Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• is Pincote, Pyncote 1176 P 1260 Ass 1552 Pat

• Pinnecote, Pynnecote 1236 Barnwell 1336,1347 SR

• Pynecot(e), Pinecot(e) 1255 FF 1296 Barnwell

• Pynkote 1347 SR

• Pyncott c.1525 ECP

• Pinbregge 1297 For

• Pynaker (1359 Ct)

• Pynstowe c.1300 ColchA

Etymology

Pincote Barn (6″) is Pincote , Pyncote 1176 P, 1260 Asset freq to 1552 Pat, Pinnecote , Pynnecote 1236 Barnwell, 1336, 1347SR , Pynecot (e ), Pinecot (e )1255 FF, et freq to 1296 Barnwell, Pynkote 1347SR , Pyncott c. 1525 ECP.Names in Pin -, such as Pinton (PN Wo 334), Pinham (PN Sx 171), Pennicott, Uppincott (PN D 416), Pinhoe, Pinn Court and Pinwood (ib. 443–4), Pinn (ib. 593), Pin Hill (ib. 597), Pinhay (ib. 637), Pinley (PN Wa 167, 219), Pin Green (PN Herts 139), Pinden and Penenden (KPN 304) are not easy to interpret. Occasionally, as in Pinhoe, we have an early form which shows clearly that we have to do with the British pen , 'hill,' but for the most part we have no such clear evidence.We know that there was an OE  personal name Pin , found in DB (TRE) in Gloucestershire and also an OE  name Pinna , Pinnae in ICC, InqEl in Cambridgeshire in 1086. This name might be adduced in explanation of the Cambridgeshire Pincote, but there are other possibilities. There is an OE  word pinn , 'pin, peg,' which may enter into some of these compounds. We also have surnames such as Ralph del Pin of Ely (t. Hy 3AddCh ), Symon Abbot del Pyn of Soham (1252 FF), John and Matilda ate Pyne of Teversham and Stetchworth respectively (1327 SR) and such compounds as Pinbregge (1297For ) in Good Easter, Pynaker (1359Ct ) in High Easter, Pynstowe (c. 1300ColchA ) in Layer de la Haye, all in Essex, which may derive from this pinn or (in some cases) from OE  pynd , as is the case in Pin Green (Herts). No certainty is possible in relation to Pincote. pynd is unlikely but OE  Pinn (a ) and pinn are both possible, though the sense of pinn-cote is quite unknown.