English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Powdonnet Well

Early-attested site in the Parish of Morland

Historical Forms

  • Powdonet 1637 PR
  • Powdonad 1705 ib

Etymology

Powdonnet Well, 1859OS , Powdonet 1637 PR, Powdonad 1705 ib.The first el. of this inversion compound is, in view of the form Pow -, probably Ir , Gael  poll 'pool', which occurs in various NW p.ns. (cf. Ekwall, ScandsCelts 30, RN 329, Cu 487); the well is by Copeland Sike near its junction with Morland Beck. The second el. is no doubt the French saint's name Donat (Gröhler ii, 414), which is also used as a surname in ME (Reaney 98), or the corresponding OWelsh  form Dunaut .

Places in the same Parish

Other OS name

Early-attested site