Editing Hexham (section)

==Toponym==
The name Hexham derives from the [[Old English]] ''Hagustaldes ea'' and later ''Hagustaldes ham'' from which the modern form (with the "-ham" element) derives. ''Hagustald'' is related to the [[Old High German]] ''hagustalt'', denoting a younger son who takes land outside the settlement; the element ''ea'' means "stream" or "river" and ''ham'' is the Old English form of the Modern English "home" (and the Scots and Northern English "hame").<ref>''[[Northumberland]] [[Placename|Place-Names]]'', by Stan Beckensall, Butler Publishing 2004, {{ISBN|0-946928-41-X}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521861076&ss=ind|title=Northern English – Cambridge University Press}}</ref>