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.

Turnham

Early-attested site in the Parish of Hockworthy

Historical Forms

  • Trewenham 1377 Cl 1378 IpmR
  • Trounham 1441 IpmR
  • Tornam 1482 IpmR

Etymology

Probably, as Blomé suggests (82), this is a compound of ham(m) and treowena , a weak gen. pl. of treow , hence 'ham(m) marked by trees.' Weak inflexions in the plural are very common in Devon p.n.'s.

Places in the same Parish