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.

Honeybridge Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of North Bradley

Historical Forms

  • Hunybrigge t.Ed1 DuLa
  • Honnebrigge 1278 Ass
  • Honybrigge 1327 SR 1341 Rental 1388 IpmR 1399 Pat
  • Honyngbrugge 1365 MinAcct
  • Honybrugge 1412 ib
  • Honyburge t.Eliz LRMB

Etymology

Honeybridge Fm (6″) is Hunybrigge t. Ed 1DuLa , Honnebrigge 1278Ass , Honybrigge 1327SR (p), 1341Rental , 1388 IpmR, 1399 Pat, Honyngbrugge 1365MinAcct , Honybrugge 1412 ib., Honyburge t. ElizLRMB . No certainty is possible with regard to this name. Were it not for the forms Honnebrigge and Honyngbrugge it would seem fairly certain that this was a compound of hunig , 'honey,' and brycg , denoting either a bridge where bees swarmed or one which had a sticky, muddy surface. Cf. the common Honey Lane. In that case it probably has a parallel in Honeyburge (PN Bk 116). The other forms suggest the possibility of the personal name Hun (n )a with connective ing and later folk- etymologising. Hence 'Huna 's bridge.'