Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Fontibus 1131–3 YCh61 1145 Fount 1428 DiocV

• (apud) Fantes 1180–90 Fount 1263 Percy

• Fonteyns, Fontayns 1275 WCR 1391 Testi

• Funtayns, Funtains 1285 Baild 1294 Percy 1589 PRRip

• Fountain(e)s, Founteyns, Fountayn(e)s 1294 Percy 1307 Pat 1680 Dep

• Fonta(u)nce 1432 Testii 1478 Furn 1546 Fount

• Founta(u)nce 1476 Pat 1525 Fount 1611 FF

• Fontans 1581 PRRip

Etymology

Fountains Abbey, the famous Cistercian abbey, usually in the Lat form Fontibus 1131–3 YCh 61, 1145 Fountet freq to 1428 DiocV, (apud ) Fantes 1180–90 Fount, 1263 Percy, etc. The English forms include Fonteyns , Fontayns 1275 WCR, 1391 Test i, Funtayns , Funtains 1285 Baild, 1294 Percy, 1589 PRRip, Fountain (e )s , Founteyns , Fountayn (e )s 1294 Percy, 1307 Patet freq to 1680Dep , Fonta (u )nce 1432 Test ii, 1478 Furnet freq to 1546 Fount, Founta (u )nce 1476 Pat, 1525 Fountet freq to 1611 FF, 'Fontaunce in old tyme callyd Thefes dale ' 1540 Fount, Fontans 1581 PRRip. v. fontein (OFr, ME) 'a fountain, a spring'. Matthew Paris, writing of the name says that 'propter quosdam fontes quos repererunt nomen imposuerunt De Fontibus'.There are some six springs 'of remarkable purity' within the abbey site (cf. Fount i, 32 note 9). Cf. Fountains Park 181supra , Fountains Gate 195, Fountains Earth, 202, Fountains Fell and Fountains Scale vi, 138, 219 infra , all places in the great estates of Fountains Abbey which extended into Craven.