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.

Harwich

Major Settlement in the Parish of Harwich

Historical Forms

  • Herdwic 1229 Pat
  • Herewic 1248 Ass 1254,1264 Pat
  • Herewyk 1253 Ch
  • Herewyz 1254 Ass 1265 Abbr 1281 Pat
  • Herewik 1267,1283 Pat
  • Herewiz 1273,1294 Cl 1326 Pat
  • Herewych(e) 1285 FF 1294 Cl 1297 Misc 1298 Pat 1308 EHRxl
  • Herewycum ib.
  • Herewich 1314 ChancW
  • Herewys 1321 Misc
  • Herwic(o) 1264,1285 Pat
  • Herwyc 1269 Ipm
  • Harewyche 1470 Pat

Etymology

'Army-dwelling,' v. here , wic . In view of the invariable retention of the d of heordewic in the numerous Hardwick names, the first form must be regarded as an error. Remains of a camp survived in the time of Morant (i, 499) and, as Professor Dickins suggests, we may have reference to a camp of the Danish here on one of its raids. See also VCH i, 285.

Places in the same Parish

None