Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Heuincham, Euincham, Strincham (sic) 1086 DB

• Heueningham 1198 Cur

• Hevingham 1198 FF 1242–3 Fees 1252 Ch 1256,1283,1314 Ipm 1307 Pat 1535 VE

• Heueningham 1202 FF

• Hevenigeham, Heveningeham 1225 Pat

• Heveningham 1233 FF

• Hauingham 1254 NfA

• Heuingeham 1257 Ass

• Heuingham 1269 1275 RH 1286 Ass

• Hevyngham 1272,1279,1388 Fine 1302to1401–2 FA 1310,1316 Ipm 1332 FF 1360 AD 1376,1380,1384 Pat 1535 VE

• Heuyngham 1286 Ass

• Heuigham 1286 ib

Etymology

There is no reason to question the generally accepted explanation 'the hām of the people or followers of a man called Hefa ' which is a pers.n. well evidenced in Old English (Redin 97). Here it enters into the gen. plur. of a group-name in -ingas (Hevinga -). Cf. DEPN, Mills, PN-ing 136. Unless due to onomastic confusion with Heveningham in Suffolk, the extra syllable -en - in forms like Heueningham would be from the stem of the weakly inflected Hefa (being an n -stem, gen. Hefan ). This is Ekwall's explanation of the identical Suffolk name (DEPN). Ekwall finally mentions the possibility of a base *Hefīn , a diminutive of the pers.n. Hefa .