Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Huchedene 1086 DB

• Hichedena c.1125 Kenil c.1230

• Hichenden(a) c.1145 c.1230 Ass 1241

• Hugendene Hyii BodlO 1195 Abbr Ri P 1204 Fines

• Huggenden 1189 P Ri P 1236 Pat 1241 Ass

• Hugeden Ri P

• Huggedene 1198 Fines 1227 Ass

• Huchenden 1199 Cur c.1210 Miss 14th Bract 1228

• Hichendon 1237 Gross

• Hucchenden 1241 Ass

• Hichenden 1535 VE Eliz ChancP

• Huchinden 1526 LS

• Hychenden 1537 LP

• Huchenden 1539 LP

• Hutchenden Eliz ChancP 1607 Terr 1633 Archd

• Hugendon 1633 Archd 1643 Desb

• Hitchenden 1703 Terr 1806 Lysons

• Hitchingdon 1766 J

• Hitchendon c.1825 O

Etymology

OE  Hycga is not on record as a pers. name but would be a pet-name of regular formation from an OE  compound name in Hyge -(cf. IPN 174) such as OE  Hygered , and it is probable that the OE  name of this place was Hycgan-denu , 'Hycga's valley,' though the early ch -forms offer difficulties. This name would explain the variant vowel of the ME and EModE forms (v. Introd. xxiv). In Modern English we should have expected both Hutchenden and Hitchenden but no trace of these pronunciations can now be found and in their stead we have a pronunciation based upon an entirely artificial 19th cent. spelling with Hugh -. Cf. Hitcham and Hedgerley infra .