The name of the river derives from a root found in many Indo-European languages and means "to run" or "to flow".[citation needed]
The historic or alternative name for the river is the River Neen and there are three settlements along its course which take its name: Neen Sollars, Neenton and Neen Savage.[2] This name appears to come from Brythonic *Nein-, which could mean either washing or snowing.[3]