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.

Yarmouth

Major Settlement in the Parish of Yarmouth

Historical Forms

  • Gernemwa, Gernemutha 1086 DB
  • Gernemuda 1121–45 RegI 1130to1194 P
  • Gernemutha 1136–45 BM 1288 NoLeet 1181 P
  • Gernemuta 1135–49,c.1157 Holme 1154–89 RegI 1163 BM 1267 FF 1269 Ass 1270 Cl 1275 RH 1275 HMC 1313 Ch
  • Gernemut' 1155–8 Holme 1198 FF
  • Gernemuth' c.1155 BodlCh 1230 P 1234 FF 1246,1259 Lib 1252etfreqto1271 Cl 1256 Ipm
  • Gernemua 1156to1188 P 1306 Ch
  • Gernem' 1159 P 1199 FF 1203 Cur 1212 Fees
  • Gernemue 1176etfreqto1242 P 1196(p),1198,1220 Cur 1199,1200 FF 1196,1205 RP 1219 Fees 1265,1270 Cl 1272,1319,1326 Ch 1275 RH 1324 Ipm
  • Gernemuwe 1185 RotDom
  • Garnemue 1221 FF
  • Gernesmuwe 1228 Cur
  • Gernemewe 1269 Cl
  • Gernemuthe 1286 Ass
  • Gernemutham 1288 NoLeet
  • Jernemudam 1196–1119 NfA
  • Jernemuta 1103–6 BM 1146–74 RegI,1174 1175 P 1175 RH 1263 Cl
  • Iernemue 1159to1206 P 1292 FF
  • Iernemut' 1173 P
  • Iernemuta 1175 ib
  • Jernemue 1179,1230 P 1196 Cur 1198,1206 FF 1242 P 1252 Cl 1269 Ass
  • Yernemuda 1185to1194 P
  • Yernemue 1188,1189,1230 ib
  • Yernemua 1190 ib
  • Jernemuth 1212 Fees 1249 Lib 1307 Ipm 1312 BM 1315,1473 FF 1339to1383 Cl 1362 Fine 1396 BM 1473 FF 1574 Seld
  • Jernemuta 1257 Ass 1275 RH 1331 Cl
  • Jernemuthe 1269 Ass
  • Jermuthe 1316 FA
  • Jarnemue 1316 ChancWarr
  • Yernemuth 1324 Fine 1434 Past
  • Jarnemouthe 1345 RBL
  • Jermowth 1360 Pat
  • Iernemuth' 1384 Seld
  • Jernomewth 1420 BM
  • Yernemeuth 1450 Past
  • Yermouth 1477,1484,1550 Pat 1574 Saxton
  • Yarnemuth 1535–43 Leland
  • Jernemoutha 1554 Seld
  • Parva Gernemuta 1219 Fees
  • Parva Gernem' 1265 Cl
  • P'va Gernem' 1275 RH
  • Olde Yermouth 1535 BL
  • Magna Gernemue 1252 Cl 1269 Ass
  • Gernemuta Magna 1254–75 Val
  • Magna Gernem' 1263 ib
  • Magna Jernemuth' 1263 1312,1315 FF
  • Magna Gernemuwe 1269 Ass
  • Magna Jernemue 1269 ib
  • Magna Gernemuta 1286 ib
  • Magna Gernemuth 1313 FF
  • Magna Jernemuth 1315,1344,1347 FF
  • Gt lernmuth 1327 Ipm
  • Gt Jernemuth 1378 Inq 1379,1385 Cl 1399 Pat
  • Magna Jernemuthe 1441 NfD
  • Mochell Yermouth 1468 RotParl
  • Great Yernemouth 1477 Pat
  • Moch Yermowth 1475–85 ECP
  • Great Jernemuth 1481 Pat
  • Great Jernemouth 1509 SP
  • Gt Yermouth, Gt Yernemouth 1548 Pat
  • Greate Yarmouth 1599 Nashe
  • Great Yarmouth 1675 Ogilby
  • Suthton 1304 ib
  • Southtown 1318 Pat
  • Suthjernemue 1292 FF
  • Suth Jernemuth 1300 YCt
  • Southjernemuth 1372 Pat
  • Nortville 1133–5 Reg
  • Westjernemuth 1347 Cl
  • Weston 1357 Pat
  • West Iernemuth alias Weston Iernemuth 1424 YBA
  • Est Jarnemuth 1349 Cl
  • Eston 1357 Pat
  • la Estoune 1351 YBA
  • Olde Yermouth 1535 BL Add MS 10225

Etymology

The name refers to the situation, i.e. at 'the mouth of the river Yare'; v. mūða and The Yare infra . In DB Great Yarmouth (Gernemwa ) was part of East Flegg Hundred (f. 118 a). Little Yarmouth developed on the west (Suffolk) side of the river. Its inhabitants, together with those of Gorleston, were often envious of the good fortune of Great Yarmouth and there were frequent controversies (v. Blomefield XI279 ff.). North -, South - and West - refer to parts of Little Yarmouth, Est to Great Yarmouth (Rutledge 1990: 46). Olde Yermouth 1535 BL Add MS 10225 refers to Little Yarmouth, by then a decayed settlement.