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.

Thwaite

Major Settlement in the Parish of Alby with Thwaite

Historical Forms

  • Đweyt 1044–7 (13 Sawyer 1055) KCD 785
  • Tuit 1086 DB
  • Tweyt(e) 1101–7 Holme 1227,1288 FF 1254–75 Val 1251 Ass 1272,1340 AD
  • Tueit 1153–68 Holme e.13 HMC
  • Twayt 1257 Ass
  • Thweyt 1183 Holme 1270 Ch 1313to1476 FF 1316 FA 1347 BM 1359 Pat 1454,1478 AD
  • Thveyt 1257 Ass
  • Thwayt 1265 FF
  • Thewyt 1269 Ass 1365 Inq
  • Thuyt 1275 RH
  • Thewight 1535 VE

Etymology

In England the Scandinavian word thwaite 'clearing, meadow' (OWScand  þveit, ODan  thwet) occurs both in the northern and more southerly parts of the Danelaw. In Norfolk it was no doubt introduced from Danish before the OEScand monophthongisation, which is considered to have set in c. 900 (v. Sandred 1990: 310 ff., Fellows- Jensen 1986: 631).