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.

Hoveringham

Major Settlement in the Parish of Hoveringham

Historical Forms

  • Horingehā 1086 DB
  • Horingham 1316 FA
  • Horyngham 1343 Ass
  • Horryngham, Horringham 1525 SR 1573 FF 1576 Moulton 1588 ParReg(Fiskerton) 1669 FF
  • Houringam c.1160 DbCh
  • Houringham 1368 BM
  • Hovryngham 1368 Pat
  • Houeringeham 1167 P
  • Overingeham 1235 Fees
  • Hoveringham 1218 Pap 1230 Pat 1235 Ch 1242 Fees 1245,1281 FF 1252 Cl
  • Hoviringham 1290 Ipm
  • Hofrungham, Ofringham 1275 RH
  • Hofryngham, Ofryngham 1335 Ass
  • Hoveringham al. Horingham 1618 FF

Etymology

It is difficult not to associate the first element houer in this name with the hover found in the forms of Harlow Wood infra 171. The latter would seem to contain the OE  word hofer , 'lump,' there applied to the high ground to the north-west of the farm. Hoveringham is comparatively low-lying but the country is a good deal broken and is on a slight ridge between two streams. It may be therefore that Hoveringham is from OE  hoferingaham , 'ham of the dwellers on the hofer ,' i.e. on the hump of ground.