Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Huney(e) 1229 Pat 1378 MinAcct 15th Ely

• Hunneye 1240 Rams 1461 MinAcct

• Hunhe(ye) 1254 Ct

• Honneye, Honneie c.1266 Chateriz 1324 MinAcct

• Hony Fen 1636 BedL

Etymology

Honey Hill is Huney (e )1229 Pat (p), 1378MinAcct , 15thEly , Hunneye 1240 Ramset freq to 1461MinAcct , Hunhe (ye )1254Ct , Honneye , Honneie c. 1266Chateriz , 1324MinAcct , Hony Fen 1636 BedL.According to the Liber Eliensis the funeral service of St Etheldreda was conducted by her priest Huna and the saint was buried “non in ecclesia… sed in eadem palude prope Ely, ad quandam modicam insulam, quae ejus nomine vocatur Huneia ” (LibEl 59–60). This statement is unlikely in itself and in direct contradiction to the much earlier statement by Bede (Bk iv, c. 17) with regard to the burial of St Etheldreda. The story in the Liber Eliensis was probably invented as an explanation of the name Huneia . If that does stand for Hunaneg , the Hūna was almost certainly not Etheldreda's priest, v. ēg .