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.

Gunness

Major Settlement in the Parish of Gunness

Historical Forms

  • Gunnesse 1199,1200 P 1201 ChancR 1202 P 1202 Ass 1203,1210 P 1210–12 RBE 1218,1219 Ass 1245 FF
  • Gunes 1219 Ass
  • Gunnes c1300 Shef 1445 Cl
  • Gunnes beside Trent 1544 LPxix 1544 SP
  • Gunneys 1280 FF 1303 KR
  • Gunneys iuxta Boryngham 1322 FF 1332 SR 1336 Pat 1445 Cl 1576 Saxton
  • Gunnays 1327 SR 1328 Banco 1371 FF 1422 Fine
  • Gunnas 1391 SP 1544 LNQxii 1432 SP 1459(1544),1480(1544) Ipm 1502 WillsStow 1540 Hall 1648 Terrier 1788
  • Gonnes 1510 DCFabRents
  • Gonnas 1544–47 ECP 1564 Shef
  • Gunhouse 1571 WillsStow 1653 WillsPCC 1668,1686,1690 Terrier

Etymology

'Gunni's headland' v. nes , a Scand compound, the first el. being the ON  pers.n. Gunni . The name is topographically appropriate for there is a marked promontory here into the R. Trent. The development to Gunhouse is no doubt the result of popular etymology and has resulted in a local controversy as to whether the modern form should be Gunhouse or Gunness, v. for instance LNQ ix, 135–42.

Places in the same Parish