Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hamethwayt in Moris 12,1175–86 RegAlbii,23

• Hameleswaith' 1208 Cur

• Hamestheieth e.13 Font

• Hamestweit, Hamestveit, Hamestwayt 1222 ClR 1227 Pat 1257 RegAlbiv,17d

• Hamesthwait(e), Hamesthweit 1224 FF 1225 Pat 1301 YI

• Hamesthueit, Hamesthuait 1225 Pat 1230 Ebor 1310 Pat 1312 Ch

• Hamesthewayt 1292 Ebor

• Hanstwayt 1257 Ch 1280

• Hamsthueit, Hamsthwait, Hamst(h)wayt(e) 1257 Ch 1280 Cl 1319 Pat 1339 Testi 1406

• Hamsthawyt 1498 MinAcct

• Hamthwei, Hamthwait, Hamthwayt 1291 Tax 1348 FF 1442 DiocV

• Hamtwett 1653 PRHmp

• Hampstwayt, Hampsthwait 1339 Pat 1436 Testii 1546 YChant

• Hampstwit 1663 PRRip

• Hampesthwaite, Hampestuait 1507,1521 KnaresWill

• Hampestwhaite 1536 Testvi

• Hempstwait 1589 KnaresWill

Etymology

'Ham's or Hamal's clearing', v. þveit . The first el. is either the ON  pers.n. Hamr (as in Hampsfield La 198) or a shortened form of ON  Hamall , which is retained in its full form in only one spelling.The latter seems more likely as Hamr is evidenced (apart from Hampsfield) only as a name in fiction; it is a descriptive pers.n. connected with either ODan  ham 'ram' (cf. Lindkvist 110) or ON  hamr 'skin' (as in the mythical term ON  ham-ramr 'able to change one's shape'); Hamall , on the other hand, is a recorded pers.n. The ON  pers.n. Gamall is similarly reduced in such p.ns. as Gamsworth vi, 61infra . For loss of -l - cf. also Phonol. § 55.