ru
"Bi
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PURCHASED FROM THE INCOME OF THE
JOSIAH H. BENTON FUND
^
THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND
AND WALES
TO
Sm JAMES A. H. MURRAY
HARDEST OF WORKERS
AS A MEMENTO OF A CONNEXION
OF OVER THIRTY YEARS
THE. PLACE -NAMES OF
ENGLAND AND WALES
BY THE REV. JAMES B. JOHNSTON, M.A., B.D.
•I
AUTHOR OF ' THE PLACE-NAMES OF SCOTLAND '
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1915
^^
Or
^
^
PREFACE
A FEW words of preface seem necessary, especially for the sake of
those who wish to make serious use of this book. Let it, then,
be clearly understood at the outset that it makes no attempt or
pretence at completeness. In so vast a subject this would scarcely
be possible for any man, no matter how accomplished or favourably
situated. Least of all has it been possible for the writer, a busy
minister working absolutely single-handed in a Scottish provincial
town, with the oversight of a large congregation which has had the
first claim upon all his time and energy and has always received it.
Why, then, attempt such a task at all ? Because it seemed so needful
to be done. No proper conspectus of the whole subject has appeared
hitherto ; and the writer does think that through the gatherings of
fully twenty years he has been able to do something. He would
humbly hope he may receive a little thanks for what he has done,
rather than censure — all too easy to utter — ^for what he has left
undone. Every student may at once discover omissions, perhaps
a good many mistakes also, though the writer has done Ms
best : he can only cherish, the hope that at least he has made the
pathway easier for the more thorough men who are sure to come
after.
CJonsultation of works only to be found in large libraries —
Domesday, the O.E. charters, the RoUs, and Chroniclers — ^has all
had to be done during brief and occasional visits to Edinburgh and
Glasgow, where even the best libraries are far from perfect in this
respect. Still, one has been able to gleam not a few valuable forms,
especially from the more recent issues of the Close and Patent Rolls
(which have hardly been touched by others yet), and from several
of the early chroniclers. Unless it be in the notes to Anecdota
Oxoniensia, next to nothing of permanent value on English place-
names appeared until so recently as 1901, when the lamented Dr.
Skeat issued his brochure on Cambs. The gazetteers and guide-
books, even the best of them, are nearly all useless on our subject;
generally a great deal worse than useless from a scientific point of
view: and we cannot even exclude the latest edition of the Encyclo"
pcedia Britannica. But invaluable help has been received from the
numerous works of Dr. Skeat, and from not a little private corre-
spondence with him, in which the Cambridge professor of Anglo-
Saxon showed himself aboundingly generous, up to within a fort-
night of his death. Much is owed both to the books and to the
private help of the late Mr. Duignan, who was also most kind. One of
vi ^PREFACE
the best place-name books yet issued is Wyld and Hirst's book on
Lancashire, to which the writer is very deeply indebted. The book
is marred only by a few serious omissions (like Bacup), and by a
rather overfondness for Scandinavian, and an oversuspiciousness of
Keltic origins, which occasionally leads to curious results, as in the
case of CJondover. Mr. M'Clure's book has been found to contain
much splendid material with some weak admixture. Baddeley's
Gloucester is a first-rate bit of work; the writer's only regret is
that it came so late into his hands. He has a similar regret with
regard to the work of Dr. Mutschmann. Several others, containing
valuable information, were unf ortimately issued just before or after
his own MS. was completed in November, 1913; they will be found
in the BibHography. The stern exigencies of space have forbidden
many other acknowledgments of indebtedness.
The number of Domesday forms given is by no means complete,
and the identification in a few cases may be a little uncertain owing
to lack of local knowledge. But the iiiformation given is certainly
fuller than is available elsewhere. All village names not important
enough to be mentioned in the Postal Guide have been passed over,
except in cases of special interest. Postal Guide spellings have
usually been taken as the standard.
Wales has been a great difficulty. Accessible and trustworthy
literature has proved very scarce (see p. 66). Letters have been
exchanged with a number of kindly correspondents; but hardly
anybody has been found able and wiUing to give real help, except
that excellent antiquary, Mr. Palmer of Wresbam, and Sir Edward
Anwyl, whose all too scanty commimications have proved of
great value. As to Cornwall, the writer worked diligently for
three weeks in the Public Library at Fahnouth, and was fortu-
nate in being able to supplement his studies from the valuable
Cornish library of the Rev. Wilfrid Rogers. R. 0. Heslop, Esq.,
of Newcastle, has given useful hints about names in Northumber-
land, and Rev. Charles E. Johnston, of Seascale, has helped with
those of Cumberland. Numerous other correspondents must be
gratefidly acknowledged in a body. Their help has been none
the less real, and the writer's gratitude is just as hearty, though
it is impossible to mention all their names.
Professor Ernest Weekley, of Nottingham, our best living authority
on English personal names, has read all the proofs and has enriched
nearly every page with some valuable suggestion, though, of course,
he is responsible for no statement in the book. The writer tenders
to him his warmest thanks. Fresh information and accredited
corrections of any kind will always be welcome.
JAMES B. JOHNSTON.
St. Andrew's Manse, Falkirk.
June 15, 1914.
CONTENTS
PAGE
PEEFAOB - - - - - - - - V
CHAPTER
I. THE USE AND VALUE OF PLACE-NAME STUDY - - - 1
n. BOMAN AND LATIN NAMES ...... 4:
m. THE KELTIC ELEMENT ...... 7
PROVISIONAL LIST OF KELTIC PLACE-NAMES IN ENGLAND - 18
IV. THE ENGLISH ELEMENT - - - - - - 23
THE COMMON ELEMENT - - - - - - 34
V. THE SCANDINAVIAN ELEMENT - - - - - 36
VI. THE ENDINGS ....... 46
Vn. THE NORMAN ELEMENT - - - - - - 63
Vin. THE NAMES OF WALES, MONMOUTH, AND CORNWALL - - 66
IX. PHONETIC NOTES ON THE ALPHABET AND ITS MUTATIONS IN
ENGLISH PLACE-NAMES - - - - - - 81
LIST OP THE CHIEP PLACE-NAMES IN ENGLAND AND WALES, WITH
EXPLANATIONS - - - - - - - 87
BIBLIOGRAPHY ....... 628
INDEX TO PLACES NOT DEALT WITH IN THEIR ALPHABETIC ORDER 529
INDEX OP SUBJECTS AND PERSONAL NAMES - - - 631
VU
THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND
AND WALES
INTEODUCTION
CHAPTER I
THE USE AND VALUE OF PLACE-NAME STUDY
To many this needs an apologia; it is such a useless, dry as -
dust study this, they say. And yet the apologia is easUy writ,
because : —
1. Place-name study helps to satisfy a widespread and very
natural curiosity; and everything which helps to satisfy a
legitimate and intelligent curiosity is good, and deserves some
meed of commendation, not a frown. But this, if the first is
perhaps the lowest of the uses, we shall name.
2. It is one of the most valuable and readily available of our
sidehghts on history. The history of the far past is as a rule
dim enough, and needs every beam of light, even the faintest,
which we can throw upon it. In England, it so happens, we
have records of place-names in abundance long before we
have regular history in abundance. Often where the direct
record is of the meagrest, the most tantahzingly scanty sort,
place-names may be practically the only definite evidence we
have on certain important points. The early history of Cum-
berland is a good case in point. Moreover, place-names help
much to indicate the breadth and depth of the impact of the
foreign invader, and England had invaders not a few.
3. Our study helps not a little to reveal and illustrate racial
idiosyncrasies, modes of thought, feeling, and taste. Tastes
Keltic were, and are, very different from tastes Saxon. Our
names, e.g., show what men or class of men each race admired
1
2 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
and revered most, the men whose memories they sought most
eagerly to perpetuate. In the case of Angle, Saxon, and Dane,
they tell at least a Httle, perhaps not a great deal, as to who
were their favourite heroes ; whilst in the case of the Kelt they
show who were his favourite saints. The bluff Saxon seldom
troubled himself much about saints, at least so far as to
enshrine them in a place-name; though one or two instances,
Hke Chadkebk or Kewstoke, might be cited to the contrary.
4. It gives most valuable evidence as to the processes of
phonetic change and decay, and the lines on which those changes
proceed. The laws, once found and firmly estabhshed, are
weUnigh as sure and helpful as those in the most exact of the
physical sciences. It is often of extreme interest to the
philologer to trace these sound-changes; and our place-name
records often afford valuable supplement to the dictionary,
supplying missing links, and giving, in a good many cases,
earlier evidence of the use of a word than any surviving literary
record. Examples of this will be found passim (see, e.g..
Bishop Burton, Hatheeleigh, Reach, Rye, etc.).
5. Lastly, we need not hesitate to add, the study of place-
names is a useful discipline, a taxing exercise of scholarly
patience, in a department where much has already been done,
but where a vast amount of hard work still awaits the doer.
In a much-traversed, much-contested territory like England
and Wales, the student needs to remove each successive layer
of names as carefully, and to scrutinize them as dihgently, as a
Fhnders Petrie when he is digging down into one of Egypt's
ancient cemeteries, or as a Macalister exploring one of the
great rubbish mounds at Gezer or Lachish, And the place-
name student has his own little joys of discovery,^ his own
thrills over a much-tangled skein at last unravelled, as weU as
a Schliemann at Mycense, or a Flinders Petrie at Abydos. He
also has his own sure retribution if he neglect the laws of his
1 E.g., Professor Kuno Meyer's recent discovery, in an old Irish
MS., of the name ' Ard Echdi' (height of the horse), the exact Irish
or Gaelic equivalent of the Epidion akron of Ptolemy, c. a.d. 160,
Ard Echdi is said to be ' in Kintyre,' which confirms the supposition
long since made, that Ptolemy's name stood for the Mull of Kintyre.
This diccovery also confirms our belief in Ptolemy's accuracy, whilst it
shows that, in his day, Kintyre was inhabited by Kelts of the p group,
not by Kelts of the c or 1c group, as all Scottish Kelts are at this day.
INTRODUCTION 3
study, and dogmatize upon unsufficient evidence. Bad guesses
are sure to bring to him shame and confusion. But in this
study sober conjecture is not to be despised, even if it afterwards
prove wrong. It is often the only resource which lies open.
But one must use aU the evidence available, and one must know
and remember the rules, which nine out of every ten place-name
guessers do not.
CHAPTER II
ROMAN AND LATIN NAMES
Written record of British history before the arrival of Julius
Caesar's legions in 55 B.C. there is all but none. True, the
Cassiterides — i.e., ' tin islands ' — are referred to by Herodotus,
the father of history himself, as well as by Strabo ; and these
Cassiterides must have included part of the mainland of
Cornwall as well as the Scilly Isles. There is a Cassiter Street
in Bodmin at this day. The general name, Britain,^ also
goes back to Aristotle. For the rest there yawns a vast
blank.
On Rome in Britain we shaU be very brief; the subject has
already been discussed so often, with such fulness and care,
by more competent pens. We get many names in England
in Ptolemy's weU- known Geography, written in Greek c.
A.D. 150. So far as Britain is concerned it is not first-hand
knowledge, but a pure compilation, and, except in the case
of a few rivers, Ptolemy's names can rarely be identified with
certainty with names stiU in use. We get a large number of
town names along the routes given in the Antonine Itinerary, a
document only put into its final shape c. a.d. 380. We get
a good many more in the Notitia Dignitatum, which dates about
twenty years later. All the evidence afforded by these, our
three chief authorities for Roman names in England, will be
found set forth and discussed in scholarly fashion in M'Clure's
British Place-Names. Of course, we have a few names, a
mere handful, which come in earUer. Only in very rare cases
do these represent names which still survive. Caesar gives us
Cantium or Kent, Tameses or Thames, Mona or Man. Vectis
or Wight goes back to PHny, a.d. 77. His name for England
* The printing of a name in capitals always means. See details in
the List.
4
INTEODUCTION 5
is Albion, possibly ' the white (L. alhus) land,' from the white
chalk cliffs about Dover. Tacitus, a little later than Pliny, is
the first to mention Londinium or London, and the Sabrina or
Severn, also a R. Avona (probable reading), and that is about
all— a very meagre array. The Roman Itineraries cover the
whole country from the Scottish Border to Exeter, or Isca
Damnoniorum. Rome made little mark S. and W. of that.
But the Itinerary names are seldom identifiable with existing
names, and have given rise to endless controversy. A good
many of them will be found discussed in our List, s.v. Carlisle,
Dover, Manchester, Worcester, and the like. But the names
which have come down to us from pre-Saxon times, though
writ in Latin, are practically all Keltic, or pre-Keltic, and so
faU, properly, to be dealt with in our next chapter.
Chester or Caistor, as we find it alone, -caster, -cester, or
-Chester as we find it in combination, is usually thought to be
the sure sign manual of the Roman, and proof of the existence
of a former castra, camp, or fort. But numerous though these
' caster ' names be^ none of them reaUy go back as names to
Roman times. Names like Alia Castra for Alcester are spurious
inventions. Chester itself comes in as a name quite late, and
few if any 'casters ' are earher than the beginnings of the O.E.
Chronicle. Gloucester is found in a grant of 681 as Gleawe-
ceasdre, and Worcester is nearly as early. Thus, -caster.
O.E. ceaster, is a Saxon rather than a Roman appellative.
There are also one or two names which embody the L. colonia,
*a settlement,' usually of veteran soldiers. Lincoln is cer-
tainly a case in point, and Colchester, O.E. Colenceaster, is
confidently given as another, with fair reason too. But
very possibly it means no more than ' camp on the R. Colne,'
and this river name must be Keltic or pre-Keltic. In either
case the present names, Lincoln and Colchester, seem to have
been of Saxon, not of Roman, make.
Thus, of real Latin names in England there are almost none.
Skeat wiU not even admit Speen, Berks, to be the L. Spinse.
But Catterick, S. Yorks, is known to be the L. cataracta or
'waterfall,' and Pontefract is the same region, though first
found in Norman documents, may have come down all the
way from the Romans. But Centurion's Copse, Brading, is a
siUy modem corruption for ' St. Urian's copse ' ; and Aquilate,
6 THE PLACE-NAMES OP ENGLAND AND WALES
Staffs, is not Aqua lata, but comes from Aquila, Latin rendering
of the Norman smuame L'Aigle. Monkish Latin has certainly
had to do with a few of om: present names. Monksilver, e.g.',
must be from silva, ' a wood ' ; Merbvalb is Mira valle, and
Gaia Lane, Lichfield, is med. Latin for 'jay,' Nor. Fr. gai, gay;
whilst the earliest known spelling of Devizes seems to be
Divisis, which we venture to translate — the Latin is barbarous
— place ' at the borders ' or * divisions.' The history of Atjst
is also very interesting.
The great fact remains that in Britain, unlike neighbouring
Gaul or Spain, no Roman language has been spoken for 1,500
years. The Britons kept, and still keep, their own mother-
tongue. Only a few townsfolk and wealthier landowners would
ever speak Latin at all. Hence it is that this chapter so soon
comes to an end.
CHAPTER ni
THE KELTIC ELEMENT
Of all the problems connected with the place-names of England
there are few so interesting or so intricate as those connected
with the Keltic element — how much, or perhaps we should
rather say, how Uttle, of the old British speech stiU survives
in Enghsh place-names. On this subject much nonsense has
been asserted, even by learned men who ought to have known
better, or who, at any rate, should have been more careful
about their facts before making such large claims for the Keltic
element as they have. The truth is, the deeper and the more
thorough the investigation, the smaller seems the sure Keltic
residuum, whilst very small indeed now is the group of names
of which we can make nothing sure at aU, though convinced
that they must either be Keltic or pre-Keltic. There must be
several pre-Keltic names in Wales, but in England they are
confined chiefly, and possibly altogether, to a handful of river
names. There are, e.g., two or three names in Cheshire which
are hard nuts to crack, rivers like the Biddle, Bollin, Croco,
and Etherow ; whilst Kennet, a river name in both Berks and
Cambs, is another of the rare insolubles. It is such an age since
these long-skulled, dark-haired, dark-eyed pre-Kelts (probably
also pre- Aryans) ceased to speak their own tongue on British
soil, that their names, as weU as everything else belonging to
them, except a few skuUs, have been practically wiped out;
and time spent in speculating on their language or their names
can be little else than time wasted.
