Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ruina (sic) 12 Nost49d

• Rumes 13,1224 ib

• Rumdicke 13 ib

• Rounwellesic 13 ib

• Roumes, Roumwelsic c.1280 ib

• Rowms 1775 Fairb

• Rowns Field 1843 TA

Etymology

Rowns Field (lost), Ruina (sic)12Nost 49d, Rumes 13, 1224 ib 51, 117, 142, Rumdicke 13 ib 51d, Rounwellesic 13 ib 142, Roumes , Roumwelsic c. 1280 ib 54, Rowms 1775 Fairb, Rowns Field 1843TA .In all probability this is from OE  rūm 'room, space, a clearing'; the oldest spelling Ruina probably stands for Ruma ; there has been some hesitation between Roun - and Roum -, and it is possible that Rounwellesic is a different name (from OE  rūn 'secret' and wella , as in Runwell Ess, etc.), with n being assimilated to m before the labial w .