Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Usun 1086 DB

• Husum c.1115 LS 1159–81 NCot e13 Dugdvi Hy2 P 1319 ChancR 1177 P 1196 ChancR 1199 Pat 1201 1343

• Cadenay Husum 1319 ib

• Cadenayhusum 1328 Banco 1343 Pat

• Hussum 1201 P 1539 LPxiv

• Husom 1316 FA

• Housom 1281 QW 1303 FA 1327 SR 1329 Ass 1332 SR

• Housom juxta Someretby 1437–8 Inqaqd

• Housome 1384 Cl

• Cadeney Housom 1384 Pat

• Housum 1294,1305,1329 Pat 1330 Ch

• Housum' 1395 Peace

• Housume 1402 FA

• Cadeney Housum 1329 Pat

• Cadeneyhousum 1408 Cl

• Cadeneyhousoum 1362 Pat

• Howsom 1375 Works 1408 RRep 1530 Willsiii 1525 VEiv

• Howsome 1553 Pat

• Howesome 1391 Cl 1504 Ipm

• Howesum “by” Someretby 1444 Pat

• Howesum juxta Somerby 1444–5 Inqaqd

• Housam 1408 Cl

• Howesame 1570 Pat

• Howsam Eliz ChancP

• Howsham 1566 Pat

Etymology

'At the houses', from the dat.pl. of either OE  hūs or ODan  hús, since both have forms in hūsum. Ekwall (DEPN s.n.) draws attention to the fact that Husum is a common name in Denmark, and Fellows-Jensen (SSNEM 149) points out that “this type of name is mostly found in the areas of England where there was Scand. settlement and it is very common in the Scand homelands”.It is, therefore, highly likely that the name is derived from the ODan form. v. also Newsham in Brocklesby parish, supra . It is described as next to, by Somerby, the adjacent parish to the east.