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.

Broad Colney and London Colney

Early-attested site in the Parish of Shenley

Historical Forms

  • capella de Colnea 1209–35 Wells
  • chapel of Colne 1236 Pat
  • capella de Colneye 1248 Ass 1272 FF
  • Colneia 13th ADv
  • regia via que dicitur Colnee 1275 RH
  • Coleneye 1282 ADv
  • Colnee chapel 1362 Cl
  • Colnegrene, Colneyegrene 1380 Ct
  • London Colney 1555 FF
  • London Coney 1664 Sess
  • Broad Conee 1613 ib

Etymology

Broad Colney and London Colney [kouni] are capella de Colnea 1209– 35 Wells, chapel of Colne 1236 Pat, capella de Colneye 1248Ass , 1272FF , Colneia 13th AD v, regia via que dicitur Colnee 1275 RH, Coleneye 1282 AD v(p), Colnee chapel 1362 Cl, Colnegrene , Colneyegrene 1380Ct , London Colney 1555 FF, London Coney 1664 Sess, Broad Conee 1613 ib., so named from the river Colne (supra 2). ea , e , ee are from OE  ea, 'river,' with occasional confusion with ey from eg . London , probably because on the main London-St Albans road. London Colney is partly in St Peters.

Places in the same Parish