Not a great many centuries before Julius Caesar, the great
Aryan family of Kelts began to arrive on our shores. The
Goidels or Gaels, because to-day in force in Northern Scotland,
Ireland, and Man, must, it is generally supposed, have arrived
first. But of Goidels in England we now know exceedingly
7
8 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
little. Their very existence there, once upon a time, is proved
by not much else than a few inscriptions, commonly called
Ogams. There have been none fomid E. of Devon or Wales,
only one in Cornwall, and barely fifty altogether. But these
Ogams can only date from late in the Roman occupation, and
seem to suggest that the makers of them had crossed over from
the S. of Ireland, perhaps from about Waterford, to Pembroke.
There was also an Irish invasion or immigration into Cornwall
in early historic times. But of the earliest Goidels in England
we know almost nothing. Next came the Brythons, the p
group as scholars caU them, as opposed to the k or q group, the
Goidels. Comparison of the abundant remaining skuUs of the
Neohthic Age in Belgium and in England, seems to indicate
that the English Kelts we know best came from the tribe of
the Belgae, and crossed over to us where the sea was narrowest.
The Belgae were akin to the Gauls, and the Gauls were un-
doubtedly nearer of kin to the Brython than to the Gael, so
far as their very scanty linguistic remains show. The Picts,
who were akin to the Brythons, especially to the Cornish, seem
to have been confined to Scotland, though in Searle's Onomasti-
con we find nine names of men compounded with Peoht or
Pict — e.g., Peoht-hehn, -red, -wine, -wulf, etc.
However, over a large area of England we now know for
certain that there are next to no Keltic names at all. Where a
competent investigator has been at work, like Dr. Skeat
among the names of Berks, Cambs, or Herts, W6 can now say
confidently that there are no surviving Keltic names except
those of two or three rivers; a very different story this from
what was supposed not so very long ago. AU over the S.B.
of England, and indeed in the whole region along the coast
from Tyne to Solent, Keltic names are extremely rare. It is
doubtful if in that section there be thirty such names all
told. In Lincoln, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex, Surrey,
Sussex, the Keltic element seems represented by only five,
three, or possibly even one name each ; for in Middlesex, apart
from London and Thames, which it shares with x)ther counties,
what is there save Brent ? In the Midlands, too, Keltic
names are few and far between, except on the Welsh border.
In Bucks, Bedford, Oxford, Warwick, there are next to none.
And what is stranger and more unexpected, even in the far
INTRODUCTION 9
N., in Westmorland and Durham, hardly a single true
British name survives. Of the original English Goidel our
place-names preserve scarce one footprint. It is doubtful if in
all England, outwith the borders of Northumberland and
Cumberland, there can be picked out a single clearly Goidelic
name,^ and, of course, the Border names are probably due to
the filtering S. of the Scottish Gael,
On the other hand, as is well known, in districts where the
Saxon invader arrived late, in Cornwall, 'the horn of the
Welsh,' and in Monmouth, Keltic names are still in an over-
whelming majority. In Cornwall there are perhaps no true
Enghsh names of any consequence, except modem upstarts
like New Quay, and two names on the very eastern edge —
Launceston and Saltash. Next to Cornwall and Monmouth,
the region for Keltic names is, very naturally, that along the
Welsh border, and in what was the old Brythonic kingdom of
Cumbria — i.e., Lancashire and Cumberland — also, as we have
already noted, all along the Scottish Border. In Hereford,
Salop, and Cheshire, and in these three northern counties,
Welsh names (or Gaelic names) of rivers, of hills too, and vil-
lages and towns, are still fairly plentiful. Many river names in
Devon and Somerset, and quite a handful in Stafford, are
Keltic ; so also is a fairly numerous group of towns or villages
in Somerset and Dorset. Whenever we find such village
names surviving, it is pretty clear proof that extermination or
driving out of the Brython at the hand of Saxon or Angle
had not been so swift or ruthless as in most other parts. It
is curious, however, that Keltic village names are so lacking
in Devon.
It is the Welsh dictionary which is our chief aid in searching
out the Keltic names. English Keltic names are certainly for
the most part of Brythonic type. But, as we have abeady
noted, near the Scots Border we have a few purely Goidelic,
interesting as showing that the present Border was once upon
a time by no means the southern border of the Gael. There is
a W. glyn as well as a G. gleann ; but we can scarcely err in
1 Perhaps the best attempt has been, to show the Gr. crioch, cricTie,
' boundary, limit,' in the nimierous names in, Creech and Crick, and
even Penkridge. But the evidence which will be found s.v. Creech,
Crick, Crickhowell, etc., seems conclusive against it.
2
10 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
holding that all the Glens in Northumberland are of Gaelic
origin. Near Haltwhistle alone we find three — a Glencune,
a Glendhu, and a Glenwhelt. Glencune reappears in Cumber-
land, near Ullswater, as Glencoin. Both are clearly derived
from the G. cumhann or comhann, with the mh mute through
' eclipse,' as it is called. Glencoe, the far-famed, has the same
origin; it is spelt Glencoyne in 1500, and Glencoan in 1623.
Another Glen, with a very Highland smack about it, lies E. of
Keswick, Glenderamackin, which is pure Gaehc for ' glen of
the stream with the bulbs or parsnips.'
The Kielder Water near the Northumberland border is as
clearly G. caol dohhar {bh mute), ' narrow-stream.' The G. ao in
names has run through nearly all the vowel sounds. We have
it taking on the long ee of Kielder away up in Eddrachilis,
W. Sutherland, pronounced Eddraheelis, G. eadar-a-chaolais,
'between the straits or narrows.' Pure Gaehc, too, is
Mindrum, Coldstream, G. min druim, ' smooth hill ridge.' In
Cumberland such names are rarer, but we have a few very
interesting samples, like Cardurnock, on the shore S. of Bow-
ness, G. cathair [th mute) dornaig, ' fort at the pebbly place, '
the same word as Dornock on the other side of the Solway,
and as the better known Dornoch in the far north. Culgaith,
Penrith, is unmistakable Gaelic too, cul gaoiih, ' at the back of
the wind,' the ih being preserved here, whilst in Gaehc for many
a generation th has gone dumb. As already noted, of clearly
GaeUc names farther south there are perhaps none at all, unless
it be Cannock.
By far the most important group of Keltic names in England
are the names of rivers. No first-class river in England, abso-
lutely none in Wales, has an Enghsh name. One writer
instances as probably Enghsh these six — Eamont, Loxley,
Swift, Waveney, Witham, and Wyth-burn. The first three, all
quite small streams, probably are ; and, as we shall see by-and-
by, there are plenty more. But the last three we may pretty
confidently conclude to be Keltic (see the List). Why the
rivers should be so tenaciously Keltic it is not quite easy to say,
for the same rule by no means holds true about the other
unchanging natural features of the land, the hills, the bays,
etc. But a hill belongs to one district only, a river of any size
to several. It would thus be fairly easy to change the name
INTRODUCTION 11
of a^ hill, but to change the name of a river would often have
caused great confusion, and so the Saxons kept the old names
on, and adapted their tongues to them as best they could.
It is worthy of note how intensely commonplace and un-
imaginative the bulk of our river names are. When examined
they are very often found to mean 'river ' or 'water,' and
nothing more. Phonetics, not imagination, has lent the
variety. To take the commonest first, the name Avon;
there are seven Avons in all, three of them tributaries of the
one R. Severn. The earliest known form, that of Tacitus,
Avona, already gives us the spelling of to-day; but reference
to the List will show that spellings with h and / pro v are early
found too, clearly showing the connection between W. afon
and G. abhuinn or ohhuinn, both meaning ' river, ' and nothing
more. In England Avon is generally pronounced with d, but
sometimes, as in Shakespeare's Avon, with ce. In Scotland
we find the same thing, the pronimciation usually avon, but
in S. Lanarkshire always sevon, as in Strathseven or Straeven.
This last pronunciation is also seen in fair Ravenglass, S.
Cumberland, of which many absurd and law-defying interpre-
tations are current, but which is simply W. yr afon glas, ' the
greenish ' or ' bluish river.' We probably get it again in the
Norfolk R. Waveney, where a common EngHsh diminutive
ending has tacked itself on. In Scotland, but not in England,
the G. amhuinn or ohhuinn reappears more than once as
Almond. *In England, however, we have various other forms.
In Salop the root shows itself in Ouny or Onney, and we have
it again in the Oun-dle of Northants, Bede's Un-dalum, forms
paralleled in old Keltic Gaul, as in the Garonne, Rhone,
Saone, and the like, whilst with Ouny we may also compare
own, the pronunciation of G. abhuinn in some districts; and
the form Onn-ey {EngHsh diminutive ending) probably has its
parallel in such a f amihar Scottish name as Carr-on.
Still more protean in its shapes is that root for ' water ' or
'river,' variously spelt in different regions. Axe, Esk, Exe,
Usk; the Romans spelt both Exe and Usk, Isca, and Ux-bridge
certainly. Ox-ford possibly, represents the same word. This is
the old Keltic uisc, the G. uisge, as in the famous usquebaugh
or ' eau de vie.' Simeon of Durham (c. 1130) writes of Exeter
as ' Britannice Cairuisc, Latine Civitas Aquarum.' Whitley
12 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
Stokes held that Esk is Pictish, cognate with O.Ir. esc, ' marsh,
fen.' But in face of the evidence, it seems very superfluous
to talk of Pictish in England, even in S. Cumberland (R. Esk
and Eskdale). We cannot prove that Ox- in Oxford is the
same root ; stiU it is quite likely that Oxford, R. Ock, Berks,
and Ockbrook, Derbyshire, are all cognates. The Latin name
of the Thames at Oxford is Isis, already so given by Leland
c. 1550, but exactly 200 years earlier we find it in Higden's
Polychronicon as Ysa. It seems most likely that Isis also is
related to uisc and to the R. Ouse. A plausible O.E. origin
can be suggested for the Ouse, which is partly confirmed by
the forms given under Great Ouse. But Oxnam, on the
Roxburgh border, though already, c. 1150, Oxeneham, stands
upon a Httle burn called the Ousenan ; and this hiUy region can
never have been very suitable for oxen, so that Ox- as weU as
Ouse, which appears four times in England, may well mean
' river ' too.
The Cheshire Dee, Ptolemy's Deva, the modem W. Dwfr
Dwy {' two rivers '), likewise means ' river,' whilst the R. Dove,
Derby, and R. Dovey or Dyfi, S. Wales, are both forms of
this W. dwfr or dwr, O.W. dvhr ; and the same root, W. dwr, or
G. dobhar {bh mute), is also seen as forming half of such stream
names as Adder or Adur (there are three such rivers), J5erwent
(three also), Darwen, and Kielder. The Westmorland R.
Lowther is probably but Keltic for ' canal ' or ' trench.' The
R. Aide, Suffolk, seems cognate with the G. allt, ' a burn,' seen
pure and simple in the Alt, Lanes, and as a compound in many
a Scots name — Aldourie, Garvald, etc. Then Wey, a river-
name both in Surrey and in Dorset, is plainly W. gwy, ' a river,'
especially a slow-flowing one, probably seen again in the Suther-
land G. uidh. And, of course, we have the same root in the
R. Wye, Domesday's Waia, and in the Gowy, a httle Cheshire
tributary of the Mersey. Tyne, too, may mean ' river ' and
little more. All this, when summed up, forms a remarkable
mass of evidence in proof of the statement with which we
began, that EngUsh river names very often mean plain ' river '
or 'stream,' nothing else.
Again, there is a considerable group of names which mean
simply ' quiet, smooth,' or, possibly, ' broad river.' The forms
in the group vary a good deal — Taff (and Llan-daff), Tame
INTRODUCTION 13
(and Tam-worth), Tamar, Tavy, Taw, Teme (tributary of
Severn), Thame, Thames;' almost certainly Tone (and Taun-
ton) and Tweed, too. A similar group is formed by the three
rivers, Leven, Lanes, Leaven, Yorks, and Levant, S.W. Sussex,
aU from W. ttev, which likewise means ' smooth ' ; but these
EngUsh Levens can hardly have the same origin as the many
Levens {q.v.) of Scotland. As for the rest of our Keltic river
names, many of them are very hard to explain, and a good
many may remain for ever insoluble, their history has been so
completely lost. Only a few English river names — Ribblb,
e.g. — can confidently be claimed as evidence of the certainly
widespread river- worship of our Keltic ancestors. What there
is to say will best be noted in our chapter on Wales. Rivers
like the Lug, a case in point, are common to both.
If the meaning of our river names be often difficult to
unravel, we are in a far worse plight about many of the names
of our most conspicuous hills and mountains, largely because
in so many cases we have no early record of the spelling, and
sa we have been deHvered over to much guesswork, more or
less sober. Nobody, e.g., seems to know where the name
Pennines came from, and about such an attractive name as
Helvellyn we can only make guesses. But, as with the rivers
so with the heights, many of our Keltic hiU names either mean
simply 'height,' or else are compoimds including that. S.g-,
the W. mynydd, ' hill, ' may crop up alone in Mint, Westmorland,
and Munet, Salop, ^ but it is surer in compounds, such as
Long-mynd, Ok-ment Hill (Devon), and Stad-ment (Here-
ford). Brean, on the Somerset coast, is but the plural of W.
hre, ' a hiU, a brae ' ; and the Northumberland Carrick, like its
Scottish and L^ish kindred, means simply an outstanding rock,
whilst Tor in Torbay and Torquay, Cat Tor, etc., is another
word for ' a (tower-like) hiU.'
There are two places called simply Penn, which is W. for
'head, height,' very common in Cornwall too. This fenn in
combination recurs in numerous cases from Cumberland to
Worcester and Somerset. The Chevin, Yorks, is a manifest
corruption of W. cefn, ' a ridge ' ; whilst the Peak of Derbyshire
is one of our very oldest names, and almost undoubtedly British,
though, curiously enough, we can only make shots at its
1 On the Forest of Dean Meends, see Baddeley, Gloucestersh., app. iii.
See also Mindton,
14 THE PLAC^-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
meaning. The inquirer ought to consult the Oxford Dictionary,
8.V. Names in England (not in Scotland) with the prefix Dun-
are almost always Saxon, not Keltic ; but we get the Keltic or
W. form in Dinmore Hill, Hereford, W. din mawr, 'big hill,'
whilst Dinder, Wilts, is apparently din dwr, ' hill by the river.'
Moel, the W. for ' a bold, conical hill,' G. maol, is very common
in W. hill names; but we probably see it also in the Cumber-
land Millbreak, ' speckled hill,' and in Malvern, ' hill of alders,'
whilst the Lickey Hills near by do but give us the W. llechau,
pi. of Uech, ' a rock, a stone.' Pure Welsh hill names have
seldom survived amongst English shires, but there is one con-
spicuous exception in Pennygant, a name of many modern,
but few or no ancient, spellings, representing either penn y
gwant, ' height of the butt or mark,' or y gwynt, ' of the winds.'
The well-known Somerset Quantocks yield us a very interesting
name. In an old charter long before the Conquest they are
spelt Cantuc, in Dom. Cantoche, which is at once decipherable
as W. cant uch, ' upper, higher circle.'
As to valleys, we have several examples of the Keltic glen in
Northumberland, and at least one, GLEisrconN", in Cumberland.
Besides it is now generally admitted that the common English
combe is a loan- word from the W. cwm, ' a hollow ' ; and this
last is still to be seen in quite a group of names in Cumberland.
