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.

Howsen

Early-attested site in the Parish of Cotheridge

Historical Forms

  • Huweleston 1259 Ipm
  • Huleston 1274 Ipm
  • Holeweston, Houlston 1275 Ass
  • Howelineston 1299 RBB 18th
  • Houleston 1304 Ipm 1310 Kyre
  • Hulleston, Hulston 1466 IpmR 1492 Kyre
  • Howson 1669–1699 Kyre

Etymology

The first element is probably the Welsh pers. name which appears as Huwal in ASCs.a. 926 D and as Howæl in the signature to OE charters as the name of a Welsh sub-regulus.Hoel is a horse's name in Lib . Albus (ed. Wilson, p. 60) in 1306. The form Howelineston is probably due to confusion with the OGer  Huglin , OFr  Hugelin , which sometimes appears in ME  as Huwelin , cf. Forssner 157, but as this form may be as early as any of the others it is quite possible that Hugelin was the original pers. name and that the forms without in are later ones derived from it, with loss of in in the polysyllabic word.

Places in the same Parish

Major Settlement

Early-attested site