Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Feneyhill, Fenayhill, Fyneyhill 1503 ChFor

• Finney Hill 1780 EnclA

• Great Finney & Little Finney 1831 Bry

• Finny Hill 1842 OS

• Fynness 1574 Harl. 473, Sheaf3 22 (5234)

• (le) Brynk, le (H)oldecastel(l), le Brynk subtus le (H)oldecastel(l) 1357 ChFor

Etymology

Finney Hill & Finney Ho, The Finney (109–535741), [fini], Feneyhill , Fenayhill , Fyneyhill 1503ChFor , Finney Hill 1780EnclA , Great Finney & Little Finney 1831 Bry, Finny Hill 1842 OS, 'enclosure growing with coarse grass', v. finn , (ge)hæg, hyll . The name-type Finn (e )y (discussed s.n. Fenay WRY 2258) appears in Finney Green 1222 (from the surname Finney ), Finney Lane 1244, Finney's Lane 2245 (probably from the surname), and Fenny wood 186 supra (influenced by fenn 'a marsh'), also in f.ns. as Finn(e)y, Finn(e)y Fd, Finn(e)y Mdw 20, 194supra , 250 infra , 1, 222, 266, 2 70, 317, Finney Greaves 136supra , Finney Lee 1226. It influences the f.n. Finishaw 165 (from fenn ). The el. finn (cf. Problems 92) also appears in Finnacres 90supra , and perhaps in Fenna's Fd 313infra . At Finney was an ancient oak described by Webb in 1656 (Orm2 ii11) as 'a stately old tree, which they call the finny oak …said to be derived from…the fort or castle of Finborow '. Orm2 ii 3 reports a form Finborrow . This is probably 'grass-grown fortification', from finn and burh , though the final el. could be beorg 'a hill'. This lost fortification is mentioned by the seventeenth-century antiquarian Erdswick (Orm2 ii3) as the remains of a hill-top fort, like Kelsborrow Castle 212supra , called Finness .This name appears as Fynness 1574Harl . 473, Sheaf3 22 (5234). It may be 'grassy headland', from finn and ness . Also in this vicinity was (le ) Brynk , le (H )oldecastel (l ), le Brynk subtus le (H )oldecastel (l )1357ChFor , 'the bank under the old castle', v. brink , ald , castel . Adjacent to Finney Hill are Castlehill Fm & Castlehill Ho infra . It would seem that Finney Hill either was, or was supposed to be, the site of a fortification.