Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hapesburc 1086 DB

• Hapesburg(h) Hy1 Monast 1220 Cur 1241,1351,1377 FF 1230 Ass 1254–75 Val 1272,1284 Ch 1275 RH 1302,1316 FA 1306 QW 1327 Banco 1330 SR 1330 BM 1341,1430 AD 1348,1378 Cl

• Apesburga t.Steph France

• Hapeburc 1209 Ass

• Hap(p)esburc 1209 1228 FF

• Happesburg 1229 Pat

• Hapesbrugg' 1242 Fees

• Hap(p)esburge 1257(2x),1269(2x) Ass 1307 NfD

• Hapesburghe 1286 Ass

• Happysburgh 1316 FF

• Hapesburgh 1340 Phillipps

• Hap(p)isburgh 1353 BM 1428 FA

• Hapesbourgh 1381 Inq

• Happesburgh 1401 FA 1403 BM

• Happysborough 1450 Past

• Happesborough 1535 VE 1550 Pat

• Hasburgh 1290 YarmouthCt 1483 FF Hy6 AC

• Hasilburgh 1386 Cl

• Haseburgh 1384 Pat

• Hasebergh 1547 NoRec

• Haseborrowe 1604 NfA

• Hasbro' 1782 Marshall

Etymology

The first el. would seem to be the same pers.n., OE  *Hæp , as in the name of the hundred in which Happisburgh is situated, Happing Hundred (v. burh and supra ). The pronunciation recommended by BBC is /heizbərə/. Happisburgh was presumably the stronghold of the district of Happing, isolated from the surrounding country by rivers and marshland. Arngart (EHN III212) considers Happing to be an example of those early names of tribes or communities of settlers which later passed into hundreds. The DB assessment of Happisburgh is 13 car. It has even been suggested that Happisburgh was the site of a Roman fort, but there seems to be no convincing archaeological evidence to support this (Archaeologia 23: 362).

Pevsner (159) remarks about the church of St Mary that the chancel, which is decorated Gothic architecture, is earlier than the nave, which is perpendicular.