Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Mayningham, Maynyngham Ric1 Arm e.13 Nost45 Ed1 Arm 1286 YI 1303 KF c.1304 Calv 1316 Vill 1323 MinAcct

• Manigam e.13 Arm

• Maynigham 1298,1307 WCR

• Maingham 1240–6 Pont 1296 MinAcct

• Mayingham 1296 ib

• Maningeham 1249,1251 Ch

• Maningham, Manyngham 1252 Skyr 1268 Baild 1303 KF 1361 WB2 1365 FF 1616 FF

• Manningham, Mannyngham 1457 BM 1476 WillYk 1529 FF 1641 Rates

Etymology

The first el. is an OE  pers.n. Mægen , a shortened form of such OE  pers.ns. as Mægenfrið , Mægenric , etc., as in other p.ns. like Manston pt. iv infra and Mainsforth Du 139. In the YW p.ns. there has been an early falling together of ai and a (lengthened to ā in an open syllable) which, orthographically at least, appears to go back in this p.n. to the thirteenth century (cf. Jordan § 132, Phonol. § 11). There are only two spellings in -inge - to suggest an OE  Mægeninga -hām 'homestead of Mægen's folk' (v. -ingas ), so that we may have rather an OE  Mægening -hām 'homestead associated with Mægen' (v. -ing 4 , hām ), a type of formation extremely common with tūn and probably to be found also with -hām in the more north-westerly parts of the country (cf. Introd.).