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.

Bowness

Major Settlement in the Parish of Bowness

Historical Forms

  • Bounes c.1225 HolmC 1279 Ass 1582 FF
  • Bouneys 1301 Carliol
  • Bownos early14th GoughMap
  • Bounays 1370 Ipm
  • Boghenes 1292 Ass 1307 Pat
  • Boghneys 1301 Ch
  • Boughnesse, Boghneysse 1301 Ass
  • Boghnes 1319 Carliol
  • Bowenes 1333 Orig 1346 Cl 1387 FF 1416 Cl
  • Bowenys 1386 Pat
  • Bowenese 1417,1469 FF
  • Bawenesse 1403 Pat
  • Bawnes t.Eliz ChancP
  • Bolnes 1502 Norfolk c.1540 Leland
  • Bolnesse ib.
  • Boulness 1576 S
  • Bulnes 1601 CWxi
  • Bulness(e) 1616 Camden 1658 Burton,Antoninus
  • Boanese 1506 Queen's
  • Bones 1509 LP
  • Bonys 1536 ib

Etymology

A compound of OE  boga , 'bow', and næss, or, more probably, ON  bogi and nes . In either case, 'rounded, or bow-shaped headland.'For the Romano-British name (Maia) see Appendix.