Facts about Hackney

History of Hackney

In the 13th century the name appears as Hackenaye or Hacquenye, but no certain derivation is advanced. Concise Oxford Dictionary of Place Names discusses the origin of the name. The first surviving records of the place name are as Hakney and Hakeneye. The ‘ey’ suffix almost certainly refers to an island; the dictionary favours the interpretation that Hackney means ‘Haka’s island,’ with Haka being a notable local person and the island lying close to the River Lea.

In the Anglo-Saxon period, the River Lea separated the core territories of the East Saxons from the Middle Saxons they often controlled. This continuity of this natural boundary from pre-Roman period may be a result of the differing Saxon groups taking control of pre-defined territories. After both areas were brought under the control of Alfred the Great, the river became the boundary between the historic counties of Middlesex and Essex.

General Info

London Borough of Hackney is a London borough in Inner London. The historical and administrative heart of Hackney is Mare Street. Which lies 5 miles north-east of Charing Cross. The borough is named after Hackney, its principal district. Southern and eastern parts of the borough are popularly regarded as being part of east London, with the northwest belonging to north London.

The London Plan issued by the Greater London Authority assigns whole boroughs to sub-regions for statutory monitoring, engagement, and resource allocation purposes. The most recent iteration of this plan assigns Hackney to the ‘East’ sub-region, while the 2008 and 2004 versions assigned the borough to ‘North’ and ‘East’ sub-regions respectively.