Tooting Bec

[Alan O'Brien]

I live near Tooting Bec; what does bec mean?

I know how Tooting got its name, though. Because it's not won ting, it's two
ting.

Alan

[John Dean]

If it's not one ting it's another. ting ting. hold very tight please.
Tooting is 'place of Tota's people' and Bec is from the Norman Abbey of
Bec-Hellouin, medieval holders of the manor. So saith Brewer.
I note that the Abbot at the time of the conquest was Lanfranc who went on
to become Archbishop of Canterbury.
http://www.abbayedubec.com/

--
John Dean
Oxford

[Robbie]

Oh goody! A chance to use my new Oxford Names Companion. It says... let me
see... ah, here it is:

Tooting Bec and Tooting Graveney
Greater London
Totinge 727, Totinges 1086 (Domesday Book), Totinge de Bek 1255, Thoting
Gravenel 1272.
Possibly "(settlement of) the family or followers of a man called Tota",
from OE personal name + -ingas. Alternatively "people of the lookout
place", from OE *tot + -ingas.
Distinguishing affixes from early possession by the Norman Abbey of
Bec-Hellouin and by the de Gravenel family.

By the way, that's a long O (O with a - over it) in Tota and tot, but I
don't fancy messing about with accented characters.

Robbie

[Alan O'Brien]

"Robbie" <robbie...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:opr5cfmb...@news.ntlworld.com...

Thank you Robbie and John. I thought it might have been an Old French word
for hill - or summit.
And on that weird unintentional pun I close this thread.

[M. J. Powell]

In message <RXa8c.3000$1x2...@news-binary.blueyonder.co.uk>, Alan
O'Brien <alane...@blueyonder.co.uk> writes

Wait! Wait! Not yet. There's a 'Twt Hill' in Caernafon and Totnes,
Devon. 'Tota's Headland'.

Phew! Just in time.

Mike
--
M.J.Powell