Duck
Duck - OE duce, ened
One of broad group of birds which early nomenclatures does not seem to have differentiated between species in terms of names (although this does not mean, of course, that early observers did not recognise and distinguish species differences in the field). Duck, Old English duce (from the same root and having the same meaning as modern English verb ‘duck’, so called because ducks do indeed duck—the verb originally described a plunging action), refers to wildfowl species of various genera in the family Antatidae. Medieval people certainly had ducks (and geese) as domestic poultry, so it is certain that at least some, if not most, of the place-names involving ducks refer to farmed or feral populations as well as wild birds. The other Old English term which turns up in place-names, ened, became obsolete by the end of the Middle Ages. Like duce, it is of Indo-European origin (cognate with Latin anas) and may well also have described the ducking action so characteristic of many water birds.
Anmer (Norf)
Doughton (Glos)
Dukinfield (Ches)
Enborne (Berks)
Enford (Wilts)
Enmore (Som)
Entwisle (Lancs)
Ducks appear in charters relating to the following places: Bexley, Kent (9th cen.), Henstridge, Som (10th cen.), Pendock, Worcs (10th cen.).
Sources (see ‘About’ page for the full bibliography): Watts, Cambridge Dictionary; Ekwall, Oxford Dictionary; Gelling and Cole, Landscape of Place-Names; langscape.org.uk.