Unfortunately, in this former home of the Brythons, surviving
evidence, dating before the twelfth century, is exceedingly
scanty. Indeed the only Cumberland Cum- which seems to
be known early is Cumdivock, found in one of the very few
early charters, c. 1080, as Combedeyfoch. The prefix; here
certainly wears its English form, but the name seems, pure
Keltic none the less. We cannot identify deyfoch with any
English root. Except Cumcatch ('vaUey of Caecca '), and
probably Cumwhitton, all the rest of the Cums- appear Keltic —
Cumlongan, Cumrangan, Cumraw, Cum whin- ton, and the rest.
On our sea-coast the after-coming and more sea-loving
Saxon and Norseman have allowed the Kelt to leave little
mark. Of inlets of any consequence with Keltic names there are
very few, the chief exceptions being the Humber, which must
be an aspirated form of Cumber, W. cymmer, 'a confluence,'
and the Solent, another difficult name, though probably con-
taining the Keltic sol, ' tide.' Morecambe Bay is plainly a repro-
INTRODUCTION 15
duction of Ptolemy's MopiKa/x^i], but the name seems to have
appeared, or reappeared, quite recently, and must be due to
the antiquaries, a very rare state of matters with a place-name.
When now we proceed to town and village names, we do
find a considerable number indisputably Keltic, but not nearly
so many as has commonly been thought. Still, a few of the
very greatest names in England, both in Church and State,
are Keltic, not Teutonic : London, to begin with, and York and
Carlisle, with Jarrow and Truro a little less notable; great
travellers' rendezvous also like Dover and Crewe, as well as
Carlisle and York, whilst ancient dwelling-places like Dor-
chester and LiN-coLN are half Keltic, half Roman (or Saxon).
There has been a good deal of debate about several of these
names, not least about London, which, through its com-
mercially commanding site, is probably the oldest, whilst still
the greatest, of British cities. These debatable names wiU
be found fully discussed under their proper headings. York
looks very English in its present shape, but it is nothing else
than a Saxon re-spelling of a Keltic Eburach. Lincoln is often
associated with lindens, but, as it is as old as the second century
at least, the Lin- must be Keltic. Dover, with its cognates
CoNDOVER, Salop, and Dovercourt, Harwich, is a very
interesting name, being simply British for ' water ' or ' channel
of water, ' W. dwfr, G. dobhar, the true British sound being still
preserved for us by our French neighbours, who call it
Douvre(s).
Apart from the sporadic names just cited, Keltic towns and
village names occur in any considerable numbers only in ten
counties : Northumberland, Cumberland, Lancashire, Cheshire,
Salop, Hereford, Monmouth, Somerset, Dorset, and Cornwall;
Durham, York, and Devon have strangely few, all things con-
sidered ; whilst several counties, like Westmorland, Rutland,
Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, Huntingdon and Hertford, seem
to have practically no sure Keltic names at all. This is
so far as the present writer has noted. Only, for present
purposes, he has seldom found it possible to go beyond
the ordinary good atlases and books of reference, the Postal
Guide and Bradshaw. Cheshire he has specially investigated,
and for this reason probably he has found there more Keltic
town and village names than in any other shire (except, of
16 THE PLACE-NAMES OP ENGLAND AND WALES
course, Monmouth and Cornwall), about twenty-two in all; not
a very large number wherewith to head the list, and several of
these are too insignificant to find place in any ordinary map
or gazetteer. Next come Cmnberland with eighteen, and
Salop and Hereford with sixteen ; but a minute investigation
would certainly produce more in these last cases. Dorset, it
is remarkable, has at least seven. Only on the Welsh border
and in Cumberland do we find names of the regular W. or
Keltic tj^e — names like Cakdubnock or Penruddock, Cimi-
berland; Bettws y Crwyn, Gobowen, Trefonen, or Buildwas in
p Salop ; and Pontrilas or Rhiwlas in Hereford.
But more interesting, and always surrounded with some
perplexity, even doubt, are the solitary names which occur,
like islets in the ocean, in purely English regions — ^names like
Penge (Surrey), Wendover (Bucks), QuEMER-ford (Wilts),
or Yale (Derby). It is difficult to account for such isolated
survivals from the old British days, except where the names
embody a river, as is the case with Wendover and Quemer-f ord,
this last being W. cymmer, ' confluence, ' the same name as the
well-known Quimper in Bretagne. The number of stiU remain-
ing Keltic names in Somerset and Dorset indicates a long and
not altogether imsuccessful struggle of Briton against Saxon.
The O.W. and G. lann, mod. W. llan, Corn. Ian, cognate
with our own Eng. land, occurs, as is well known, a good many
times on the English side of the Welsh border. Its original
meaning is ' a level spot,' then 'an enclosure,' then ' a sacred
enclosure, a church-yard,' and then, as it usually is to-day, ' a
church'; just as the common G. cille or cil, so frequent in
Scottish and Irish names in Kil-, means ' graveyard ' before
it means 'church,' though in this case the cille comes from
L. cdla, * a chamber,' and then ' a (monk's) cell.' In England
this cille is found perhaps only in Kyl-oe in the extreme North.
The earliest recorded EngUsh Lan- seems to be Lantocal
[B.C. 8. 47), in a charterwhich is dated 680. It is described as
near Ferramere, a place unknown. It may he the same name
as Landicle, Cornwall, ' church of St. Tecla.' The only Lan- in
Domesday seems to be Landican, West Cheshire, which is
possibly W. llan diacon, 'church of the deacon,' though it is
not now a parish church. Crockford's Directory gives only
Llandecwyn, Carnarvon. Of the soft II or thl there is no
INTRODUCTION 17
trace till long afterwards. But there are at least five regular
Hans in Hereford. Elsewhere there seems only one, Llany-
mynech, Salop, ' church of the monk ' (L. monachus). There
is also in Hereford a spurious Llan- (a modern notion, counte-
nanced by His Majesty's Post- Office), Llangrove, Ross, which
all old spellings, as weU as its present appearance, prove to be
neither more nor less than Long Grove !
The names of our Enghsh counties also present a large
pre -Saxon element, often with a Latin ending, as, e.g.,
Glou-cester, Lan-caster, Lei-cester, Lin-coln, Wor-cester, and
even the simple Chester or Cheshire ; more rarely with a Saxon
ending, as in Corn- wall and Dor-set, Mon-mouth and War- wick.
Not seldom, however, the shire name is pure British, as in York,
Kent, and Devon, whilst fair claim for a Keltic origin may also
be put in for Berks and Wilts, as well as for both Ox-ford
and CAM-bridge. Thus, out of the forty shires, only twenty-
three have names clearly post-Keltic in their ancestry, a very
noteworthy fact. The origin of several of our shire names is
highly disputable; they will be found discussed as far as
possible under their proper headings.
Considering that England and Scotland were peopled at first
by the same two Keltic races, the Goidel and the Brython, it
is surprising how few Keltic place-names are common to both.
Of town and village names there are aU but none. There is a
Crewe near Granton, Edinburgh, but it seems modern. There is
a Currie, Midlothian, as well as a Curry, Somerset. Press,
Coldingham (Berwickshire), is very near to Prees, Salop, aitd-
Clun, Salop, is very near to -the common Scottish Clunie.
There is a Troon, Camborne (Cornwall), in addition to the well-
known golfing resort on the Ayrshire coast; and the puzzling
name Blyth occurs both N. and S. of the border; so does
Glass (Glass Houghton, as well as Glass, Huntly). But Ross,
while a town name in England, is name of no town in Scotland.
Aught else worth mentioning there appeareth not. With
river names, of course, it is quite different. We have Adder,
Allen, Alt, and Avon, all common to both; so, too, are Dee,
Don, Douglas, Eden, Esk, and Leven, and perhaps others ; whilst
the Scots R. Devon is considered to have the same origin as
that of the English shire.
18 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
PROVISIONAL LIST OF KELTIC PLACE-NAMES IN
ENGLAND.
{Monmouth and Cornwall excluded. Names before the line in each
county are natural features ; names after it towns and villages.)
Northumberland .
Allen.
AJne.
Alwyn.
Amble (?).
Blyth (?).
Breamish (?).
Carrick,
Carter (Fell).
Cheviots.
Glen, R.
Glencune.
Glendhu.
Glenwhelt.
Elielder.
Kinkry Hill.
Lindisfame.
Till.
Tippalt (Bum).
Tweed.
Tyne.
Us way -ford.
Amble (?).
Cambo.
Cambois.
Carvoran.
Kyl-oe.
Mindrum.
Ogle.
(East) Ord.
Pressen.
Cumberland.
AIne or Ellen, R.
Croglin.
Derwont.
Eden.
Esk.
Gelt.
Glaramara.
Glencoin.
Glenderamackin.
Helvellyn.
Irt.
Irthing.
Mellbreak.
01dMan(?).
Wampool.
Arrad (Foot).
Blencow.
Cardumock.
Carlisle.
Carnarvon.
(Castle) Carrock.
Culgaith.
Cumdivock.
Cumrangan.
Cumran-ton.
Cumrew.
Cum whin-ton.
Durdar.
Lasket.
Lindeth.
Pelutho.
Penrith (?).
Penruddock.
Ravenglass.
Westmorland.
Lowther.
Winster.
Mint(?).
Pendragon (Castle).
Durham.
Fendrith HiU.
Tees.
Goundou.
Jarrow.
Pencher.
Lancashire.
Alt, R.
Darwen.
Douglas.
Duddon.
Glaze-brook (?).
Hesketh (?).
Hodder.
Irwell.
Leven.
Lune.
Morecambe (Bay) .
Pendle (HiU).
Ribble (?).
Wyre (?).
Cart-mell.
Colne.
Darwen.
Manchester.
Penketh.
Penwortham.
Preese.
Roose.
Treales.
Wemeth.
Wigan (?).
INTRODUCTION
19
Yorkshire.
The Chevin.
Derwent.
Don.
Gorple Water.
Hodder.
Humber.
Ouse.
Pennines (?).
Pennygent.
Pinnar (Pike).
Ure.
Whem-side.
Alne.
Crayke.
Glass (Houghton).
Nidd.
Rathmell.
Roos.
Thirsk (?).
York.
Cheshiee.
Biddle,
Bollin.
Cat Tor.
Croco.
Dane or Daven.
Dee.
Duddon.
Etherow.
Gowy.
(Knolton) Bryn.
Mowl (CJop).
Walwem,
Weaver (?).
Wheelock.
Garden.
Carlett.
Condate.
Crewe.
Daven-port.
Duddon.
Frith.
Ince.
Kerridge.
Lach Dennis.
Landican.
Leese.
Discard.
Macefen.
Pettypool.
Rowarth.
Tallam Green.
Tarvin (?).
Tidnock. .
Tor-side.
Wervin.
Wincle (?).
Lincoln.
Glen, R.
Witham.
Kyme.
Lin-coln.
Derby.
BuU (Gap),
Derwent.
Erewash (?).
Noe.
Ock Brook.
Winster.
Crich.
Pentrich.
Yale.
Stafford.
Barr (Beacon).
Blythe (?).
Chumet.
Ocker (Hill).
Stour.
Tame.
Tean.
Trent.
Weaver (HHls) (?).
Bre-wood.
Cannock.
(Great) Barr.
Hints.
Keele.
Mon-more.
Morfe.
Onn (High
Little).
Penkhull.
Penkridge.
Pensnett.
Ridware.
Talke.
TrysuU.
Salop.
Caradoc.
Ceiriog.
Longmynd.
Ouny.
Roden.
Severn.
Teme.
Wrekin.
and
Bettws-y-Crwyn.
Buildwas Abbey.
Clun.
Clungun-ford.
Condover.
Gobowen.
Hints.
Kinver (Forest) .
Knockin.
Llanymynech.
Munet (?).
Myddle (?).
Prees.
Trefonen. .
Wem (?).
Wenlock.
Notts.
Devon.
Dover-beck. -
Leen.
Mann or Maun.
Soar.
20 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
Oxford.
Leicester.
Bar-don HiU.
Glen (Magna).
'RjJTLAKD.
Guash (?).
Norfolk.
Ant.
Ouse.
Tass.
Waveney.
Wilney (?).
Yare.
Tnmch.
Cambridge.
Cam or Granta.
Kennet.
Tydd (?).
Hunts.
northants.
Ise, R. (?).
Nen.
Warwick.
Alne.
Arrow (?).
Coundon.
Crick.
Worcester.
Dover-dale.
Dur-bridge.
Gladder Brook.
Lickey Hills.
Corse Lawn (?).
Kyre.
Malvern.
Mamble.
Mathon.
Pencrick-et.
Pendock.
Pensax.
Pinwin.
Rhyd y Groes.
Tump.
Hereford.
Dinmore (Hill) .
Howie (Hill).
Lugg.
Wye.
Dilwyn.
Ewyas.
Foy.
Llancillo.
Llanf aino or - veynoe.
Llangarron.
Llanwame.
Llowes.
Madley.
Pencoyd.
Pencraig.
Pontrilas.
Rhiwlas.
Ross.
Stadment.
Trumpet.
Suffolk.
Aide.
Blyth (?).
Deben.
Bedford.
Bucks.
Chet-wode.
Kimble (?).
Wendover.
CMltems (?).
Isis.
Thame.
Thames.
Windrush.
Gloucester.
Andover-ford.
Bream.
Car ant.
Cam.
Chum.
Doverle.
Leaden.
Sarn-hill.
Dymock(?),
Glou-cester.
Lancaut.
Meon.
Newent (?).
Penpole.
Tump.
Turk-dene.
Essex.
Ouse.
Pent.
Roding.
Writtle.
ChichSt. Osyth.
Herts.
Colne.
Rib (?).
Ver (?).
Middlesex.
Brent.
London.
INTRODUCTION
21
Berks.
Hamble (?).
Brue.
1* cxn Ti <i4"
Meon.
Carey.
ivennei/.
Kimber.
X J 1 / o\
Solent.
Creech HiU.
Test or Tees.
Frome.
Loddon (?).
Ock.
Thames.
Wight (Isle of).
Mendips.
Yar.
Parret.
Quantocks.
Andover.
Tone.
Bedwin(?).
Burgh(clere).
Cendover (?).
EIent.
Chute (Standen).
Badcox.
Chilcott (?).
Inlade.
TTT
Creech (St. Michael).
Kent.
Wilts.
Curry.
Limen.
Adder or Adur.
Dunster ?
Medway.
Avon.
(East and West)
Stour.
Wiley.
Chinnock.
Teise.
•/
"R^TrfcTYl A
Thanet.
Cable.
"TT" 1
Kenn.
Pennard.
Knook.
Appledore (?).
Knoyle.
Wookey.
Dover.
Quemer-ford.
Lynne or Lymne.
Dorset.
Devon.
SUKREY.
Allen. •
Axe.
Wandle (?).
Brit.
Creedy.
Wey.
Ceme.
Divelish.
Exe.
-r 1
Lewdown.
Penge.
Stour.
Lid.
Tillywhim (Caves).
Lundy I.
Sussex.
Creech.
Oknient(Hill).
Plym.
Amn.
Dewlish.
Tamar.
Dove.
Dor-chester.
Taw.
Levant.
Pensel-wood.
Teign.
Oase.
Pentridge.
Pimp-eme.
Warminster (?).
Torridge.
Hants.
Winfrith.
Appledore (?).
CloveUy.
Anton.
Avon.
Somerset.
Clyst,
Dawhsh.
Boldre.
Axe.
Quither.
Exe.
Brean.
Tor-quay.
22
THE PLACE-NAMES OP ENGLAND AND WALES
Possible Pre-Keltio Names.
Awre.
Croco, R.
Biddle,Il.
Etherow, R.
Blythe.
Itchen, R. (2).
Bollin, R.
Ithon, R.
Cheviots.
Kennet, R.
Cole, R.
Meon,
Colne, R.
