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.

Queenhill

Major Settlement in the Parish of Queenhill

Historical Forms

  • Cunhill, Chonhelme 1086 DB
  • Cuhill 1175 P
  • Queinhull 1209 Fees25
  • Kuhull 1210 RBE
  • Kuhull als. Cuhull 1212 Fees139
  • Kunhulle, Kinhulle 1221 Ass
  • Qwenhulle 1275 SR, Ass
  • Quenild 1299 Ipm 1327 SR
  • Quenhull 1316 Ipm 1423 IpmR
  • Quenehull 1329 Pat 1535 VE
  • Queenhull Hy6 IpmR
  • Quynhylle 1544 Marr
  • Quenehull al. Quinhull 1547 Pat

Etymology

Professor Ekwall would take the first element to be OE  cyne , 'royal.' Professor Zachrisson suggests that the name was OE  cūna -hyll , cȳna -hyll , 'cows' hill,' with an alternative form -hyll , 'cow-hill.' Whatever the ultimate history of the name it is clear that at a later stage the name underwent corruption, but whether that was purely phonological, or due to some folk- etymologising process, whereby the name was associated with 'queen,' we cannot say. For a similar compound of OE  cȳna , cf. Keynor (Sx) as explained by Zachrisson in Mélanges de Philologie offerts á M. Johan Vising (194).

Places in the same Parish

None