English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Haverah Park

Major Settlement in the Parish of Haverah Park (extra parochial)

Historical Forms

  • (parco de) Haiwra, (parco de) Heywra, (parco de) Haywra 1227 Cl 1257 Ch 1280 Ebor 1298 Cl 1303 MinAcct 1518
  • la Haye Heywra 1330 Pat
  • Hayra 1336 BM
  • Haywraa 1546 MinAcct
  • Hayray 1551 KnaresWill
  • Hawray 1301 YI
  • Hawro 1437 Pat
  • Hawwraa (parke) 1482 Hrg
  • Hawry Park 1612 Cause
  • Hawraa 1649 MinAcct
  • Averaie Park 1563 WillY
  • Hawera als. Havera 1638 BM
  • Haver(r)ey Park, Haver(r)ay Park 1564 KnaresWill 1643 Few
  • Havera Parke 1632 PRHmp
  • Havry Park 1700 ib

Etymology

This was one of the parks of the Forest of Knaresborough (77supra ); v. park . The name is a compound of OE  (ge)hæg 'hunting enclosure' and ON  vrá 'a nook or corner of land'. There was frequently confusion in YW of (ge )hæg and OE  haga 'enclosure' (cf. Phonol. § 3), and since the latter appears either as haigh or haw the variation was sometimes extended to (ge )hæg . The later form Haverey is unusual, but apparently represents a substitution of hafri 'oats', which is common in f.ns. It may be noted that on purely formal grounds the first element could (as in Hay-a-Park 113supra ) be OE  hēg 'hay', and refer to a place where hay was made for the maintenance of the deer of the Forest.