NU |
082384 |
| Budle |
bold |
building |
I This is a distinctively Mercian form. |
NU |
156350 |
| Budle |
bodl |
building |
II |
NU |
156350 |
| Budle |
bothl |
building |
IV |
NU |
156350 |
| Budle |
(æt ðæm) bothlum |
at the buildings |
III Dative plural form. |
NU |
156350 |
| Bulbeck Common |
Bolbec |
place called Bolbec |
Bolbec is named after "Bolbec, a village near the mouth of the Seine, the cradle of the race of the Norman knight upon whom Henry I conferred one of the baronies created out of the wide lands that once belonged to the official earldom of Northumberland" |
NY |
938529 |
| Bulbeck Common |
Bolbec |
place of the Bolbec family |
Bolbec is named after "the Norman knight upon whom Henry I conferred one of the baronies created out of the wide lands that once belonged to the official earldom of Northumberland" |
NY |
938529 |
| Bulbeck Common |
Bolla bekkr |
Bolli's stream |
Bolbec is named after "Bolbec, a village near the mouth of the Seine" which is of Scandinavian origin. |
NY |
938529 |
| Burdon |
Byr denu |
byre valley |
|
NZ |
388512 |
| Burn Hall |
burna |
stream |
|
NZ |
394512 |
| Burnhope |
burna hop |
the hope by the burn |
|
NZ |
187479 |
| Burradon |
burh dun |
fort hill |
Perhaps from some early stronghold which crowned the hill. |
NT |
981062 |
| Burradon |
burh dun |
fort hill |
Possibly from some early stronghold which crowned the hill |
NZ |
271722 |
| Burton Goldenhill |
burh ton |
fortified farm/enclosure |
|
NU |
173323 |
| Bush Blades |
birse blades |
place where the bristly blades grow |
birseblades may have been a name for a particular plant. It also occurs in Yoks name: Burbladthwayt. Some sort of sedge or reed suggests itself. |
NZ |
169534 |
| Buston House |
Buteles dun |
Butel's hill |
|
NU |
231088 |
| Buston House |
Buteles tun |
Butel's farm |
|
NU |
231088 |
| Buteland |
Botan lande |
Bota's land |
|
NY |
876815 |
| Butsfield Abbey |
Butelan feld |
Butel's field |
|
NZ |
102439 |
| Butterlaw |
butere hlaw |
butter hill - rich pasturage? |
|
NZ |
183689 |
| Byermoor |
Beagheran mor |
Beaghere's moor |
The variant forms are due to the great diversity of OE eag in ME and MdE |
NZ |
188576 |
| Byker |
bi kerr |
neighbouring upon a marsh |
|
NZ |
272644 |
| Bywell |
bi wella |
by the spring |
|
NZ |
163974 |