Severn, R.
Etc.
Sow, R. (2).
Stour, R.
Teign, R.
Trent, R.
Wrekin.
Writtle, R.
CHAPTER IV
THE ENGLISH ELEMEIvT
This is, out of sight, the element in the place-names of South
Britain, but it will be needless to tread again the well-trod
path of early English history. We only need to repeat for the
sake of the place-name student a bare skeleton of facts and
dates to furnish a little clearness and coherence to his thoughts.
As everybody knows, the Teutonic races of Middle Europe,
who gradually swarmed over to our England, were chiefly
three in number — Jutes, Angles, and Saxons. To these we
must add a fourth race closely aUied to the Saxons, the
Frisians of Holland, all the way from the Scheldt to the Ems
and Weser in N.W. Germany; probably our own nearest
kinsmen by blood. For, ' Good butter and good cheese is
good English and good Friese.' Herdsmen, husbandmen,
traders, and also sea-rovers were these our special ancestors;
and it was the piratical raids of the Frisians that first brought
the Teuton to our shores, which were just opposite their own.
It was in a.d. 287. Soon after their inconvenient attentions
became so serious that the Romans, still in power in this
island, had to appoint a ' Count of the Saxon Shore ' {comes
litoris Saxonici) to superintend and insure their repulse.
None, however, settled down on our shores so early as that.
When they first did so we do not know. Skene thought it was
very early, probably before the traditional date, 449. Frisians
certainly may already have reached Lothian before 500.^
By A.D. 410 the last of the Romans had left us, but the
native Brython was not allowed long to enjoy his native land
to himself. In 449 — there need be little doubt about the date
1 For examples of Frisian names see Deaene, Fawlet, Nab, Etde,
TiRLE, Whistlet, Wiske, etc. Skeat finds clear traces of a Frisian
settlement in Suffolk.
23
24 THE PLACE-NAMES OP ENGLAND AND WALES
— ttie first Teutonic invaders with any intention of becoming
settlers appeared off the coast of Kent — Jutes from Holstein
in the S. of Denmark. A little later these same Jutes also
settled down in the Isle of Wight and part of Hants. We
cannot tarry over these dim bands, because we hardly know
what exactly their speech or dialect was, and we can point to
ahnost no definite trace of their influence. Though we may
conjecture with at least some probability that one or two
names, like Bapchtld and Honeychild in Kent, and Bon-
church, Isle of Wight, may have had a Jutish origin.
Next came the Saxons (L. Saxons, Ger. Sachsen, the High-
lander's Sassenach, or Englishmen), a race first named by
Ptolemy in the far E. of Europe, but already located on
either bank of the Elbe when they made their first spring across
the North Sea, and landed in 477 on the shore of what was
ever after called Sussex, or South Saxon land. The first
arrival of the third set of invaders of our isle, the Angles, the
men who succeeded in giving their own name to aU England,
is an event which cannot now be precisely dated. But probably
before 540 they had landed in East Anglia, sailing over from
that district of Holstein, which seems to have been called Angul
because it was shaped like an ' angle ' or fish-hook. The king-
dom of East Anglia was afterwards split into the ' North folk '
or ' South folk.' This last name, however, does not emerge
till 1076, after the Norman Conquest, whilst the shire name
Norfolk is first found in Domesday. But the great region of
the Angle was in the North, from Humber right up to Forth ;
and by 547 we find Ida as Anglian King of this Northumbria
or North-humber-land. The original Anglian speech is now
best represented by Lowland Scots and by the burr of the
Northumberland miner. Before 1400 the same tongue was
heard all the way from Hull to Aberdeen. But distinctively
Anglian elements cannot be said to be prominent anywhere in
our names.
In 577 Ceawlin, King of Wessex or of the West Saxons, won
the Battle of Dyrham (Gloucester), and so became master of
the lower Severn — i.e., of Gloucester and of part of Somerset
and Dorset. Thus early was the much weaker Brython driven
out of his home even so far West. ^Ethelfrith of Northumbria,
who sat his throne from 593-617, defeated the Brythons, or
INTRODUCTION 25
Welsh, and the Scots at Chester, and so added from Dee to
E-ibble to the sway of the Anglian sceptre. Then, after a long
interval, the great Off a of Mercia, 757-796, makes Shrewsbury
an English, no longer a Welsh, town, drives the Welsh out of
the mid-Severn valley, and builds a dyke from the mouth of
the Dee South to the mouth of the Wye. This is the district of
England where the Welshman's tongue is still required oftenest
to interpret the place-names. Not till 924 did King Edward
the Elder, son of AKred the Great, and his successor as King
of England, become ' father and lord ' over Cumbria and
Strathclyde.
When the Brython remained so long in power in the North-
West, we do not wonder that true English names are few in
Cumberland, and we do wonder that he has left so few place-
names in N. Lancashire. Twelve years later than the English
lordship over Cumbria, Athelstan, King of Wessex and Mercia,
succeeded in absorbing Cornwall. But Knguistically that far
Western ' horn ' was hardly absorbed at all, and to this hour
purely English names are very rare in Cornwall. By 936, then,
all modem England was nominally EngHsh, except Monmouth-
shire, which is practically Welsh still. We may therefore
affirm with some confidence that our real English place-names,
except the few demonstrably medieval or modem, grew up
between the sixth or seventh and the tenth century.
The vast majority of our names of any consequence are
as old as Domesday Book, whilst our contemporary charter
evidence goes back in some cases to the end of the seventh
century. Kemble, Birch, Napier, and Stevenson have printed
for us a great store of O.E. charters, which yield us most
valuable, and often unmutilated, forms for about the whole of
the S.E. half of England, the N. and W. limits running
round by Warwick, Stafford, and Gloucester. Pre-Domesday
charters N. and W. thereof are, alas ! more than rare. Domes-
day Book itself is a complete survey of most of England, its
manors and villages, made by order of WiUiam the Conqueror
in 1086-87, and is a wonderful standby. But it is very
unfortunate that we have no Dom. for Monmouth, except a
scrap, or for any part N. of Yorks in the E. The S. part of
Lancashire is given under Cheshire, whilst N. Lancashire
and the barony of Kendal, Westmorland, come under
3
26 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
Yorks. For the rest Dom. wholly faUs. Exon Domesday is
a special transcript of the record for Wilts, Dorset, Somerset,
Devon, and Cornwall, with slight variations. Domesday is a
priceless document. The pity is that any proper index to it
is still so inaccessible even in many of our best libraries.
Domesday, in some ways, reads strangely modern. Here
we find, to a most surprising extent, the same names and land-
marks, the same manors, parishes, and homesteads, as we do
to-day. The analysis of Sir Henry Ellis, in his laborious Intro-
duction to Domesday, also shows that there were in William the
Conqueror's time about 1,400 tenants in chief, including
ecclesiastical owners, and of under tenants 7,871. Of these
last a surprisingly large proportion are Saxon, not Norman.
Thus it is that we find so few names of Norman lords embedded
in the names of our towns to-day. The vanquished has been
more enduring than the victor; the Saxon, like the Sicilian,
absorbed the Norman. Domesday also records some 1,700
churches, whose distribution seems passing strange ; the record
cannot be complete,. for it gives 364 in Suffolk, 243 in Norfolk,
222 in Lincoln, but only 1 in Cambs, and none in Middlesex
or Lancashire, Of all these 1,700 Domesday churches there
is no proof that any one existed in England before the English
arrived, unless we except Landican, which is just on the Welsh
border of Cheshire, and a few in Cornwall.
As to the spelling of Domesday, it will help the searcher much
to remember that Domesday has no j, v, or t/;^ that it almost
always has ch for k; that initial th is almost always written t,
and medial th always d; whilst the Domesday scribes hate all
gutturals, h, ch, gh, and very often boldly change them into st^
a fact which yields the clue to many a puzzle, as we shall find
passim. The truth is, the Norman could not himself pronounce
gutturals, nor did he find sh easy either, and so he usually
writes plain s, or else as often he prefixes an e. The Norman
knew very little of the English tongue and much disliked it,
and so his English spelling is often inaccurate. Still he had
rules of his own, as we have been trying to tell, and these rules
once mastered, much of the seeming inaccuracy disappears.
Thus it is quite according to rule that we have in Domesday
cherche or chirche, and not kirk, and Chingeslei instead of
^ In these cases h.e will look instead for ge, i, u, or w.
mTRODUCTION 27
Kingsley; torp and not thorpe, Torentun not Thornton; orc?e or
vrde always instead of the common ending -worth ; Liste-corne
instead of Lighthorne ('thorn- tree with the light hung on
it '), and Bristoldestune for Brightwalton {' Beorhtwald's
town ') ; Sorewell for Shorwell, Escafelt for Sheffield, and
Eseldebourne for Shalbourne.
The Norman scribe has his common errors, too — e.g., the
putting of U for Id, especially in -field — Gamesfille for Ganfield,
Licefelle for Lichfield, etc. More rarely we have II for dl,
as in Celle for Cedle — i.e., Cheadle. Other little peculiarities
the regular student discovers by degrees for himself. But, we
must repeat, on the whole in Domesday we have the same names
as to-day. A map of Domesday's England would show the
parishes, manors, and landmarks much the same as we find
them to-day. How very different it would be were the map
one of eleventh-century Germany or France !
There is no Domesday for Durham, but the lack is consider-
ably alleviated by the Boldon Book, a survey of the See of
Durham made in 1183, which gives us all the town and village
names of Co. Durham, and a good many in Northumberland,
only a century later than Domesday. For this latter county
we have also a good many references in the Coldingham
(Berwickshire) charters, which begin but a very few years after
Domesday. The copious nomenclature of Simeon, monk of
Durham (d. 1130), also does much to atone for the failure of
the Conqueror's Survey to reach the farthest north. For
Cumberland and Westmorland we are particularly badly off,
except for the Kendal district. Their record is poorer even than
that of most of the Scottish counties, where as a rule we are
far worse ofi for early records than in England. For N.W.
England we have little till we come to the Pipe Rolls (enrolled
accoimts of the sheriffs, etc.) of the latter haK of the twelfth
century, and they mention but a handful of the place-names.
But once we get well into the twelfth century we find great
masses of evidence of all sorts waiting for examination. A
good inkling of the variety of available evidence may be got
by glancing at such a laborious and scholarly compendium as
Wyld and Hirst's Place-Names of Lancashire. But a serious
difficulty about using the place-name forms found in our O.E.
charters is the corrupt and illiterate spelling in which so many
28 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
of them are found, especially if they date after a.d. 1000, We
have already noted that anything in the way of peculiarly
Anglian or Northumbrian forms is rare. But the difference
between Merciaji and Wessex forms is pretty considerable.
Classic O.E. is the Wessex speech of the time of Alfred the
Great, c. a.d. 900 — the speech then spoken all the way from
Kent to Devon. It is according to this classic Wessex tongue
that our O.E. dictionaries are arranged; so are all the spellings
in Searle's laborious Onomasticon, or manual of O.E. personal
names.
But many of our charters are Mercian — i.e., they belong to
what was once the central Saxon kingdom of England, the
kingdom of Offa, and the rest. The many charters quoted
by Duignan in his valuable books on Stafford, Warwick, and
Worcester are all Mercian. The Mercian district stretched
from Ribble to Bristol Channel, and from Humber to Thames ;
Suffolk names, e.g., are distinctly Mercian. Remains of true
Mercian before the Norman Conquest are rare, and until
quite recent years their idiosyncrasies were little studied or
understood. A brief but valuable statement thereanent will
be found in Skeat's Our English Dialects, 1911, chap, viii., and
a study of the parallel lists on pp. 71, 72 will be found helpful.
We there see in special that the Mercian was inclined to dis-
pense with those diphthongs of which the West Saxon was so
fond. He said eall, the old Mercian said all, even as we do at
this day. The Wessex man said sceap, the Mercian seep,
which we have softened into sheep. In Wessex they said geoc,
in Mercia ioc, which we have made into yoke. The Wessex
scribe wrote gyrd, the Mercian ierd, we write yard. Such things
need to be borne in mind when we are hunting through the
O.E. dictionary to trace the meaning of a Mercian charter
name, and it will easily be seen thai the spelling of many a per-
sonal name becomes much shorter than we find it in Searle's
classically spelt Onomasticon. The Beorhtwealds and Earn-
beorns and Heathubeorhts get clipped down into Berthold
and Arnbiorn and Eadbert, and even into forms stiU shorter
and less easy to recognize.
The student will thus perceive that the careful study of
place-names at least helps, though not a great deal, in the
study of our English dialects. Names at times take the regular
INTRODUCTION 29
dialect forms, as in Zeal Monachorum (Devon) or ZoY (Somer-
set), where we have the regular West Country z instead of the
normal 5 ; or as in the Gloucester Yatton, ' town at the yat '
(c/. Simmon's Yat), called in the North yztt — i.e., ' town at the
gate, or opening, or pass.'
The Kelt had a long start of the Englishman, and had ample
time and occasion to give names to all the great natural
features of the land. Thus, as we already know, all our chief
rivers still bear Keltic or pre-Keltic names. But minor rivers,
much more numerous than is generally supposed, bear purely
English names, some of them very interesting. Here is a
rough list of the chief, one or two a little doubtful: Anker,
Bure, Coquet, Dearne (S. Yorks), Eamont, Ember, Harris
(Yorks), Idle, Irk (S. Lanes), Ivel, Lark, Leam, Linnet
(Suffolk, ' a play name '), Lyme, Manifold (Staffs), Mite,
Ousel, Ray, Rea, Rede, Rye (Yorks), Soar, Stort, Swift,
Waver, Wythburn. To take the first three only by way of
illustration. Anker is a unique name of its sort, and com-
memorates the dwelling of ancres, or female anchorites, at
Nun-eaton. The Bure is possibly Frisian in name, its root
the same as O.E. borian, to bore, Sc. bure and Du. boor, an
auger ; while the Coquet is the Coc-wuda or ' cock wood ' of the
very old history of St. Cuthbert. England has few mountains,
a good many hills. As is but natural, most of these have
Keltic names, though one has always to be on guard against
traps. Inkpen Beacon, S. Berks, e.g., looks very like a
tautology, with English beacon (O.E. been, bedcen) =W.penn.
But it is not so, for Inkpen is ' Inga's pen ' or sheep-fold, just
as Inkberrow, Worcester, is pure Enghsh for ' Inta's hill.'
Beacon we find again several times, as in Worcestershire
Beacon, etc. The regular O.E. word for ' a hill,' and then
' fort on a hill ' — most hiUs once had their forts — is diHn; seen
in ' the Downs, ' and in a good many names like Dunham,
Dunmow, etc. Hill itself, in the Midlands hull, is good
English from the earhest times ; but the common endings for
' hill,' like ' fell ' and ' pike,' are generally Norse ; -ridge is half
and half. Pure English are such curious names as Harrison
Stickle, and all the Barrows and Berrows and Brows, as in
Berry Brow ; so likewise the Tippings, Roseberry, Blackham,
etc.. Tipping, in the E. Riding.
30 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
The English influence on our nomenclature may perhaps
best be studied further in connection with the common endings,
detailed in our chapter on Endings (p. 46). We there learn
how many of our names once described a lea or meadow (-ley,
-leigh), how many a meadow by a river (' a hohn '), how many a
' haugh,' or flat land by a river (O.E. Tiealh, dative hale, ' a comer,
a nook '), found in hundreds of names now as -haU ; though this
has nothing to do with our modern English hall. But we must
beware of concluding too hastily that any name with an
English-looking ending must be English ; -dale and -holm look
EngHsh enough, but wiU often, the former perhaps always, be
found to be Norse. Very common is -mere, ' a lake ' — ten times
in Cheshire alone — often now -mer, as in Cromer, Dunmer,
Wahner, etc. ; while the -mere may be attached to a non-
Enghsh name, as in Windermere ; and nowadays in the south
the mere has generally disappeared, altogether drained long
ago. The endings -grave and -barrow often survive to tell
of an old place of sepulture — Belgrave, Gargrave, etc, — whilst
-or and -over are also common, representing two distinct O.E.
words, ora and ofr, both meaning ' bank, edge, shore.' Cumnor
is the former, e.g., and Hadsor the latter. The ofr often gets
clipped down into -er, as in Hasler, Wooler, etc.
