A county in eastern England, or various places named after it. Also refers to a type of jacket or architectural style associated with the region.
From Old English 'Northfolc' meaning 'northern people', from 'north' + 'folc' (folk, people). It distinguished the northern territory of the East Anglian peoples from Suffolk ('southern people').
Norfolk's name preserves ancient tribal geography - it literally means 'northern folk' as opposed to Suffolk's 'southern folk'. This naming pattern shows how medieval people organized their understanding of territory around kinship and cardinal directions rather than modern administrative boundaries.
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