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.

Swanton Novers

Major Settlement in the Parish of Swanton Novers

Historical Forms

  • Suanetone 1047–70 (13 Sawyer 1499) ASWills 35
  • Suanetunam 1086 DB
  • Swaneton 1198,1200 FF
  • Suaneton 1200 Cur
  • Suanethon 1233 Fees
  • Svanetone 1257 Ass
  • Swanton 1275 RH 1302,1346 FA 1330 Ipm
  • Swanton (Mareschal) 1334 FF
  • Hungreswanton 1286 FF
  • Hungry Swanton 1320 Walsing
  • Hungri Swanton 1342 AD
  • Swanton Nowers 1361 Ipm 1446 FF 1477 AD
  • Swanton Norys 1421 FF
  • Swanton Nevers 1535 VE
  • Nowerswanton 1385 FF

Etymology

From OE  swāna -tūn , 'the farm or village of the herdsmen', v. OE  swān1 and tūn . The name is found three times as a major name in Norfolk and once in Kent. The addition Novers is from Noyers-Bocage in Normandy. “Vulgarly called Hungry Swanton” (NfT 792).