Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Carendunā 1086 DB

• Canuedon' 1181 P

• Canu(u)don 1194 Cur 1494 EAS(OS)iii

• Chanewedon 1182–4 P

• Canewedun, Kanewedun 1224 Pap 1242 Abbr t.Hy3 Ipm

• Kanewedon 1234–47 FF 1238 SR

• Canow(e)don(e) 1234 FF t.Eliz ChancP

• Canewaudon 1201 LibR

• Kenewodon 1227 Ch

• Kenewedon(e) 1228 Ch 1248

• Kaneuedon(e), Caneuedon(e) 1239 FF 1274 RH

• Kanewedena, Kanewodena 1240 Bracton

• Cal(e)wudon', Kal(e)wudon' 1238,1242 Cl

• Kal(e)wedon' 1242 1248,1254 Ass

• Canwedon 1284 Ipm

• Caneudon 1303 FA 1558 EASxiii

• Canoudon 1318 Fine

• Canedon, Caneudon 1428 FA

• Canydon 1498 EAS(NS)ii

• Can(n)yngdon 1502 1539 FF

• Can(n)yngdon al. Canwaydon 1567 ib

• Canyngeton 1536 MinAcct

• Cannondon 1552 EAS(OS)iv

• Canendon 1689 AshingdonPR

• Canewndon alias Canewdon alias Canedon 1553 FF

• Canweydon alias Caunewden 1603 EAvi

Etymology

The first syllable of this difficult name, we may safely assume, began with Can -. The forms with Car - and Cal - are due to dissimilation in the combination n-n (cf. IPN 106). Those with Ken - are inverted spellings due to the variation in Essex p.n.'s between a and e in such names as Fanton, Fambridge, Vange, etc. The medial -ewe - goes back to an original -inga -, the earliest form being Caningadun , 'hill of Cana 's people' (v. ing , dun ), as suggested by Zachrisson (Some English PN Etymologies 9 and Vising Mélanges 195). Zachrisson noted the same curious sound development in Manuden, Danbury, Dengie and the lost Danegris infra 551, 213, 248–9, all of which show medial w at a later date. We may add Coney Weston (Sf), Cunegestuna DB, Cuneweston 1229 Pat, Conweton 1251 Ch, Gon (gh )eston 1346, 1402 FA, from ON  konungr , 'king,' Honington (Sf), Hunegtuna DB, Hunegheton 1223 Pat, Honeweton 1302 ChancW, 1325–49 Ipm, Hunweton 1347 Ipm, Monewden (Sf), Mun (e )gadana , Mungedana , Mangedana DB, Monechedene , Moneghedene , Monecwedene , Monewedene 1290 Misc, Mun (e )g (h )edene 1327 Ipm, from Mun (a ). Cana appears four times in DB as the name of a tenant or tenants holding land in 1066. The forms Cane and Cano are also found. The absence of any early forms with nn makes derivation from OE  canne in a topographical sense impossible (cf. Canna PN D 481).