There is almost no commoner ending than -ford, showing the
extreme importance of the ford in the early bridgeless days.
Ford and caster are much the commonest endings in Bede,
whilst names in -bridge are very rare before the Norman
Conquest. Among the very few exceptions are Bridgenorth
and Quatbridge, (Salop), and Cambridge, found in O.E.
Chron., 875, as Grantebrycge. Agbrigg (S. Yorks), Sawbridge
(Daventry), Bridgford (Staffs), and Slimbridge (Glo'ster), are
already in Domesday, but not many more. In shires hke
Berkshire and Cheshire there are no early names in bridge
at aU.
The origin and boundary-making of the shires with English
names has not yet been fully worked out ; but this much is
clear: that the five great Danish boroughs — Derby, Leicester,
Nottingham, Lincoln, and Northampton — and the districts
around themwhich ' obeyed ' them, as the Chronicle often says,
formed the nucleus of the five modem counties with these
names. Similar Danish influence organized Hunts, Cambridge,
INTRODUCTION 31
Bedford, and Herts. ' Each of these counties had a jarl, or
earl, whose headquarters were at the " borough." ' Thus
most of the counties in old Mercia shaped themselves naturally
rather than ' artificially,' as Freeman puts it. In Wessex the
counties still retain the names of the princedoms founded by
the successors of Cerdic. In some of them there was no out-
standing borough, and even though the shire may contain a
town of the same name, it was seldom called directly after that
borough. ' Local divisions in Wessex were not made, but
grew.'
When we come to town and village names, by far the most
important item in our repertoire, we find that they are over-
whelmingly English, and, for the most part, tell us over and
over again, with aggravating monotony, how that an English-
man's house was and is his castle. To understand this group
of names, one must first master what has to be said about
-burgh or -bury, about the two -hams, about -ton (always inter-
changing with -don and -stone), and about their compound
Hampton, all of which originally implied an enclosure, prob-
ably always at first fortified or capable of defence. One must
also learn about -ing which gives a tail as well as a tale to
so many English names, and is not by any means always a
patronjnnic. Thence we learn that the overwhelming major-
ity of our place-names teach us simply that thi.i was So-and-
so's town or home. The chances always are that the first part
of an English town or village name denotes the name of some
man or woman, its founder or former owner. Wolverhamp-
Tour has nothing to do with wolves, but with the Lady Wulf-
runa. Chtllingham has nothing to do with ' chilly,' but with
a man Cilia, just as Cardington is from a man Gar da, and
SuNNiNGHiLL is ' hiU of the Sunnings.' A good many town
and village names indicate their stance upon a river — names
like Cheltenham, ' home on the Chelt ' ; Chorley, ' meadow on
the Chor ' ; Crediton, ' town on the Greedy ' — though it is always
to be remembered that the present names of rivers and brooks
are often back formations, and that Chelt and Creedy may
have originally been names of men. In like manner, Pin is
but a recent back - formation from Pinner, Rom from
RoMFORB, Yeo from Yeovil, as well as Chehner from
Chelmsford.
32 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
Our great business, then, in connection with most names,
really is to find out what man's name is therein denoted or
included. Here some such guide as Searle's Onomasticon is
indispensable, to be used, of course, after learning the phonetic
lessons already insisted on. Searle took enormous pains to
render his work as complete as possible, and yet the investi-
gator is for ever finding how incomplete it still is. A run
through any part of our list will soon show this. To take
one example, Searle gives no name Elk or Elc, and yet
we find two Elkstones, which make it extremely likely that
Elk must have been a proper as well as a common noun. Many
cases are more certain than this; e.g., the old forms of that
puzzling-looking Cambs name B Abraham make it certain there
must once have been a woman caUed Badburh, though Searle
knoweth her not. He gives us no Beorc, but it is certain that
Birch was very early the name of a man as weU as the name
of a tree (see Barking and Barkley). It would be easy to
multiply such examples indefinitely.
The way in which O.E, proper names have become dis-
torted or corrupted is very extraordinary, though Dr. Skeat
always insisted that everything moved and worked according
to phonetic law ; so that even such a desperate change as Sea-
court, Berks, for ' Seofeca's worth, ' or farm, was shown to be
all correct ! Though names like that are indeed a warning
against all rash attempts to guess without evidence. Not far
from Seacourt is Courage, and Courage is really ' Cusa's ridge ' !
And who would ever think that EUastone, Staffs, was originally
' ^thelac's town ' ; that Shareshill in the same shire was once
' Sceorf's hill '; or Stramshall once ' Stranglic's hiU '; or that
Aberford, Adderbury, and Harbtjry all embody the one
protean name Eadburh ? It has always to be borne in mind,
also, that two villages with the same title to-day may have
been derived from two quite different names yesterday. The
very first names in our List show us how wary we need to
be. Abberley actually was bom as 'Eadbeald's lea,' whilst
Abberton, in the same shire, was at first ' Eadbeorht's town,'
and its modern twin near Colchester comes from a woman
Eadburh. Even more extraordinary is it to find that such a
name as Adbaston, Salop, came originally from the same man's
name as Abberley.
INTRODUCTION 33
But the disappointing thing is, that when, after much
patient labour, we do find out the correct personal name em-
balmed or embodied in the place-name, that is nearly always
all we get for our pains. Stat nominis umbra. The Saxon,
unlike the more modest and poetic Kelt, dearly loved to com-
memorate himself, or, at any rate, his own family name, in a
manor or farm or village. But, in a few generations, the
history of the name is totally forgotten, and posterity can tell
naught thereof. Only in a very few cases can we tell the story
of the lord or lady, the abbot or monk, founder or name-giver,
to the place. Malmesbury, Tewkesbury, Wolverhampton,
are such cases ; there are not many altogether. Kingly names,
hke those of the great Alfreds, Edwards, and Harolds, are,
strange to say, scarcely represented at all. It is interesting
to note, however, how often very old personal names, first
found in some out-of-the-way place-name, still survive, and are
in use to-day. Examples are — the personal name Gammell or
Gemmel, found in Ganthorpe, Domesday Gameltorp ; Gentle
or Gentles, in Gentleshaw, Rugeley, where a Jo. Gentyl is
known in 1341; Gilhng in GiUingham, 1016 Gillingaham ; Gould
or Gold in Goldsborough, Domesday Goldeburg ; and so on.
Some of our simple names, names of towns and hamlets, not
called after any princess or thane or any other person, are
extremely common. Few can be aware how common some
of them are ; here are some calculations which have been made :
There are in England, it is said, 87 Newtons (47 in combina-
tion, 40 alone), not reckoning Newtowns; 72 Buttons (36 in
combination, exactly half) ; 63 Stokes ; 52 Westons (also exactly
haK in combination); 47 Thorps (26 in combination); Walton,
Upton, and Stone occur over thirty times each; there are
21 Kirbys and 21 Leighs; and Hutton, Kingston, and Thornton
are very common too.
Seebohm, in his English Village Community (1883), p. 362,
speaks of ' the hasty conclusion that the Saxons were totem-
ists.' Yet not a Httle evidence seems at least to point that
way. It is certain that many a village was called after the
name of a beast — boar, lamb, ox, sheep, whale, wolf, etc. The
only question is, Was the beast's name first applied to a man
before it became applied to the village ? (See such names as
Everthorpe and Everton, Whalley, etc.)
34 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
Of modern whimsical names, like Four Throws, Hawkhurst,
or Besses o' th' Barn andlClock Face (Lanes), England has
singularly few — fewer far, in proportion, than Wales.
The Common Element.
Before we proceed to the study of the second great Teutonic
element in our place-names, the Scandinavian, it will be inter-
esting and instructive to remind ourselves how large is the
element common not only to our Norse and purely English
names, but common also to our Continental neighbours in the
homes of our ancestors. At least a few of our name-endings
may have originated either on Saxon or on Scandinavian lips —
e.g., the common -thorpe and -hope; but when careful scrutiny
is made, -thorpe will be found almost always Danish, and -hope
almost always pure Enghsh. Thorpe is, of course, the cognate
of the German dorf, 'village,' as in Diisseldorf, Waldorf, etc.,
found in Schleswig in the form Gottorp, and in Dutch as
Apel-dorp, Leydendorp, etc., though -dorp is not nearly so
common as our English -thorpe; in S. Africa, however, it is
common enough — Krugersdorp, etc. Holm may come from
either branch too; but if it mean 'a meadow,' it will
probably be English, whilst if it mean ' a flat island,' just as in
Bornholm, Salthohn, and many another such name in Denmark,
it will be Danish.
One of our commonest endings is -burgh or -bury; it is just
as common both in Germany and Scandinavia. In Germany
it is usually -burg, as in Hamburg, Magdeburg, and scores of
other cases. In Denmark it may be -burg, as in Flensburg, or
-borg, as in Viborg ; and -borg is as common all over Sweden
and Norway. In Holland it is -burg, as in Doesburg, Elburg,
etc. ; or else -berg, as in Geertruidenberg, 's Heeringberg, etc.
In Norse names, -ham, ' home,' is not so common as in Eng-
land ; but we have weU-known cases like Stal-heim and Trond-
hjem. In Sweden it appears as Lofta-hammer,^ Sand-
hammer, etc. (Icel. heim-r, ' village '). In Germany the ending
-heim is exceedingly common — Hildesheim, Mannheim, etc. ; in
Holland we have a few places ending as in England — e.g., Den-
ham (Overyssel), as well as names like Arn-hem, Deutic-hem,
* Some hold that here hammer means a square-shaped rock.
INTRODUCTION 35
etc. Names like Denham suggest a Frisian origin for our
common -ham.
The common English -stead is, of course, even commoner in
Germany as -stadt, where it is one of the most frequent endings
for ' town ' ; as -stadt it is almost equally prominent in Scan-
dinavia and Dutch S. Africa, though hardly so in the Dutch
motherland. The specially frequent Enghsh -ton does not
seem represented on the Continent; but the less common and
often intermingled -stone is very conspicuous on the map of
Germany as -stein — Ehrenbreitstein, Oberlahnstein, etc.
Havens are naturally common in most Teutonic lands — Bre-
merhaven, Cuxhaven, etc., in Germany; Kjobnhavn (Copen-
hagen), Frederikshavn, etc., in Denmark; in Sweden it is
often -hamn (Icel. hofn), as in Slitehamn, Soderhamn, etc. ; but
in Holland it occurs, though rarely, as with ourselves —
Brouwershaven, etc. Holland, perhaps alone, gives us a
counterpart of the common English -wick or -wich, ' dwelling,'
as in Harder-wijk, Steen-wijk, etc. ; but if -kirk is common in
N. England, names like Nijkerk or NeuMrch are common alike
in Holland and Germany ; whilst the similar North of England
-dale is common everywhere in Scandinavia as -dal, and in
Grermany as -thai, ' valley ' — Neanderthal, etc. England has
only one firth, that of Solway; but the common Norse -fjord
reappears in Wales as Haver-ford, Milford, etc. The ending
-by in England vies for frequency with -ton; and it certainly
is represented abroad, especially in Sweden. In the one Uttle
island of Oland there are five marked on an ordinary map.
(See also Chtpping, etc.)
CHAPTER V
THE SCANDINAVIAN ELEMENT
In England, as in Scotland, the Scandinavian element is not
only important, but obtrusive. To-day Denmark, Sweden,
and Norway are each separate kingdoms, with separate lan-
guages, though these are closely akin, and, to a large extent,
mutually understandable. But in the days when our place-
names were in the making, practically the same tongue was
spoken all over Scandinavia, in Iceland and the Faroes too.
The dictionary which we need chiefly to consult is the Icelandic,
which is, to aU intents and purposes. Old Norse ; though some-
times it is modem Danish which yields the most helpful forms
for our exegesis. We commonly call the people who spake this
tongue Norsemen ; the Old EngUsh chroniclers mostly call them
Danes ; whilst, when they went away south and settled on the
north coast of France, or far away in Sicily, we generally find
them called Northmen or Normans. Need, ' hunger, lust for
booty and adventure, and the scantness of their arable fields at
home, combined to drive these hardy sea-lovers wide and far.
And, though they always came at first with coat of mail and
battle-axe, often they speedily settled down among us, and
made admirable colonists, diligent practitioners in the arts
and crafts of peace.
Into aU the details of the Viking's many invasions of Eng-
land, Wales, and Man we need not go again. The student can
easily learn what he wants in the proper histories. Here, for
. our purposes, we need give but the barest outline of facts and
dates. The first Danish invasion might, perhaps, be termed
that of the coming of the Jutes to Kent in 449. But it is at
least doubtful if these Jutes ever lived in Jutland ; and, in any
case, they were, in blood and speech, much nearer to the
Angle and Saxon than the Norse. When the first Viking
36
INTEODUCTION 37
beached his boat on English sand we do not know; but men
from the Hardanger landed near Dorchester in the reign of
Beorhtric of Wessex, 786-802; and the first dated invasion is
the sacking of Lindisfarne, in the extreme north, in 793.
Vikings were very fond of sacking monasteries and seizing
their sacred spoils, as many a Columban monk to his cost did
find ; and, having come once, they oft came again.
Glamorgan saw them in 795, and rocky little lona in 802;
whilst already by 830 they had paid visits as far away as
Cornwall. Before 850 they had overrun East Anglia (Norfolk
and Suffolk), whilst in 855 Danes first wintered in Sheppey.
Stronger and stronger they grew in our midst, as sore-pressed
King Alfred was made to feel. But by-and-by the tide turned,
and in 886 Alfred made his weU-known treaty with Guthrun,
King of the Danes. In it the boundary between English and
Danish rule was agreed to be, the R. Thames from its source
east to the source of the R. Lea, then north-west to Bedford,
and up the R. Ouse to the Roman Wathng Street, and so by it
probably west aU. the way to Chester. All north of this fine
was the Dane's, all south thereof Alfred's. The latter, be it
noted, held Chester. Had the Danes held it, it would have
been called Caster to-day (see p. 49). In 954 the English over-
threw the Dane's rule in Deira (Yorks), whilst, be it carefully
noted, Cumbria and Bernicia (Northumberland and Durham)
never really came under Danish dominion at aU.
It is weU known that this rule revived again in England
under King Swegen, who came from Norway with a huge fleet
and army, 1013-14, and reigned here for one year only.
Then, after three years of strife, great King Cnut was able to
seat himself on England's throne for eighteen years, and
Danish influence was strong among us, though Cnut thought it
wise to send the bulk of his Danish troops back to the lands
from whence they canle. Cnut was succeeded by the two
brothers, Harold Harefoot and Harthacnut. With the death
of the latter in 1042, the Danish sceptre passed for ever from
our midst. We may add, St. Clement Danes was the church of
a large Danish settlement in London, of whom we are told by
Ralph de Diceto.-^ -
Such are the bare facts which the annalist tells: of battle
^ Vol. i., p. 186, ed. Stubbs.
38 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
and bloodshed much, but of the actual nature of the Danish
settlement very little. Here the study of place-names comes
in to offer at least some help. What it has to say about Wales
will be found on pp. 71 and 72. To begin with, we find that
Norse names are often strangely rare where the Norseman was
once only too attentive, in the ancient kingdom of Bernicia
e.g., from Tyne to Forth. In all Northumberland we can set
eyes on the merest handful of Norse names. Lucker is sure,
Brinkbuen and New-biggin-by-the-Sea are probable. On
the Borders we have a number of ' fells ' — Carter, Fairwood,
Girdle, and Peel Fells ; but as a rule it is only the ' fell ' which
is Norse, not the rest of the name. There are a rare -giU or
two, and a few dales — ^Allendale, etc. — but that is all.
