Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• æt Cunugesburh 1002–4 ASWills c.1100

• Coningesborc, Coningesburg, Cuningesburg 1086 DB

• Cuningeburg(h), Kuningeburg(h) 1088–1121,1091–7,1164–79 YChviii l.12 Lewes24d,25

• Cuningesburc(h) 1121,1147 YChviii 1199 Ch 1232 RH 1276

• Cuningisburc(h) 1166–89 YChviii

• Cunyng(g)esburc(h) 1285 KI 1316 Pat

• Cunnygburgh' 1147–59 YChviii

• Cunigbur(g) 13 YDxiii,44 1247,1252 Ebor 1297 LS

• Cunnigisburg 13 ADi

• Kunningburg 1180–9 YChviii

• Kuningburc, Cuningburc, Cuningburg 1202 FF 1209 P 1240 Lib

• Coninggesbourg' 1197 Ebor 1301

• Conyngisburgh 13 Lewes301

• Coningesb(o)urg(h), Coningesburc', Conyngesburc' 1276 RH 1287 Ebor 1304 Pat 1316 Abbr 1329 ADi 1333 Selby 1428 FA

• Conengusburgh 1332 YDii

• Cunesburc, Cunesburg 1201 ChR 1202–8 Ass

• Cunnesburgh 1428 FA 1466 Pat

• Conigburh 1242 Ebor 1301

• Coniborgh 1271 Lewes292d

• Cuniburgh 1242 Pat

• Conesburg(h) 1271 Ebor 1276 RH 1294 ADi 1370 FF 1379 PT 1415 Pat 1466 Testii

• Conesbourgh 1415 BM

• Connesburc, Connesburg(h) 1275 Ebor 1418 YI 1446 Testii 1459 Pat

• Coningbure 1276 RH

• Coningburg(h), Conyngburg(h) 1289 ADiii 1300 Ebor 1302 Pat 1324 Lewes299d

• Conysburgh 1409 DiocV

• Conysborowe 1534 YDi

• Conysburrough 1597 FF

• Conisbrough 1771 M

• Connysburgh, Connisburgh 1441 DiocV 1460 Pat 1521 Testvi

• Connysborow(e) 1503 FF 1590 Camd

• Cunsburgh 1505 BM

• Cunsborough 1537 FF

• Cunsborrow 1606 BM

Etymology

'The king's stronghold', from ON  konungr (possibly replacing an earlier OE  cyning 'king') and burh. Conisbrough was one of the series of forts along the Don valley and the Castle Hill (infra ), which is doubtless the site of the burh , occupies a commanding position; cf. Introd. Although in 1066 it was part of the lands of King Harald, some 60 years previously it was one of the estates of Wulfric Spot (ASWills 46). The place is therefore named from some earlier king than Harald. The late medieval chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth calls it oppidum Kaerconan quod nunc Cunungeburg appellatur and Pierre de Langtoft burge Conane ; Geoffrey tells the story that burge Conane with all Hengist's treasure was taken by King Ambrosius, and that King Egbert went there (Goodall suggests this was in 830 soon after Egbert had subdued the North Welsh). Whatever the source of these traditional stories might be, the name Kaerconan probably arises from a misinterpretation by Geoffrey of Cuningesburg ; there is certainly no ground for assuming with Goodall that Conan is an old river-name, for the river here has always been known as the Don. The name Conan has been revived in Conanby, the name of a new housing estate near Conisbrough.