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.

Pen Cross

Early-attested site in the Parish of Hemyock

Historical Forms

  • Penn, Pen Cross 1718 DKR41,543
  • atte Penne 1330 SR
  • at Pen 1524 SR

Etymology

Blomé (89) would identify this with the peon mynet of BCS 724 in the land boundaries of Culmstock, but as has been shown supra 612 n. the two sites cannot be the same. We may have here the British pen , 'head, top,' as in Pinn supra 593, or else the OE  penn, 'enclosure.'