How the place where you live got it's name

[iranu]

Piggybacking on the Where do you live thread.

If you want to know the meaning of or how the place where you live got it's name then post here. Can't promise it for everyone but will give it a go.

For Kedanul

eg. Hemel Hempstead

From 'Hamelamestede' from the Doomsday Book (DB) 1086AD

Hemel is an old district name first recorded circa (c.) 705AD meaning 'broken, undulating' from the Old English (OE) 'hamel'

Hempstead usually means 'the homestead' from OE 'ham-steade'

[Steve]

Hell, but somebody spelt it wrong.

[megah0]

Halesowen

[iranu]

Halesowen

Hala 1086 (DB)

Hales Ouweyn 1276

From OE word 'halh' meaning 'nooks or corners of land' in a plural form, with manorial affix from the Welsh prince called Owen who held the manor in the early 13th century.

So basically Owen's corners of land.

[MD]

Rubbish Tip was already taken

m@

[Swafe]

Acocks green ?

[Stewart]

The Acock Family.

"The name Acock appears in a Yardley deed in 1420, and the family is listed at Gilbertstone, a house straddling the border of Yardley and Bickenhill, in 1495. The Acocks bought an estate east of the present centre of Acocks Green. This was called Notings land, and the estate became known as Acockes by 1552. Acocks Green and other estates were a wedding gift in 1626 to William Acock from his father Richard."

[tom deloford]

Redhill?

[Dorza]

Neath... in welsh = Castell Nedd. Basically the Romans set up camp in the area a loooong time ago for shipping purposes i think and decided to build a castle while they lodged here, so i guess Neath is named after that castle. Some of it still stands but its not worth looking at imo.

[Atomic]

Norwich.

[wedge22]

Bury St Edmunds

I guess its because St Edmund is buried here

[Theo]

Bolton. Bolt On?

Bolton was mainly a cotton industry town, with mills dotted allover the place. S'pose some guy might have said "Oi JACK! Put the BOLT ON the damned carriage, y'fool!"

Perhaps, anyway...

[Dooms]

Old house - Astrop
new house - Thirty Eight

[Tumble]

Douglas - led to believe named so because the two rivers, the Dhoo and the Glas run into the sea here... Doolish in Manx..

[iMc]

Kettering

[iranu]

Acocks green unfortunately isn't listed in the book but sounds like Vaul's got the info.

btw see the "where you live" thread for Solihull.

Redhill (Surrey not Sommerset)

First recorded 1301 as Redehelde meaning 'Red slope' Now there's a surprise From OE read + helde.

Norwich Norfolk

Origins - Northwic 10th century. Noruic 1086 (in the Doomsday Book)
Meaning 'North - Harbour or trading centre' From OE words North + wic.

Bury St Edmonds Suffolk (Me mum's from round that way)

Originally - Sancte Eadmundes Byrig 1038, meaning 'Town associated with St Eadmund'
From OE - the saint was a 9th century king of East Anglia + OE word 'burh' (derived from the OE word 'byrig') meaning fort or stronghold.

So most likely was St Edmunds stronghold.

Bolton

The word bolton is a common name in the North from the OE word ' bothl-tun', which means 'a settlement with a special building'

Bolton (Greater Manchester) recorded as Boelton in 1185.