English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Saxthorpe

Major Settlement in the Parish of Saxthorpe

Historical Forms

  • Saxthorp, Saxiorp, Sastorp 1086 DB
  • Saxtorpe 1146–8 HarlCh
  • Sakesthorp 1244 Fees
  • Saxthorp 1248 Ch 1254–75 Val 1280to1377 Ipm 1302to1428 FA 1303,1331 FF 1323 Deeds 1377,1380 Fine
  • Saxthorpe 1257,1269 Ass 1384 Pat
  • Saxtorp 1270 Ipm 1275 RH
  • Sexthorp 1286 Ass 1319 Deeds
  • Saxethorp 1295 NoD

Etymology

Saxi is a well-known Scand pers.n., OWScand , ODan  Saxi , OSwed  Saxe (Insley 324), which Ekwall takes to be the first element, the second el. obviously being OScand  þorp. Insley objects that some of the earliest spellings suggest that Saxthorpe rather contains a strongly inflected form *Saks .