Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Thoying 13 YDi

• Thoung 1309 WCR

• Thwonges 1313 WCR

• Thwong(e) 1323 MinAcct 1324 WCR 1369 FF 1389 DodsN 1459 Calv 1709 WMB

• Nether Thwong(e) 1610 YAS

• Thwenge 1454 DodsN

• Twyng' 1462,1492 MinAcct

• Nethyrthonge 1448 YDi

• Nether Thonge 1658 WillS

• Nether Thongue 1647 YDr 1764 Glebe

• Twhonge 1486 YDv

• Nethertwonge 1578 WillY

Etymology

This name and the adjacent Upperthong 288infra are from OE  þwang 'a thong' and then 'a narrow strip of land'; cf. Thwing YE 113 from a related þweng . Whilst the name may refer to some unidentified strip of land, it would be an unusual coincidence if it did not allude to a narrow strip of land, varying in width from 50 to 100 yards and over 2 miles long, which joins the two parts of Upperthong township; the strip, which separates Austonley and Meltham townships, extends from Wheels Brook to Heath Cottage, and, though the administrative boundary has now disappeared, it can be seen on 6″ O.S. (1904 ed.) 272 NW. A similar unusual strip used to occur at Sowerby Ramble iii, 161infra .