Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Howty 1612 Polyolbion

• Howtie 1621 Orm2

• a stream running through the town into Houghteth 1443 MinAcct

• Heghtegh 1487 ib

• Houghtith 1507,1514 ib

• the Howte Eye 1595 JCJ

Etymology

, Howty 1612 Polyolbion, Howtie 1621 Orm2, a stream running through the town into Houghteth 1443MinAcct , Heghtegh 1487ib , Houghtith 1507, 1514ib , the Howte Eye 1595 JCJ , a parcel of land beside R . Dane , from which the stream was named , cf. Houty Lane 1790 JCJ . The final el . appears to be ēg ' a water-meadow, anisland ' , alternating with ēgeð ' a small island ' . The first el . presents difficulty . It appears to be ME  hought , pa . part . of the verb hough ' tohamstring ' ( NED ) , perhaps in a figurative sense here for a water - meadow with a piece cut off , cf. the el . hamol .