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.

Churndon

Early-attested site in the Parish of Bridestowe

Historical Forms

  • Cherendon 1279 Ass
  • Churndon 1325 Ass 1330 SR
  • Cherndon 1372 FF
  • Charnedon 1586 FF

Etymology

This is a difficult name. We have in a court roll of 1420 reference to a place called Churne in Pinhoe parish. Both there and in Churndon we may have the Cornish equivalent of Welsh cern , 'side of the head,' 'side of a steep hill,' Breton kern , 'crown of the head' (cf. RN 80 s. n. Churnet). Such a term might be compounded with dun .A river-name Churn is out of the question here as Churndon is on the Lew, which is probably an ancient river-name.