Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• B(o)uthswardhout 1200–46 Cockers

• Swarther Plantn 1865 OS

Etymology

Great Swarther, Wardhoush , Ruthwardhoush (sic for Ruthwardhoufh ) (corrected to Buthswarthefd 15th century), B (o )uthswardhout 1200–46 Cockers, Swarther Plant n1865 OS. 'Black hill', v. svartr , hǫfuð .The forms with búð 'booth, shed', Bouthswardhout , etc., that is 'Swarther booth', may represent an inversion compound (cf. Rigmaden supra ). Ekwall (ScandsCelts 37) also considers the possibility of an inversion compound of búð and the ON  pers.n. Svarthǫfði , but the survival of the p.n. as Swarther makes this less likely.