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.

Feather Holm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Hutton Cranswick

Historical Forms

  • Fetherholm c.1300 Guisb

Etymology

Feather Holm (6″) is Fetherholm c. 1300 Guisb. v. holmr .The first element may well be OScand  fjǫðr 'feather,' as suggested by Dr G. Knudsen. A similar name, Fjerholm , is found in Denmark (DaSN(Sj) iv, 69, 73), and it is thought that this name arose because great flocks of birds had lived in the neighbourhood. The ERY was famous for its duck decoys.

Places in the same Parish