multihundreds

Multihundreds is a term that appears in historical geography and data organization to describe an aggregation of multiple hundred units. The word combines multi-, meaning many, with hundred, a traditional administrative division used in several regions, most notably in England and parts of Northern Europe.

In historical contexts, a hundred was a geographic and administrative subdivision within a county, used for taxation, legal administration, and military organization. The number of hundreds within a county varied widely. The phrase multihundreds, when used by historians or archivists, typically refers to a grouping of several such hundreds into a larger unit for the purposes of study, mapping, or data analysis. It is not a formal administrative category in medieval or modern government, but a descriptive label that can help discuss regions that encompass many hundreds.

In contemporary scholarship and digital humanities, multihundreds may appear in datasets, maps, or gazetteers that aggregate data across multiple hundred-level units. Analysts use the concept to examine patterns that span several hundreds, such as regional population trends, tax records, or land-use changes, without committing to a single, named county or hundred.

Because multihundreds is not a standardized term, its precise meaning depends on the context and the author. Readers should consider how the author defines the scope of the aggregation and which historic or geographic boundaries are being included.

See also: Hundred (administrative division), County, Administrative geography, Data aggregation.