Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• the Borrans 1584 CWxxiv,128

• Borwens 1777 NB 1778 PR(Md)

• Borrowens 1865 OS

Etymology

Borrens, the Borrans 1584 CW xxiv, 128, Borwens 1777 NB 260, 1778 PR(Md), Borrowens 1865 OS. Borwens is a freq. p.n. in the north-west of England, in such forms as Borrans, Borren(s), Borwens, Burwain, Burwens, etc. (infra ); Borhann and Trerankelborhan (i, 53 supra ) from e. 13th century, Borrans (i, 142) from 1190, and Griseburn, etc. in Asby (ii, 55) from e. 13th are amongst the earliest recorded in We. It is probably from an OE  burgæsn, -gæns 'burial place', but frequently ME  borwens was regarded as a plur. and a new sg. form borwen arose; the latter occurs in the 16th century meaning 'tumulus', and this meaning and 'cairn, heap of stones' appear to be the usual ones in p.ns. (cf. EPN i, 57–8 and esp. Ekwall, La 85s.n. Burwains).