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.

Harras

Early-attested site in the Parish of Ainstable

Historical Forms

  • Harrowes 1568 LRMB
  • the Harrows 1717 PR
  • Harras 1742 Boothby

Etymology

The forms suggest that this name is the plural of OE  hearg (Anglian hærg ). In Southern England, names into which this word enters generally refer to sites of heathen worship. It is possible that this is also the case here. But the use of the word in the plural may indicate that it has the sense of 'cairn,' which was occasionally borne by the cognate ON  hǫrgr . The name is probably identical with Harrow Head in Nether Wasdale infra 442, but is certainly different from Harras in Whitehaven infra 452, which is a compound name containing ON  hreysi.