On the other hand, place-names clearly show Danish settle-
ment where there never was Danish rule — viz., in Cumbria
proper (Cumberland and Westmorland), which simply teems
with names Danish rather than Norse, of all sorts ; perhaps the
Danes first came over from their Uttle kingdom in the Isle of
Man. In Cumbria, Dane and Gael or Brython must have been
in close contact for many a day; and occasionally the Scan-
dinavian borrowed a word from the Kelt. The best-known
instance is the G. airigh, ' a shiehng, a shepherd's or herds-
man's hut,' which the incomers shaped into -argh, -ark, or -ergh,
as in Akklid and Pavey Ark, Sizergh (Kendal), and as far
south as Grimsargh, Preston. Final -gh in Gaehc is now
generally mute, but it does at times become guttural. The
purely Scandinavian endings -beck, -by, -fell, -force {Jors,
' waterfall '), -gill, -thorpe, -thwaite, are found everywhere in
this region; it would be superfluous to give examples. More-
over, some of these are almost or quite peculiar to it and to the
closely neighbouring parts — e.g., -beck, -fell, -force, -gill,
-thwaite. This would seem to indicate that some special divi-
sion of the Scandinavian race must have been the settlers here.
Yet it is very difficult for us now to say which or what it was,
because, as we have seen. Old Norse was so largely a homo-
geneous language. Sweden, at any rate, may be ruled out.
Runes show that some Swedes did settle in England, but only
as individuals, never in force; and, as for the rest, medieval
chroniclers never seem to know any difference between Dani
and Nordmanni. (It is usually held, however, that East
INTRODUCTION 39
Anglia and the region of the five boroughs — Derby, Leicester,
Lincohi, Nottingham, and Northampton — were peculiarly
Danish).
An ending like -beck occurs farther south as -bach or
even -beach, only now as English; and -force, it may be said,
is so rare in the south, because waterfalls are so rare there
too; the same reason might, perhaps, be urged as to -fell.
But why should an ending like -gill be confined almost, though
not altogether, to the north ? And, even more singular, why
should -thwaite — ' an enclosed or cut- off piece of land ' — •
never seemingly be found farther south or east^ than the
neighbourhood of Huddersfield ? All we can say is, the many
-thwaites in such a hiUy, rocky land as Cumberland is very
fair proof that the Danish settlers there as a rule must have
been, not blood-thirsty pirates, but peaceful and most indus-
trious peasants, eager to make the best of things, just like their
Norse kinsmen to-day.
Another thing indicated by our surviving place-names is
this : that Scandinavian influence in England remained strong
enough to give and establish many names long after the Danish
sceptre had fallen down ; and that means a good deal. In proof
of this, we point to such facts as these : that in Cheshire to-day
we can still find at least fifteen Norse names ; but of these only
four seem to be foimd in Domesday, compiled 1086-87. This
seems to show that a good many of these fifteen names did not
come into being until a good while after the Norman Conquest.-
In Cambs, which has curiously few Danish names, out of the
five given by Skeat, four are in Domesday ; and, what is note-
worthy, one of these four, Staine, has clearly been renamed
by Danish lips, after Domesday. Duignan has not worked out
the Norse influence in his books on Stafford and Warwick, and
it is stronger in N.E. Staffs and in Warwick than his readers
might think. We have traced eight clear cases in Staffs and
about eleven in Warwick; six of the Staffs cases are in Domes-
day, in Warwick three, whilst other two are found in O.E.
charters ; but Rugby and Monk's Kirby have been altered by
Danish tongues after Domesday.
On the other hand, whilst history distinctly teUs of Viking
visits to Cornwall in the middle of the ninth century, one could
^ But Eastwood, Notts, used to be Easthwaite.
40 THE PLACE-NAMES OP ENGLAND AND WALES
scarcely have guessed it from the present-day names of that
peninsula. This is all the more curious seeing that Norse
names are so common on the south coast of Wales. All over
the south coast of England, however, such names are very
rare, until we come round east to Kent. There seems one
curious exception in Bonchurch, Isle of Wight (Domesday,
Bonecerce), which must surely tell of some Norse landing; or
can it be a real old Jute name ? In Kent Norse names re-
appear sparsely. We have two or three -giUs, and two weU-
known -nesses, though it is possible that both Dungeness and
Sheerness may be pure English. Nore is Norse, clear
enough (' a bay with a narrow entrance ') ; and then there are
the names in -child, to which M'Clure has called pointed atten-
tion, especially Bapchild, found in O.E. Chron., 694, as Baccan
celde or ' Bacca's weU.' This is interestinglyj even pro-
vokingly, early. But the -child of Bapchild must be the same
as the common ending -keld (O.N. kelda) in the north — Salkeld
(' salt spring '), Threlkeld, etc. This, strange to teU, is also
the root of St. Eolda, which, as is now well known, is no saint's
name at aU. In a Kentish charter of 858 we also find a Hwyte
Celda, or ' white well ' ; and there is still in Romney Marsh a
Honeyckeld (' honey-sweet well '). Such names may weU be
claimed for the Norsemen; and reference to the Jutes, who
arrived in Kent in the fifth century, seems hardly in place,
because, so far as we know, the Jute speech was English in
type, not Norse. So, then, there were Norse settlers in Kent
c. 694, of whom we have no direct historic record. With them
we may venture to associate the men who named the few sur-
viving ' giUs ' in Surrey and Sussex — GiU's lop. Heron's GhyU,
etc.
When we come to survey as a whole the surviving evidence
of the presence of the ' hardy Norseman ' in our midst, we find
that it corresponds nearly, but by no means quite, with what
we should expect from the historic evidence. The Danelagh,
or that region of England where Danish law did rule, is said to
have comprised at its widest aU the shires from Yorks south to
Essex, Beds, Herts, and Bucks, and west to Notts, Derby,
Leicester, and Northants. Now, Worsaae, in his Danes in
England, estimated that of 1,373 Danish names in aU, over
400 are in Yorks, 292 in Lincoln, 90 in Leicester ; in Norfolk
INTRODUCTION 41
and Northants about 50 each. These are all Danelagh shires.'
But Cumberland and Westmorland have about 150 each too,
and Lancashire, he says, about 50. But Mr. Sephton has,
much more recently, estimated the Scandinavian names in
Lanes at about 90. What he says is, that of 500 Lanes names
on record before 1500, about 80 per cent, are Low German,
18 per cent. Scandinavian, and only 2 per cent. Keltic. Wor-
saae estimated that 14 other counties had 130 Danish names
between them, and 18 counties none at all; or, to put it other-
wise, about 1,000 of our Danish names lie within the old
Danelagh, and only about 400 outside.
So far as Yorkshire is concerned, mark and sign of the
Dane, in place-name ending, is so ample that it would be a
superfluity to dwell upon it. The same is true of Lincoln,
most Scandinavian of all our shires, though little Rutland is
very Danish too. As we come south, however, the mark and
sign grow less clear, and in Hunts, Beds, Cambs, and Herts
the trace is very sUght indeed. The most useful endings to
take as guides or clues are -bie or -by, -caster, and -thorpe,
and perhaps -toft. The ending -by, signifying simply ' a
house, dwelling, or little settlement,' is ubiquitous. In Lin-
coln alone we find it 212 times; in Norfolk there is quite a
cluster round Great Yarmouth, the cluster extending as far
as Barnaby, south of Lowestoft, in Suffolk; in the rest of
Suffolk sign of Dane is rare to see.^ But -by holds on along the
coast as far south as Kirby Cross and Kirby-le-Soken, near
Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex. Then it seems to disappear, and
not to emerge again until we reach the many inlets of Pembroke.
Inland, -by ranges south to Badby, south of Daventry (North-
ants), and west to Rugby (Warwick) — a shire not reckoned in
the Danelagh. But, common though the ending be, there is not
a single specimen in Cambs or in any of the southmost counties
of the Danelagh, which shows how brief and shallow Danish
influence there must have been. At the Danes' northern limit,
Co. Durham, -by is said to occur four times, no more.
The ending-caster is also somewhat of a guide to the Dane's
presence, but by no means one so sure or serviceable as -by.
Norse tongues alone preserved the Roman hard c in castrum
or castra. On the lips of the Saxon, aided by the Norman, the
^ But cf. Thingoe, etc.
4
42 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
c has always softened into -cester or -Chester. E.g., the form
is always -Chester even in Durham (Chester-le-Street, etc.) and
Northmnberland (the Chesters, Hexham, etc.). But in Cum-
berland we find the form to be Mun-caster ; in Lancashire, Lan-
caster itself ; in Yorks, Don-caster ; in Lincoln, An-caster ; and,
as far south as the north-west corner of Norfolk, we have one
example in Bran-caster. But, as showing that Danish influence
was far from all-powerful, even in its own territories, we have
such weU-known names as Lei-cester, Chester-field, and Man-
chester, as weU as Rib-chester, north-east of Preston. The
ending -thorpe is also interesting and instructive to work with.
Many would say that thorpe is quite an English word, and no
sure token of Danish residence at all. But, as the Oxford Dic-
tionary wiU show, thorpe in any form is a very rare word in older
English; and, in any case, the true English form is trop or
throp, found in place-names in almost purely English quarters ;
only, very rarely. We have, e.g., Adlestrop, Chipping Norton,
Pindrup, Upthrup, Westrip, and Wolstrop, all in Gloucester,
and Staindrop (' stone-built village ') in S. Durham ; also at
least once in Yorks, Wilstrop; besides, we have Thrupp both
in mid-Oxford and S. Northants; and we have a Throope
away down beside Christchurch, Hants. We have Thorpes,
too, where any other Danish forms are very uncommon — e.g.,
Thorpe Thowles, north of Stockton-on-Tees; Thorpe-le-Soken,
Essex; Thorpe Morieux, Bury St. Edmunds; and plain
Thorpe, Leiston, Suffolk. But the only Thorpe in the Postal
Guide, which is in a distinctly English district, is Thorpe,
Chertsey. We thus are pretty safe in taking -thorpe as a mark
of the Dane. It is particularly common in Yorks and Lines
(there are sixty-three in all), and quite common in Norfolk;
but as an ending it is very rare south thereof. Its other
southern^ and also its western limit seems to be Eathorpe,
Leamington, another proof of Danish influence outside the
Danelagh; and we have Thorpe Constantino near Tamworth;
Not so common an ending as -thorpe is -toft ('homestead'),
though common enough in Yorks and Lines. In five cases it
stands alone, and it occurs not only in the most Danish parts
1 But also note, Upthorpe, Hunts, which seems to have been
Upeforde in Dom. Astrope (Herts), ' East Thorpe,' gives us the English,
not the Scandinavian, form.
INTRODUCTION 43
of tlie Danelagh, but also in Cambs and Suffolk, and in
un-Danish Durham, in Toft Hill, Bishop Auckland.
In Wales the Viking has left his permanent stamp on many a
bit of the coast ; not so in England, because it is conspicuous for
its absence of bays and fjords, unless it be in Essex and Cornwall.
To Sheerness, Nore, and Dungeness in the south-east we have
already referred. There seems little else in the way of name
with Danish cast upon our seashore, until you reach the very
Borders, where Solway Fieth is a doubly Norse name. The
name Solway, though it has been much disputed, is almost
certainly the O.N. sol-vag-r ('muddy bay,') the ending being
often paralleled in Scotland (in Stornoway, Scalloway, etc.)
Some of the many nesses or headlands between Lincoln and
Kent — Skegness, Winterton Ness (Norfolk), the Naze, etc. —
may have been named by the Vikings, but perhaps not in a
single case is this certain — not even Skegness, which is a tau-
tology, Skeg- being O.N. and -ness O.E. for ' headland.' One
should perhaps refer here also to such a name as Airmyn, near
the mouth of the Yorks Ouse, which is ' mouth of the R. Aire '
(also a N. name), from O.N. munn-r, ' mouth.' On the north
coast of Scotland goe (O.N. gjd, ' gap, cleft ') is very common.
In smooth-shored England we seem to have none, though
inland, near CarHsle, there stands Cargo (? 'rock-gap '); but old
forms are needed here. It may weU be ' Carig's hoe ' or ' how.'
The chief mountain ending which comes to us from a Norse
source is -fell, very common in the south of Scotland for a ' bare
ridge, a stretch of waste hill land, ' and no less common on the
Borders in Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmorland,
and down as far as Littledale Fell, south-east of Lancaster.
Beyond that fell does not seem to go.
Of rivers in England with Scandinavian names we have but
few. River-names, as we have found, are usually very ancient,
and are 'sweer,' as the Scots say, to change their names.
There are, or were, in England, at least three rivers called
Fleet ; the London one has now disappeared. And Fleet might
be O.N. fijdt as well as O.E. fiedt, 'river, stream,' in either
case the root idea being ' fleet, swift.' But probably all three,
as well as Fleetwood, Lanes, are not Norse; Fleet, Hants,
certainly is not. However, we do have a few clearly Danish-
named streams — the Aire, Greta, and Wharf e, in Yorks; the
44 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
Mease and Tern, in Staffs; and there may be others. The
names just mentioned will each be found explained s.v. The
old fords on our rivers far oftener show sign of Danish visitors
than the rivers themselves. When this is so the Danish
tongues have softened ford into forth — a very common ending
in Cumbria and Yorks — but also found farther south, as in
Handforth, N. Cheshire, and even at Forth End, Chelmsford;
whilst Marlingford, Norwich, was Marlingforth as late as 1482.
The chief Scandinavian endings not yet fully commented
on are -beck and -with, found together with another character-
istic ending -shaw, in Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, a hybrid
name, where O.E. scaga is = Norse with, ' a wood.' The Scan-
dinavian -beck is very close to the English -bach, and runs into
it in S. Lines (see s.v. -beck). Becks, or ' brooks,' are common
in the north-west, whilst in Durham we have Harwood Beck
and Beechburn Beck. Wansbeck, the only one in Northum-
berland, is a modern corruption. South of Lincoln they are not
found. The ending -with (O.N. vid-r, Dan. ved., ' a wood ')
is common in Yorks, as in Askwith, of course the same name
as that of our present Prime Minister and of our peerless arbi-
trator; also in Beckwith and Skipwith (which occurs again in
S.E. Cumberland); yet even in very Danish Lincoln it now
occurs but once, though it may recur in, or rather, there may
have been similar Danish influence in, Chabnwood Forest,
Leicester; c. 1165 Charnewid.
Clear traces of Scandinavian mythology in our nomenclature
are not frequent. Thor, the brave thunder-god, and Odin,
ruler of heaven and earth, are commemorated often enough.
But Thor in our place-names seems generally found originally
in its Saxon form Thunor, as it certainly is in Thundersley,
and as it probably is in all names in Thur- : Thitiileigh, Thtjr-
liOW, etc. Similarly, Odin is found in our names perhaps only
in his Saxon or Teutonic form Wodin (also Waden, Weden ; in
Simeon of Durham, however, Othan); but in this shape it
occurs frequently. Names of ordinary Norsemen crop up
continually, especially in names ending in -by north of the
Trent. The names in Butter-, like Buttermere, probably
conceal or reveal a good many cases of Norse settlement. We
may even find a Norseman in Windermere too, as well as in —
to take, for example, a group at the end of Osbournby,
INTRODUCTION 45
Osgathorpe, Osgodby, Osmotherley (' meadow of Osmund-r ' !),
Oughtrington ('town of Authgrim-r ' !). In such places the
Norsemen's names have become greatly disguised and dis-
torted — twisted, indeed, almost out of recognition — by tongues
which knew not the men or the race which owned the names.
Gamston and Ganthorpe, both from Gamel (' gamle Norge '!),
are other interesting cases in point ; so is Gothersley, for ' Good-
rich's lea ' ; and the subject has by no means been fully worked
out yet.
