The villages name origin is uncertain possibly, 'land costing half a heriot'.
The parish covers an area of 24.65 km2 (9.52 sq mi) and had a population of 468 in 202 households at the 2001 census,[5] increasing to a population of 607 in 243 households at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Broadland. The civil parish includes the village of Tunstall.