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.

Holt Hundred

Hundred in the County of Norfolk

Historical Forms

  • H' de Holt 1086 DB
  • Hó hdr' 1163 P
  • Holthdr' 1168etfreqto1201 P
  • (in) hundredo de Holt 1185 RotDom
  • Holt 1199,1212,1220 Fees 1257,1269 Ass 1260 Ipm 1275 RH 1302to1428 FA 1333 SR 1378 Cl 1471 Fine
  • Holthundredum 1200,1209,1210 P
  • hundredum de Holt' 1201 Cur
  • Hout 1275 RH 1290 Misc
  • Holt hundred 1306 Ipm

Etymology

OE  holt 'wood', which is common as a simplex name and in combination with words for trees (cf. DEPN and Mills). The hundred was named, from the town of Holt. According to Schram, quoted by Arngart (EHN I68), there is a reference to a place called Thinghou 1203 FF in Holt, from ON  þing 'meeting, assembly, court' and ON  haugr 'hill', which may refer to the actual meeting-place of the hundred. Cf. Thingoe Hundred Sf (EHN I95).