Norfolk is home to hundreds of villages many with peculiar or interesting names, just last week a village was named after a new virus.

Here are the meanings of some of our county's village names.

Castle Rising

Eastern Daily Press: Castle Rising Castle.Castle Rising Castle. (Image: Archant © 2008)

This village's name means 'Risa's people' or 'Hrsing', which means 'dwellers at the brushwood place', the word 'castle' was added because of the Norman castle located in the area.

Weston Longville

Eastern Daily Press: Weston Longville village sign. Picture: Danielle BoodenWeston Longville village sign. Picture: Danielle Booden (Image: Archant 2021)

The village's name means 'west farm settlement', with the 'Longville' part named after Longueville-sur-Scie in Normandy, France.

This is due to Domesday Book recorded that the manor was under the ownership of the Bishop of Bayeux.

Wimbotsham

Wimbotsham means 'Winebaud's village' or 'Winebaud's hemmed-in land'.

Thorpe Abbotts

Eastern Daily Press: Thorpe Abbotts village sign. Photo taken by Andrew Tullett as part of his Signs of a Norfolk Summer project.Thorpe Abbotts village sign. Photo taken by Andrew Tullett as part of his Signs of a Norfolk Summer project. (Image: Archant)

The village's name means 'abbot's outlying farm' and the village is in the Domesday Book of 1085 under the name of Thorp and is said to be king's land, in the charge of William de Noyers.

Hoe

Hoe's name means 'Hill-spur'.

Hoe is thought to have belonged to the abbey of Ely, founded by St. Audrey or Etheldra, and was held by Ralph son of Ivo, of the abbot, and afterwards by the king.

Runcton Holme

The village's name means 'settlement on an island' which it is thought denotes a trackway or an enclosed settlement.

Ringstead

The village's name means 'ring place', which is thought to refer to a stone circle or round topographical feature.

Interestingly, Ordinance Survey names the village Ringstead, while its village sign says Great Ringstead, historically the 'great' was to distinguish it from its medieval neighbour, Barrett Ringstead.

Trunch

Eastern Daily Press: St Botolph's Church, Trunch. PHOTO: ANTONY KELLYSt Botolph's Church, Trunch. PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY (Image: � ARCHANT NORFOLK 2012)

Trunch is thought to mean 'upland wood', however this is not certain with an official meaning never agreed upon.

Kirby Bedon

The name means 'church farm' or 'church village' and it was previously held by the Bidun family in the 12th century, which is perhaps where the 'Bedon' comes from.

Sidestrand

The name Sidestrand is thought to derive from the old English word sid, meaning broad or spacious, and the Danish word strond, meaning shore.

Sloley

Sloley comes from seventh century English which effectively means wood or clearing where sloe plants grow.