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.

Brownsover

Major Settlement in the Parish of Brownsover

Historical Forms

  • Gavra 1086 DB
  • Wavere c.1170 Ch 1318 Pat 1318
  • Bruneswauure t.Hy3 BM
  • Bruneswavere 1235 Fees c.1245 BM
  • Bruneswaure 1299 Ch
  • Broneswavere 1245 BM
  • Brounesware 1324 Ipm 1325 Cl
  • Brouneswovere al. Brueswovere 1313 Ipm
  • Brouneswover 1394 Ass 1430 FF
  • Browneswovere 1486 Ipm
  • Brownes Over 1548 Pat
  • Bruno in 1086 (DB)

Etymology

This name must be taken together with Churchover and Cesters Over infra 103, 113. All three places lie on or near the river Swift, a tributary of the Avon. It seems likely that Waver was an earlier name of this river, identical in origin with Waver (Cu) (RN 440), containing the OE  wæfre , 'wandering, flickering,' noted under Warton supra 23. Cf. super aquam voc. Wovere Watir quoted by Dugdale (14) from an undated document. For other interpretations of the river-name v. RN 440–1. Brownsover was held by Bruno in 1086 (DB).

Places in the same Parish

None