Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Rowenumcnothes 1232–40 Furn

• Knote… 1307 YI

• Cokarum (sic) 1640 PRClp

Etymology

Knotteranum, 1852 TA, Rowenumcnothes 1232–40 Furn, Knote …1307 YI, Cokarum (sic)1640 PRClp. The 1307 spelling Knote …is imperfect, but from its place in the list of bounds referred to s.n. Ewcross (219supra ) it was to the east of Cold Stone in Clapham; Knotteranum is about a mile east of Cold Stone and like other places named in these bounds this craggy eminence was on the boundary between Ewcross and West Staincliffe wapentakes. The name is difficult, but Knott is certainly ON  knǫttr 'a rocky hill-top' (v. cnotta ). The second el. -ranum is probably ON  raunum , dat.pl. of an ON  raun 'rowan, mountain ash' (v. -um ). The first spelling Rowenumcnothes makes it likely that Raunum was a separate p.n.; the name is to be interpreted 'knotts near a place called Raunum ' rather than 'mountain-ash knotts'. The later forms have the reversal of els. characteristic of Irish p.ns. (cf. Introd.). The modern spelling -ranum has the common change of ON  au to a as in Rathmell 148supra (cf. Phonol. § 8).