Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Gunsin 1703 Terrier

• Gunshill 1709 ib

• Guncills 1797 Surv

• Neither Gunsicke 1674 Terrier

• Neither Gunsing 1690,1697,1712 ib

• Nether Gunsing 1700,1706,1708(18),1718,1721 ib

• Nether Gunsin 1703 ib

• Nether Gunshill 1709 ib

• Gunsicke Furlong 1674 ib

• Gunsing furland (sic) 1690 ib

• Gunsing furlong 1697,1700 1721 ib

Etymology

, Gunsin 1703Terrier , Gunshill 1709ib , Guncills 1797Surv , Neither Gunsicke 1674Terrier , Neither Gunsing 1690, 1697, 1712ib , Nether Gunsing 1700, 1706, 1708 (18), 1718, 1721ib , Nether Gunsin 1703ib , Nether Gunshill 1709ib (v. neoðera), Gunsicke Furlong 1674ib , Gunsing furland (sic)1690ib , Gunsing furlong 1697, 1700ib et passim to 1721ib ( v. furlang ) . With Hardy 's Gunsel in adjoining East Norton , these are the names of three plantations which line a large spur of land , two of the plantations sloping down towards a stream which runs along its foot . The first el . of all the forms is the ON  pers.n. Gunnarr in the possessive case , while the generic of the earliest pair is sík ' a piece of meadow along astream ' . It is uncertain whether Gunsicke and Gunsing from the outset referred to two different features ( Gunsing with eng ' a meadow ' as generic ) or whether eng replaced the sík of an original Gunsick , eng itself being eventually replaced by hill . Although Gunshill is recorded by 1709 , while Gunsing continues to 1721 , it seems doubtful that Gunshill constituted an independent name rather than its being a refashioning by popular etymology .