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.

Market Rasen

Major Settlement in the Parish of Market Rasen

Historical Forms

  • æt ræsnan 973 ECEE(S792) 13
  • Resne 1086 DB
  • Rase 1086 DB 1203 Cur 1203 FF 1206,1207 P 1233 Cl
  • Rasa 1086 DB 1090–1100(1402),1100–08(17) YChvi c.1115 LS 1147–53 YChvi 1150–54 AddCh 1166–79 YChvi 1402 France 1152–67 P 1166,1167 HarlCh 1180–1215 Cur 1220
  • Rasan 1100–08 YChvi 1356
  • Rasne 1135–40 Pat 1464 P 1185,1186,1187,1188 Dane lHy2 P 1201,1202,1203,1204 Cur 1219 FF 1240 Cl 1255 Fine 1279
  • Rasna 1152–67 France 1199,1200 P
  • Rasn' 1210 FF 1234,1242,1245 Cl
  • Rasum 1235 Dugdvi
  • Rasen(') 1202 Ass 1210 Cur 1275 RH 1325,1332 Cl 1331 Fine 1349 Cl 1386 Pat
  • Rasene 1202 SelectPleas 1230 Cur 1252,1278 Cl 1327 Pat
  • Rasyn 1228–32 Gilb 1409 Cl 1165
  • Rasin 1397 Cl
  • Razin 1620 Polyolbion
  • Reson 1536 LPxi
  • Reason 1576 LER
  • Parua Rasa c.1115 LS
  • Parva Rasen' 1254 ValNor
  • Estrase 1193,1194 P
  • Estrasne 1153–62,1187(1409) Gilb 1209–35 LAHW 1250 FF 1250 HarlCh 1303 Ipm
  • Est Rasne l12 RAii c.1221 Welles 1242–43 Fees
  • Estrasen l12 Gilb 1409 ValNor 1254 RRGr 1261 Ipm 1268 Ass 1272 RH 1276 FA 1303 YearBk 1318 SR 1332 Ipm 1340 LPxx 1545
  • Estrase' 1275 RH
  • Estrasene 1325 Extent
  • Est Rasen 1241,1251 RRG 1275 RH 1295 RSu 1301 Misc 1544 LPxix
  • Est Rasen 1610 Speed 1615 Amc 1689 VisitN 1709 Terrier 1738,1748 BT
  • Estrasyn Hy2 Gilb 1409 Pat 1267 FA 1346 Pat 1395 FA 1402 Anc 1422 Willsiii 1531
  • Hestrasyn Hy3 Gilb 1409
  • Est Rasyn 1291 Tax 1327 SR 1428,1431 FA
  • Estrasyn 1539 LPxiv
  • East Rasin 1665 Terrier
  • East Rasin als Market Rasin 1601 ib
  • Estrason' 1374,1375 Peace
  • Estrason 1387 1495 Pat
  • Estraysen 1535 VEiv
  • Este Raysen' 1535–46 MinAcct
  • East Raysen 1628 Td'E
  • East Raysen als Markett Raysen 1630 Amc
  • East Raisen 1558–79 ChancP
  • Est Raisen 1592 Amc
  • Estreyson 1551 Pat
  • Eastrayson 1608–09 LRMB
  • East Rayson 1651 WillsPCC
  • Est Raison 1625 Terrier
  • East Raison 1651 WillsPCC
  • Estreason a1567 LNQv
  • East Raysin 1650 Cragg 1695 Td'E
  • East Raysin als Markett Raysin 1715 ib
  • East Raisin al's Market Raisin 1722,1723 Td'E 1723 Deeds
  • East Raisin 1773 BT
  • Marketrasyn 1358 Cor
  • Market Rasyn 1427 Pat
  • Market Rasyng 1418 FF
  • Market Rasynge 1435 Cl
  • Mercate Rasing 1577 Harrison
  • Markyt Reson 1509–10 LPi
  • Market Reason 1536 ib
  • Markyt Rasen 1529 Willsii
  • Marketrasen 1610 Speed
  • Market Rasen 1619 LCS 1707 Terrier 1824 O 1830 Gre
  • Markett Rasen 1621 LCS
  • Raysun market 1536–39 Leland
  • Market Raison 1575 SPi
  • Markett Rayson 1634 Foster 1658 Td'E
  • Market Raizon 1688 Deeds
  • Marketreyson 1547 Pat
  • Merketrasin 1576 Saxton
  • Market Rasin 1697 Terrier
  • Market Rasine alias East Rasine 1612 Amc
  • Markett Raisin 1594 Amc
  • Market Raisin 1734 Deeds 1745 Td'E 1779 MiscDep
  • Markett Raysin 1638 LCS
  • Market Raysin 1717 Td'E
  • Market Raisin 1651 WillsPCC

Etymology

According to Ekwall, DEPN s.n., and Smith, EPN 2, 79, Rasen is derived from OE  ræsn 'a plank', perhaps in the sense 'a plank-bridge'. The form dated 973 has been tentatively identified with Market Rasen by Hart, ECCE 178, and indeed there does not seem to be any other surviving English p.n. with which it could otherwise be associated. It should be noted that the charter in which the name occurs is a Confirmation of Estates and Privileges of Thorney Abbey and there is apparently no other evidence linking Thorney and Rasen. Nonetheless, the identification on philological grounds is reasonable enough. The 973 form does not seem to have been known to either Ekwall or Smith.

The likely explanation of æt ræsnan is that it is a late OE  form of æt ræsnum . Spellings with -an , -on for the dat.pl. ending -um are frequent enough in late AS charters and in texts like The Battle of Maldon , while ME forms in -e are similarly common in OE  p.ns. derived from the dat.pl. -um , v. further Nils Wrander, English Place -Names in the Dative Plural , Lund 1983, Chapters 1 and 3 and John Insley, Archiv , 225 (1988), 367. It may, therefore, be suggested that Rasen is derived from OE  æt Ræsnum 'at the planks', perhaps indeed with reference to a plank-bridge, for the R. Rase is certainly narrow enough here to be crossed by such a bridge.

Market Rasen is apparently distinguished from Middle and West Rasen infra first as Little (cf. West Rasen), then as East and later still as Market , for which v. Market Place infra .