Ouse

Ouse is the name of several rivers in the British Isles. The origin of the term is uncertain, and it has long been used as a hydronym for different waterways, as well as in place names across England.

In England, the major rivers associated with the name include the Great Ouse, the Little Ouse, the Ouse in Sussex, and the Ouse that flows through York. The Great Ouse rises near the Buckinghamshire–Northamptonshire border and flows generally east and north through Bedford, St Neots, and Huntingdon, before reaching the sea at King’s Lynn in Norfolk via The Wash. The Little Ouse rises near the Norfolk–Suffolk border and flows north to join the Great Ouse near Thetford. The Sussex Ouse rises in the Sussex Weald and runs eastward through Lewes, ultimately emptying into the English Channel at Newhaven. The Ouse in Yorkshire travels through the city of York and is a notable geographic feature of the county.

Beyond these, there are numerous smaller streams and localities that bear the name Ouse, reflecting its historical distribution as a common regional hydronym. In modern usage, the name continues to appear in river descriptions, navigation networks, and various place names within England. The Ouse family of rivers is characterized by diverse courses that connect inland landscapes to larger estuarine or coastal systems.