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.

Unthank

Early-attested site in the Parish of Gamblesby

Historical Forms

  • Unthank 1254 Cl
  • Utancke 1279 Ass

Etymology

This is an unusually well-recorded example of a widely distributed local name derived from the OE  word unpanc , literally 'ill-will' or 'displeasure.'In OE  literature the word generally appears in the genitival phrase his unþances , 'against his will.' When used as a place-name, the word denoted a piece of land held 'against the will' or 'without the consent' of its lawful owner. In most cases it meant originally a squatter's holding.

Places in the same Parish