Rough List of Scandinavian Names in the Sheres where
THEY ARE NOT FrEQUENT.
Cambridge. — Bourne, Brink-ley, Carl-ton, Staine, Toft.
Cheshire. — Ayre (Point of), Chad-kirk, Frankby, Greasby,
Helsby, ? Helstry, Irby, Earby West, Ness, Pensby, Quoys-
ley, Raby, Thing- weU, Toft Hall, Whitby.
Durham. — Butterby, ? Newbiggin, (Pontop and West) Pike,
Raby, Roker, Tantobie, Toft (Hill), Wasker-ley.
Northumberland. — Brink-burn, Lucker, New-biggin-by-the-
Sea ; also the endings -dale, -fell, and -gill in several names
each.
Stafford. — Carr, Cheadle, Crake-marsh, Leek, Tern R., Thorpe
(Constantine), Uttoxeter, Yarlett.
Wi»RWiCK. — Biggin (2), Brinklow, (Monk's) Kirby, Prinsthorpe,
Rugby, ? Tardebigge, Toft, Wibtoft, WiUoughby.
Worcester. — Clent, ? Hag-ley, ? Sme-ster.
CHAPTER VI
THE ENDINGS
In the case of English place-names a knowledge of the endings
is quite half the battle ; and so we now set forth the chief of
these in some detail. The student will find this section well
worth mastering. He should first consult the Abbreviations,
p. 87.
-age is a rare and always puzzling ending, often not a true
ending at all. In Wantage, e.g., it seems quite modern,
whilst in Buebage the ending is reaUy -bage, modern form
of O.E. bece, ' brook.' The sequence is -beck, -back, -bach,
-batch, -baitch, -bage; and aU these forms are found
represented among our names and their pronunciations.
In CocKNAGE and Stevenage the -age is O.E. h)cecce,
'hatch'; whilst Swan age is O.E. Swanawic, 'swan's
haunt '; and Broomage, Larbert, Scotland, is 1458 Bru-
minche, or 'broom, gorse links,' or 'meadow.' Cranage
may be like Swanage, ' crane's abode,' but Ceessage
seems to be ' crest edge.'
-ay, -ea, -ey, -y. — These all represent, though -y only some-
times, the O.E. ig, ' island ' ; ig is Wessex, the AngHan and
O. Mercian is eg, in M.E. -ei, -ey, from O.E. ea, ' stream,
river, brook ' ; so that the root idea is ' watery place, '
not only an island, but a peninsula — as often, Selsea,
Bawdsey (HoUesley Bay), etc. — or any place surrounded
with brooks or streams, or even a marshy place. Most
places now with this ending can never have been true
islands. Berks, e.g., has nine examples; and we not only
have the Isle of Anglesea (O.E. Chron. Angles ege), but
also an Anglesea Priory, Cambs. Places like Pevensea,
46
INTRODUCTION 47
Swansea, etc., are also cases in point. In the north -ey
may be the O.N. ey, Dan. oe, with the same meaning
But few English names in -ey are certainly Norse. The
ending -y certainly sometimes represents ' island, ' as in
Lmidy Island; and Skeat gives Coveny and Wendy in
Cambs, but he refused Ely, Bede's Elge, or ' district '
not 'island of eels;' ge being rare O.E. = Ger. gau,
what Bede calls 'regio.' In Marrick, Dom. Marige,
N. Yorks, -ige has seemingly hardened into -ick; this
is rare.
-bach, -beach, -beck. — O.N. bekk-r, Sw. hack, 'a brook, a stream.'
Not in Northumberland, where Wansbeck is a recent cor-
ruption of Wannys pike; but we have a ' Bolebec,' in 1157
Pipe Roll, Northumberland. It is found still, however, in
Durham, in some tributaries of the Wear, where we even
have a Beechburn Beck ! It is common in Cumbria and
Yorks — Hokne Beck, Troutbeck, etc. — but perhaps not
farther south than Lines. One of the most southerly is
PmcHBECK, Spalding; but as that is already found in an
810 charter Pyncebek, the -beck here is probably the O.E.
bece or bcsc, found in this same charter in Holebech or
Holbeach, in the same district, with the same meaning.
Bach, also bache, and -batch, is a regular dialect name for
'brook,' common especially in Cheshire — Bache, Com-
BEEBATCH, Sandbach, etc. ; whilst in Dom. we have here
a Bachehe. The O.N. gen. of beck — viz., bekkjar — is
found in the two Beckermets, ' mouth of the brook ' ;
whilst, as we noted above, Btjubage is, in 961, Burh-
bece.
-borne, -bourne, -burn. — This last is now only northern, but all
three are forms of O.E. burna, burne, burn, O.N. brunn-r,
originally ' a spring, a fountain,' then ' a brook, a rivulet.'
In Northumberland -bum is common, as in Scotland,
Hartburn, Otterburn, Warkburn, etc.; in Cumberland it
is rarer — Greensburn, near the Border, etc. Tributaries of
the Wear vary between -bum and -beck; south thereof
-burn ceases, and -borne or -bourne becomes common
nearly everywhere. In old spellings in Berks, Cambs, etc.,
we have -burn or -burne, but not now. In Mary-le-6one,
London, the r of bourne has vanished.
48 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
-boro\ -horotigh, -burgh, -hury, all variants of O.E. hur:^, hurh, 2^
bure{g)h, ieri^, 3 huri, 3 — 4 borh, ioru (for other forms
see Oxford Dictionary), ' an enclosed or fortified town '
(or village), rather than a simple fort or castle like
dun, though cf. c. 820 Kent. Gloss., ' ad arcem, to bur^e.'
The ending is very common all over, especially as -bury;
-burgh, so common in Scotland, is rare in England ; even in
the north it is rather -borough — Bamborough, Flam-
borough, Middlesborough, etc. But we have Burgh-on-
Sands, on the Solway, pron.^ Bruff, and Burgh, E. Lines.
The ending has come down to -ber in Bramber {cf. harbour
and its forms in Oxford Dictionary). The northern ending
-bergh, as in Caldbergh, Sedbergh, etc., is not from -burgh,
but is a variant of Barrow. But Farnborough at least
three times in Dom. ends in -berg(e; and in Denmark
to-day we have -berg, -borg, and -burg all representing our
burgh. On the other hand, Crowborough, Leek, is c. 1300,
Crowbarwe, perhaps dative of O.E. bearu, ' a wood '; and
Hillborough, Warwick, is, in 710, Hildeburhwrthe, ' farm
of Hildeburga.'
-by, -bie. — North. O.E. by, probably adoption of O.N. bce-r,
by-r, Sw. and Dan. by, 'dwelling, village,' from O.N. biXa,
' to dwell,' same root as in North, big, ' to build.' Mawer,
Vikings, p. 124, says it indicates Dan. rather than Norse
settlement; but this contradicts his own statement (p. 11)
that Northumbria was Norwegian ; and Yorks is crammed
with -bys. However, there are only four north of Tees —
Butterby, Durham, being one of the northmost — and
there are none in Northumberland. We get the bce-r form
in Canisbay and Duncansbay, Caithness, but not in Eng-
land. The ending runs as far south as Badby and Kilsby,
south of Rugby. There are none in Cambs or Herts, but
there are several in Norfolk and Suffolk round the mouth
of the Yare, and we have Kirby Cross and Kirby-le-Soken
in N.E. Essex. There is also a Laghenbia, in Dom.
Essex, ? where. There are at least eight in Cheshire, but
perhaps none in the west to the south of Cheshire. The
^ The meaning of tliese figures is explained at the end of the
Abbreviations.
2 Pronounced. (See Abbreviations.)
INTRODUCTION 49
ending reappears in Jersey — Hougie Bie, ' dwelling on the
mound.'
-caster, -cester, -Chester. — L. castrum, castra, ' a camp, a fortifica-
tion ' ; not always a proof of Roman work, though, along
with -ford, -ceaster is the commonest of all the endings in
our earliest historian Bede. Outside the Danelagh the c
usually softened into ch, or from hard c to soft. Thus we
get many -chesters even in the north — Chesterfield
(1165 still Cestrefelt), Manchester (1421 still Mame-
cestre), and even Ribchbster, north-east of Preston.
Yorks is full of -casters ; and we even have Muncaster, in
Danish Cumberland ; but in Durham and Northumberland
the form is always -Chester — Binchester, Ebchester, and
Rochester (Northumberland). The hard -caster comes as
far south as Brancaster (King's Lynn), a very Danish
locahty, but not farther; Warwick has none. The form
-cester occurs rarely within the Danelagh, as in Leicester,
and is the regular form in the more southern parts —
Bicester, Cirencester, Gloucester, Worcester, etc. —
all these cited being much more contracted on modern lips.
O.E. ceaster has also become -xeter = cseter, as in Exeter
and Wroxeter (this form seems late), but not Uttoxeter.
Once we find the ending as -cetter, in Mancetter,
Atherstone. (On the origin of the O.E. forms, see
Caistor. )
-comb, -combe. — Common also in Cumberland as a prefix — Cum-
divock, -rangan, -ranton, -whinton, etc. — ^or separately, as
in Combe Down, Combe Florey, Combe Martin, etc. The
proximate root is O.E. cumb, ' a hollow thing '; hence ' a
bowl,' and then ' a (deep) valley ' or ' a hollow in the flank
of a hill.' In origin it is probably Keltic, and cognate with
W. cwm, ' a hollow.' As suffix, it is found chiefly in the
south, especially in Somerset, Dorset, and Devon — in the
first commonest of all. In Berks there are four, in Cambs
none, in Warwick only Walcombe (no old forms), in
Cheshire only Seacombe, which is at least as old as the
days of Henry VI.; there is also Holcombe, near Man-
chester ; and the suffix reappears in the north in Cumber-
land, Gillercombe, and Glaramara and Langdale Combes,
etc. ; also at least once in Durham, Escomb (Bishop Auck-
60 THJ: place-names of ENGLAND AND WALES
land). But in the north one must be careful to differen-
tiate from coom sh^ {Oxford Dictionary), * a domelike hill,'
of uncertain origin, as in Black Combe, White Combe, and
Hen Comb, Cumberland, and Comb Fell and Combhill,
Northumberland. Sacombe, Herts, is a corruption, being
Sueuechamp in Dom.
-dale. — O.E. dcel, or, perhaps nearly always in old names, O.N.
dal-r, ' a dale,' the root meaning being probably ' deep,
low place' {cf. Gothic dalath, 'down.'). Found from the
Scottish Border south to Derbyshire, but much commoner
in the north, where Norse influence was strong, and there
usually ' a river-vaUey between hills, a glen ' — Allendale,
Borrowdale, Ennerdale, etc. The southmost instances
seem to be Darley Dale, Matlock, and Coalbrookdale,
S. Salop. The simple Dale recurs in Pembroke, a very
Norse locality; but -dales farther south, like Begdale,
Cambs, Skeat looked on as merely modern — e.g., also Sun-
ningdale, Berks, a recent coinage, suggested by the ancient
SunninghiU near by. A pure English southern instance is
Doverdale, Droitwich, in 706 Dourdale, 817 Doferdael.
Rarely -dale becomes -die, as in Cheadle; and once at
least it has been corrupted from -hale, ' nook ' (see -hall) —
in Dinsdale, Yorks, Dom. Digneshale — unless Dom. be in-
correct.
-dean, -den, -dene. — These suffixes usually stand for O.E. denu,
' a valley,' same root as den{n), ' a den.' A ' dean ' now
generally is a valley deep, narrow, wooded. The suffix
occurs all over Great Britain; -dene is rare and southern
{cf. North Denes, Great Yarmouth). O.E. den{n), 6v dcen,
means not only ' den, cave, lair, ' but ' woodland pasture
for swine,' seen in Denford, Berks, and perhaps in Forest
of Dean. The suffixes -den and -dean are continually
interchanging with -don or -dune, as in Basilden or -don,
Burdon, c. 1130 Byrdene, Croxden, 1237 Crokesdun, Evers-
den or -don, Morden, c. 1080 Mordune, Yattenden or
-don, etc. Sometimes the -den may have an entirely
different origin, and be a part of -warden, q.v., as in
Garden, Hawarden, etc.
-er (see -or, -over),
-et (see Barnet, Coquet, Farcet, Hodnet, etc.).
INTRODUCTION 51
-fell. — O.N. iiall, Dan. fjeld, ' a mountain, a hill,' also in north
of England, ' a wild stretch of waste hill land, a moorland
ridge.' In either case the name is fomid only from the
Northmnberland Border through Cumberland and West-
morland, south to Littledale Fells, south-east of Lan-
caster; perhaps not elsewhere.
-ford, -forth. — One of the commonest, widest-spread, and
earliest of our suffixes, a ford being such an important point
in early days, when bridges were rare or non-existent.
In Bede -ford and -ceaster are the commonest of aU end-
ings. It is O.E. ford, from the common Teutonic root /ar,
' to go '; it is cognate with L. port-us, ' harbour,' and W.
rhyd, O.W. rit.f 'ford'; also with O.N. fior^-r or fjord}
Probably it is to Norse influence we owe the soft form
-forth so common in the north ; examples in un-Scandina-
vian districts are rare; but note Gosforth, north of New-
castle, Marlingford, Norwich, 1482 Marlyngforth, and
Forth End, Chelmsford, probably all due to Norse tongues.
The Postal Guide has four places simply called Ford; in
Cheshire we have seven fords — five already in Dom. ; in
Cambs, eight — seven in Dom. ; in Berks, no less than
eighteen, all dating from Saxon days, though only eight
seem in Dom. Duignan gives twenty-six -fords in War-
wick, nearly all very old, and at least fourteen as old as
Dom. But the ending has its traps ; especially does -ford
tend to replace -worth, as in Duxford and Pampisford,
Cambs, Beeford, Driffield, Whiteford, Bromsgrove {Dom.
Witeurde), Offord, Warwick, etc. (see those names). Box-
ford, Berks, was originally Boxore, ' box-tree bank ' or
' shore.' In Devon -ford is asserted to stand as a rule for
W. ffordd, ' road, passage ' ; in Stirlingshire -ford, which is
fairly common, never stands for what we now caU ' a ford.'
McClure, p. 242, has a useful note on the different kinds
of -ford, those whose names teU their nature — Mudford,
Sandford, Stamford, etc. ; those which teU what animals
used them — Oxford, Shefford ('sheep-ford'), etc.; those
which tell what kind of helps you will find there — Bam-
forth ('beam ford '), Stafford, etc.
^ Sometimes -ford directly represents fjord, as in Haverford, Mil-
ford, Orford.
62 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
-gill. — O.N. gil, geil, ' a deep glen.' Oxford Dictionary does not
class this with ' fish gill, ' as is often done. In later English
it comes to mean ' a narrow stream, a rivulet, ' but in names
it usually signifies 'a narrow, slit-like glen or opening.'
Rare in Northumberland, it is fairly common elsewhere in
the north — Bullgill, Dallowgill, Ivegill, Lowgill, Ramsgill,
etc. — and especially common around Grasmere. Gill is also
used in the dialects of Kent and Sussex, but there gives
name only to obscure places like Heron's Ghyll, Lewes,
Gills lop (leap,' O.N. hlaup), on the N.E. Sussex border,
etc. Sometimes -gill is curiously disguised, as in Ald-
win:klb, 1137 Aldwin gel, or ' Baldwin's gill.' This village,
near Thrapston, Northants, is one of the most southerly
instances. We get -gill less disguised in Winskill, the man
'Wine's ravine.'
-hall, -all, -ell. — A very important and much debated suffix.
There is a genuine O.E. heall, ' a palace, court, royal resi-
dence, ' then ' a mansion, a hall ' ; and probably a few of the
many hundred names ending in -hall are derived therefrom.
