Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ouenden(e), Ovenden(e) e.13 YDii 1219,1246 DodsN 1265 YI 1274–1331 WCR 1276 RH 14 YDiii 1822 Langd

• Ovendeyn 1584 WYD

• Ovinden, Ovynden 1246 FF 1276 YDii 1340 YDiv 1466 Pat 1483 YDvii 1544 PRHfx

• Ovesden 1316 Vill

• Hovendene 1286 WCR

• Ovingdene 1329 WCR

• Ovingdon 1729 Yorke

Etymology

Derivation from the OE  pers.n. Ofa can be ruled out, as the OE  weak gen.sg. ending -an is not preserved in YW p.ns., and the connective -ing4 would not so persistently yield ME  -en -. Ovenden is therefore from either OE  ofen 'furnace' or more probably OE  ofan, ufan 'over, above', the name being an elliptical one meaning '(land) above the valley', 'the upper part of the valley', v. denu .