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.

Great Canney

Early-attested site in the Parish of Cold Norton

Historical Forms

  • Great Caney 1777 C 1805 O
  • Canne 1224 FF

Etymology

Great Canney is Great Caney 1777 C, 1805 O. Near here was the home of Richard de Canne (1224 FF). Canney must originally have been the name of a fairly large area. Great Canney is on the Purleigh boundary. South of this is Little Canney and east is East Canney. Partly in Stow Maries is Canney Wood.The second element in this name is eg, 'marshy land,' referring to the low-lying land in the hollow to the south-east of Great Canney. The first element is probably OE  canne , 'can, cup,' used in some topographical sense, as noted under Canna (PN D 481). Here the canne may well have been descriptive of the above-mentioned hollow. Cf. also Cann (PN Do 20), Canna t. Hy 1Harl 61, with similar topography.

Places in the same Parish

Other OS name

Early-attested site

Major Settlement