Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Natalund 1170–80 Kendi,167

• Natalaund 1170–80,1190–1200 ib

• Natalunt 1246 Weth

• Natelund 1246,1255–72,1302 Kendi,167–8 1247 FF 1292 Ass6,15d

• Natelond 1279 Ass 19d, Ipm

• Nateland(e) 1290–1312 Kendi,168–9 1375 Ipm 1383 Pedw79 1401 Cl

• Ald(e) Nateland 1312,1408,1446 Kendi,169,170,288

• Natelaund 1292 ib

• Natland(e) 1170–80 Kendi,130 1312,1426 1452 Pat 1657 Comm

Etymology

'Nati's wood', v. lundr 'a small wood, a sacred grove'. The ON  pers.n. Nati occurs independently only as a mythological name of a giant in the Edda, and, in view of the meaning that lundr sometimes has, such an allusion to Nati would be possible here. But Lindkvist 202 note and Ekwall, La 164, have provided evidence for an ON  pers.n. Nate in p.ns., and some such name would be perhaps more appropriate, as in Nateby (La 164), Natewra (La 254), and Nateby (ii, 20infra ). There is also, as they note, the possibility of some of these names coming from ON  nata 'nettle' or from a root nat - 'wet', found in the Swed lake-name Naten (Hellquist, Sjönamn 426) and the ON  r.n. Nǫt (NG v, 219), corresponding to OE  næt 'wet'.