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.

Hawkins's Drove

Early-attested site in the Parish of Littleport

Historical Forms

  • Hawkins 1658 Colexxxvi
  • Haukins' 1637 BedL
  • Hacunfen 1221 ElyA 1251 ElyCouch
  • Hakounfen 1318 Ct

Etymology

Hawkins's Drove (6″). Cf. Hawkins Bytt 1436 BedL, 1609AddCh , Hawckinges bitt 1629SewersD , Hawkins 1656AdvProc . The drove runs through the middle of a bend in the course of the Old Ouse.bytt is for byht , 'bight, bend,' with reference to the bend. Hawkins 's from the holding of William Hawkins (1658Cole xxxvi), the 'several fen ground of William Haukins ' (1637 BedL). By a curious chance, an earlier name of this fen seems to have been Hacunfen 1221ElyA , 1251ElyCouch , Hakounfen 1318 Ct, deriving from Anglo-Scandinavian Hacun .