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.

Stanwick

Major Settlement in the Parish of Stanwick

Historical Forms

  • Stan wigga 10th PeterbA c.1200
  • Stanwige, Stanewica 1086 DB
  • Stanwigga 1125–8 ChronPetro 1428 FA
  • Stanwighe 1140 Sparke
  • Stanewig 1137 ASC 12th
  • Stanewigge 12th Survey 1344 Cl
  • Stanewica 1209–18 WellsR
  • Stanewyk 1285 Ass
  • Stanewic cum Newenton 1316 FA
  • Stanewyk(e) 1347,1375,1400 Cl 1536 Recov
  • Stanwik 1232 Cl
  • -wyc in 1288 (PeterbA) and 1428 (FA)

Etymology

It may be that this is from OE  stan and wic, hence 'stone farm or village.' From early times the place must have been noted for its quarries, and the houses built of stone rather than any other material. The wig (g )- forms are difficult to account for. The only parallels that have been noted are two forms of Winwick supra 77, which have -wyg for -wyc in 1288 (PeterbA ) and 1428 (FA), and Blatherwygge for Blatherwycke in 1391 (Cl), but these forms are comparatively late and sporadic. In Stanwick (PN NRY 296) and Stanwix (Cu) we have a compound of ON  steinn and veggr , 'wall,' but these names show persistent sten -, stein -, stain - and -wegges in their early forms, showing that they are genuine Scandinavian names, and -wyk spellings do not come in before the 15th century. It may be noted, however, that for Stanwick we have forms in -wigges from the 13th and 14th centuries. It may be that a genuine OE  stan-wic was early contaminated by the influence of Scandinavian veggr , but it should be noted that the area is not one in which Scandinavian influence was particularly strong.

Places in the same Parish

None