Survey of English Place-Names

Etymology

Innox Mill (6″). Cf. la Inhoke 1232Lacock , Inhok 1332 AD i, Estenneke , Northynnok , Southennok 1468MinAcct , le Inhoke , Northinoke , Southinoke , Estinoke 1488DuLa , Inhokmede 1500 Pat, Upper Innox , Nether Innox 1553DuLa . This is the word inhoc , inhoke sb. (obs.) discussed in NED. Its sense is clear; it is used in the 13th and 14th centuries of land temporarily enclosed from the fallow and put under cultivation. The quota- tions illustrating its use and meaning given in NED are from the Sarum Statutes, from the Oseney Register and from the Malmesbury Cartulary, and it is in the counties of Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Somersetshire that this word, generally in the plural form Innocks , Innox and the like, is most common (see infra 438). Its history is obscure. It has been associated with OE  hōc , 'hook,' used possibly in the sense 'corner, angle,' but in those circumstances the in does not seem to have much meaning. More probably inhok is what results from a process of 'in-hooking,' i.e. hooking or bringing into cultivation, the vb. inhokare being on record from medieval documents.