Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ternusc(h), Ternusche, Dermescop 1086 DB

• Thirnescoh c.1090 Dugdiv 12 YDiii 1147–53 YChvi l.12 Nost28d 1229 Pat

• Thirnescogh, Thyrnescogh Hy2 Pat 1464 YChvi 1175–88 NCyWills 1311 Vill 1316 FA 1428

• Thirnesco 1227 Nost6 1233 Ebor 1237 Brett 1280 Ch 1402,1489 Brett

• Thirnescowe 1295 Ebor 1303 KF

• Thirnescoy 1297 LS

• Thirnescough 1503 YDvii

• Thirnnisco 1219 FF

• Ternesco 1090–1100,1100–8 YChvi 1200 ChR

• Trinescho 1135–40 YChvi

• Tyrnescoh, Tirnescoh 1147–53 YChvi 13 Nost30

• Tyrnesco(u) 1166 RBE 1190 P 1204 FF

• Tyrnescogh Ric1 Ch 1271

• Tyrnescho 1215 ChR

• Tyernescho 1216 Nost5d

• Tyrinsco 1285 KI

• Thurnescho 1189 Nost4d

• Thurnescowe 1284 Abbr

• Thurnesco 1526 YDi 1585 FF

• Thrynesc(h)o a.1196 YChvi 1428 FA

• Thrynysco(gh) 15 Sawl193 1455 Hall

• Thrynscogh 1441 DiocV 1456 Pat

• -scoo 1555 FF

• Thornescogh 1380 Ch 1390 Nost67d

• Thorneskowe 1607 FF

• Thirnsc(o), Thyrnsc(o) 1407 BM 1501 Ipm 1521 Testvi

• Thurnscoo 1542 FF

• Thrownyscowe 1574 FF

• Thrunscoe 1786 PRFrick

Etymology

'Thorn wood' from ON  þyrnir (v. þyrne ) and skógr . Scribes have obviously always experienced difficulty with this name, even from DB, to produce the variety of spellings, many of which (T - for Th -, -er - for -ir -) are of AN  origin; others in Thrin -, Trin -, Trun - have a common metathesis; very few have been influenced by the cognate þorn .