Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Byrcene c.1030 YCh7

• Berchi(n)ge, Berchine 1086 DB

• Birkine, Byrkine c.1160 Pont 1185 Templar 1198 YChvii 1200 Cur 1202–8 Ass 1208,1209 P 1246 Ass9 1542 Testvi

• Bircine 1370 Works

• Birkinna e.13 Nost22

• Byrkinga 1160–70 Selby

• Birkinge, Byrkinge 1193 P 1316 Pat

• Byrking 1200 Cur (p), Abbr

• Birching 1200 Cur

• Birkin, Byrkin 1175–85 YCh 1222–37 Selby 1231 Pat 1255 Selby 1272 Ch 1285 KI 14 Sawl194d 1683 SelbyW

• Birekin' 1210 P

• Birken, Byrken 1289 Ebor 1550 TestLds

• Brekkyn 1441 DiocV

• Burkyn 1546 YChant

Etymology

v. bircen 1 'a place growing with birch-trees, a birch copse'. On the noun-formation, paralleled by OE  ǣcen 'roboretum , wood of oaks' (WW 270, 14), v. -en 1 (EPN i, 151). The occasional forms with -ing (e ) are analogical and medial -k - instead of -ch - is due to the influence of the related ON  birki.