E.g., we have Croxall, Lichfield, in 773 charter Crokes-
halle, Dom. Crocheshalle ; and in Dom. we have Buben-
halle, Brunhala, Crenhalle, Chenihalle, for Bubbenhall,
Broomhall, Crewe Hall, and EaUinghall respectively; and
these all may be from heall. But far the most plainly come
from O.E. healh, ' a nook, a corner,' then ' a flat meadow
by a river, a haugh,' which last is its modern representa-
tive. Li charters and Dom. the ending is usually -hale, a
Mercian dative; more rarely -heale, the ordinary O.E.
dative. The ending is by far the commonest in old Mercia
or the Midlands. In Cheshire alone there are over 250
places with names ending in -haU or Hall (the latter often,
not always, quite modern). We get the simple Hale {sic
in Dom.), near Altrincham and Liverpool, and in the plural,
as Hailes, Gloucester; whilst it is preserved as an ending
in Enhale, Cambs, in O.E. charter Eanheale.
The h easily drops away, and so we get -all, as in Bignall,
Birdsall (York), Gnosall (still 1298 Gnoddeshale), Walsall,
etc. ; or else we get -ell, as in Beadnell, Bracknell (the only
case of hale in Berks), Bucknell; or even -el, as in Ellel,
Dom. EUhale ; whilst the hale is even more merged in Paull,
INTEODUCTION 53
- Dom. Pagele. The endings -hall and -hill often run into
one another, not seldom in the Midland form of hill — viz.,
hull — e.g., Minshull Vernon, Cheshire, is Dom. Manesshale
or Manessele; Stramshall, Staffs, is c. 1300 Strangeshull ;
and GoxHiLL, Hodnell, and Sugnall lend further illus-
tration.
-ham, -am. — This very common suffix represents two distinct
words, and only when we get O.E. charter evidence can we
be sure which word it is. (1) O.E. ham{m), hom{m) in the
oldest charters often haam — e.g., 692-93 Essex chart. Bed-
den-haam and Deccen-haam (Degenham) — found also in
all the Frisian dialects as ham{m), hem, him, ' a pasture, a
meadow enclosed with a ditch ' ; Duignan adds, ' at the
bend of a river,' so as to connect with the human ham,
which is caused by the bend of the knee. In England the
meaning is ' enclosed ground, generally pasture.' So far as
we know, this by a good deal the rarer of the two suffixes—
e.g., there are in Berks seventeen names ending in -ham, of
which only five are clearly hamm, because we find in
charters ' set Bennanhamme,' for Beenham, etc. In Cambs
there are twenty-four -hams, but in no case do they clearly
come from hamm, though Skeat cites abundant evidence
from the eleventh century onwards. There is a Chippenham,
Cambs, c. 1080 Chipenham, but the place of the same name
in Wilts is O.E. Chron. 878 Cippanhamme. The same
rarity seems to hold true elsewhere. There are several
Hams on the Severn, and a few on the Wye and Trent,
from hamm. (2) O.E. ham, our ' home,' whilst hamm, with
its long a, represents an English hem. This is one of our
very commonest endings, often clipped down into -am {cf.
Cheam), or more rarely into -um, as in Bilsum, Gloucester,
c. 955 BiUesham ; but in the north largely replaced by the
Norse -by, except in Northumberland, where -ham is
common and -by non-existent. We have a fair number of
northern -hams — Askham, Brigham, etc., Cumberland,
Bispham, Kirkham, etc., Lanes. But the inquirer always
needs to be wary, because in the north, especially in Yorks,
-ham or -am frequently represents an O.E. locative or
dative — e.g., Hallam, Dom. Hallum, O.E. healon, ' on the
slopes ' ; HuLAM, Sim. Dur. Holum, O.E. holon, ' at the
54 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
holes ' ; also see Ilam, Kilham, Lytham, etc. Even -holme
may at tunes represent simply an O.E. locative, as in
HippERHOLME, Dom. Huperiin; -holm and -ham often tend
to interchange, as in Dueham, etc.
Though -ham is certainly abundant after the patronymic
-ing, q.v., Isaac Taylor's statement that, in the O.E.
charters, ham is found united with names of famihes, but
not with the names of individuals, is abundantly incorrect
(c/. Skeat, Place-Names of Cambs, p. 20) ; see, e.g., Becken-
HAM, Beenham, Biddenham, Boxham, etc.
-hampton — i.e., ham-tun — ' home town,' as in Bathampton, etc.,
is a very common suflSx also. Duignan cites seventeen in
Ombersley and Astley, Worcester, alone — five now
vanished.
-holm see Holme.
-hope, -op, -up. — O.E. hdp,, ' a piece of enclosed land, generally
among fens and marshes; waste land.' Also, especially
in N.E. England and S. Scotland, ' a small enclosed valley,
branching off a larger one, a blind valley ' ; same root
as O.N. hdp, a ' haven, place of refuge '; but we have no
seaboard names in England akin to St. Margaret's Hope,
Orkney and Queensferry. In Northumberland no less
than seventy-three places end in -hope, and forty in Dur-
ham. We have Easthope, Hope Rowdle, and Rattling-
hope as far south as S. Salop, and a Woolhope in Hereford.
But as this ending comes south, it tends to become -op;
already in Dunsop and CUtheroe, also in Glossop Works-
op; but Hatherop (Gloucester) is 1294 Haythorp. Even
Kershope, on the Cumberland border, has become Kirsop as
a personal name. Rarely we find -up, as in Bacup, Blake-
up, sic 1604 (a hill on the Borders), and the personal
name Kirkup =' valley with the church.' There are no
-hopes in Berks, Cambs, or even Cheshire; but in Pem-
broke we have Lydstep, which stands for ' Lud's or Llyd's
hope.'
-how. — This is O.N. haug-r, ' mound, cairn,' a rather rare suffix,
and only in the north — Brant How, Great How, etc. It
may shrink into -oe, as in Aslacoe or Thestgoe (this in
Suffolk) ; or even into -o, as in Duddo, 11 83 Dudehowe, and
as, perhaps, in Cargo, N. Cumberland. But Brisco, in the
INTRODUCTION 55
same shire, is, in its charter form, Birlsescagh — i.e., birk
shaw or ' birch wood.' The same word appears again
Frenchified, in the Channel Islands, as Hogue and Hougue.
■ing, in our oldest charters often -incg. This is one .of the most
interesting and important of all om: sufiixes ; in its way-
unique, being absolutely personal in its reference, not
local. The idea conveyed is one of possession, or intimate
connection with ; hence ' son of, descendant, ' as in ^thel-
ing, ' son of the ethel, the noble-born,' Cerdicing, 'son of
Cerdic,' etc. We even have in the O.E. of Luke iii. 38,
Adaming, ' son of Adam.' There are many place-names
ending in -ing, like Barking, Basing, Reading, Woking,
which originally meant, ' the sons or descendants of Beorc,
Bassa, Read, Woe, ' and only thereafter ' place where these
descendants dwelt.' In a name like Centingas it can never
mean anything but 'men of Kent'; the suffix in O.E.
charters is often found as -ingas, which is nominative plural
or -ingum, genitive plural, as in Bede's Berecingas (Bark-
ing), or O.E. Chron.'s Readingum (Reading). This patro-
nymic -ing, though so common, is not universal, and
chiefly southern; in Cheshire there are none, in Cambs.
only two; in Stafford and Warwick Duignan gives none,
unless Watlestg St. be called an exception ; but in Norfolk
-ing is fairly common — Hiclding, Horning, etc.; whilst
Horsfall Turner enumerates twenty-two for Yorks —
Gembling [Dom. GhemeUnge), Kipling {Dom. Chipelinge),
Pickering, etc. In Yorks there are, of course, the three
Ridings — i.e., third-ings or third parts; only this comes
from the equivalent O.N. -ung rather than the O.E. -ing,
the O.N. being thrithjung-r; in c. 1066, Laws of Edw.
Confessor, trehingas. The same ending reappears in
Holland in such a name as Appingadam. Sometimes, but
very rarely, the -ing is now -inge, as in E. and W. Ginge,
Berks, in O.E. charters Gaeging and Gaincg, Dom. Gainz,
'place of the sons of Gsega.' This softening into the
modern / sound (-inge = -inj), is also found in such modern
pronunciations as Nottinjam, Whittinjam, etc., fairly
often heard. Also, very rarely, the -ing may be dropped
in course of time, as in Cudeley, Worcester, in 974 Cudinc-
lea.
56 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
If names ending in -ing are rare in some parts, names
compounded with this patronymic suffix are found every-
where.
Generally the ending is -ingham or -ington, more rarely
-ingford, -ingwell, or the like. In many cases these are
genuine patronymics, denoting the home or viUage of
somebody's descendants — Beddingham, ' home of the
Beadings ' ; Bennington, ' home of the Bennings ' ; and so
on; it is needless to multiply examples. But, unless the
evidence for the -ing goes back to O.E. times, we can never
be sure that we have before us a true patronymic. Many
years ago, e.g„ the writer pointed out that in Scotland,
where there are a good many names in -ingham and -ington,
not more than two or three are real patronymics. One
needs to be hardly less wary in England, because very
often the -ing is but a later softening of the O.E. genitive
in -an or -en, usually the masculine gender in -an, as
Barrington,- c. 1080 Barentone, 'Bsera's village'; or
Bedingham, O.E. charter Beddanham, ' Bedda's home.*
Take the very first case that comes to us, Abingdon; it
is 699 charter Abbendune, ' Abba's ' or ' Ebba's hill ' ;
whilst Abington, Cambs, is Dom. Abintone, 'Abba's
town ' ; not patronymics at all. Sometimes the -ing
arrives very late ; Marchington, Uttoxeter, is 907 Msercham,
'home on the march or boundary '; 10Q4 Merchamtune,
or ' March Hampton ' ; not tiU the thirteenth century
have we Marchynton, and the -ing is later still. Some-
times, too, the -ing is a pure corruption, as in Almington
for 'Alchmund's town,' or Ardington for 'Eadwine's
town.'
Besides, we have always to beware of names in -ing,
which have nothing patronymic about them; names like
Holling Hall, where HoUing is but M.E. for 'holly,' or
like Stocking Lane, Staffs, where, Duignan says, Stocking
means ' grubbing up, clearing of wood or wild land ' ; whilst
Stocking, Haresfield, is an O.E. locative, stoccan, ' at the
tree-stocks.'
Dr. H. Bradley {English Historical Review, October,
1911) seems to have made out a strong case for -ing or
-inge being also sometimes an ending to denote a place on
INTRODUCTION 57
a river or stream, of which Avening, Exning, Gutting,
TwYNiNG, etc., would be examples.
-high, -ley, -lie, -ly. — These are all modern forms of O.E. Uah,
dat. leage, ' a bit of cultivated ground, a meadow, a lea.'
This is one of our commonest endings, especially as -ley ;
there are fifty-three in Cheshire alone, thirteen in Berks,
twelve in Cambs — these two last small counties. The
form -ly is rare,^ but we have Early, Berks, etc. ; -leigh,
which represents the dative, is not common except in a
few parts like Devon; there are none in Berks or Cambs.
But Leigh alone occurs twelve times in the Postal Guide,
from Lancashire to Kent. Two or three times in Yorks
we find the suffix as -laugh, Healaugh ('high meadow'),
Skirlaugh, etc. ; and in Cheshire it takes the form -lach,
as in Shocklach. Traps in connection with this ending
are few; but we have Cookley, Kjdderminster, 964 Culnan
clif.
-hw, and, in the north, -law. — O.E. hldw, hlcew, ' a hill,' then,
' a burial-groimd, barrow, tumulus.' The ending is
common in the south — Challow, Hounslow, Marlow, etc. ;
but -low is found in the north too, in Yorks at least three
times — Barlow, Bierlow, and Chellow {Dom. Celeslau),
but Barlow is Dom. Berlai ( = lea). Li the north, where
the form is -law, it is usually written separately — Collier
Law, Durham ; Black and Kilhope Laws, S. North-
umberland ; etc. J. H. Turner gives no -law now in
Yorks, but there were several formerly- — Chellow, as we
have seen, also Ardsley, and Tinsley, in Dom. Erdeslau,
and Times- or Tineslawe. We see the same tendency,
-ley replacing -low, farther south, in Staffs, where Moxley
was, c. 1400, Mockeslowe, and Muckley, c. 1600, Mucklow.
-minster. — ^This and -caster form our only Latin endings. It
is late L. monasterium, later L. monisterium, O.E. mynster,
originally ' a monastery ' ; but, as a place-name suffix,
-minster seems always to mean ' the church of a monas-
tery, ' then ' any church, ' generally a large one. It is now
found chiefly in the south — Axminster, Bedminster,
Sturminster, Westminster, etc. ; but, of course, we freely
speak of York Minster, Beverley Minster, etc. ; and in an
^ Also cf. AcLE, etc.
68 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
inscription of 1056-1066 in Kirkdale Church, Yorks, we
read of ' Scs Gregorius minster.' The O.N. form mustari
does not seem represented among om* names; but in
Menstrie (Alloa), Scotland, we get a Gaelicised form,
from G. mainistreach, ' pertaining to a monastery. ' This
is very like the form in Aymestrey, Hereford, Dom.
Eiminstre. Musters, Durham, is ' de Monasteriis.'
-or, -over, also -er. — The ending -or represents two distinct
words: (1) O.E. ora, 'margin, bank, shore, ' cognate with
L. ora, found by itself as a name in Oare, Berks; but
common as an ending too, as in Bognor, ' Bucga's shore,'
CuMNOR, Keynor, and Windsor, whose early charter
form is Wendles ore, which Skeat thinks may be ' the
Vandal's bank.' But (2) -or, with -er, and its fuller form
-over, represents O.E. ofer, 0. Fris. overa, overe, M. Fris.
over, E. Fris. over, ofer, Ger. ufer, 'border, margin,' hence
* seashore,' and especially 'river-bank'; by c. 1205
Layamon, it has become oure. We get this word as a
name in Owram, Yorks, in Dom. Overe, Oure, and Ufrun,
which are locatives singular and plural, Ufrun becoming
OwRAM after the type described under ham (2). The full
form -over is still retained in Ashover, Bolsover, etc.
But it has often been shortened into -or, as in Baddesley
Ensor (or Edensor), Hadsor, c. 1100 Headesofre, and
Haselor, c. 1300 Haselovre; and we get it as a prefix in
Orgrave, N. Lanes, Dom. Ourgreve, ' grave on the bank.'
Most names in -er also have the same root, though this
has not hitherto been much recognized; especially those
named from trees — Asher, ' ash- tree bank ' ; Beecher,
Easier, ' hazel-bank ' ; Pinner, ' pine-tree bank ' ; and
Thomer, as well as Iver, Uxbridge, which is probably
' ivy bank ' ; and Hever, ' high bank ' ; and even Wooler,
which has nothing to do with ' wool,' but is 1197 WeUoure,
' well bank.'
-thorpe, -torp, -trop. — This is O.E. c. 725 throp, c. 800 drop,
later thorp, O.N. thorp, N. torp, O.Fris. thorp, therp, ' farm,
hamlet, village.' It is very rare in O.E., and in place-
names is due almost solely to Norse influence. It is found
as a name simply as Thorp (e), five times in the Postal
Guide, and often in combination — Thorp Arch, Thorpe
INTEODUCTION 60
Abbotts, Thorpe-le-Soken, etc.; also as Throop (Christ-
church), and Thrupp, Mid Oxon and S. Northants. These
last forms will be pure Eng., as are also the rare occurrences
of the ending outside the Danelagh — ^Adlestrop, Eastrip,
Somerset ; Huntingtrap, Worcester ; etc. Gloucester, a
purely English county, contains many remarkable varia-
tions of thwp — Hatherop, Pindrup, Puckrup, Westrip,
Wolstrop, and even Upperup. Wilstrop, W. Riding, Dom.
Wilestrop, is one of the very few cases of -trop in a Danish
region, whilst Thorpe, Chertsey, is one of the very few
cases of thorpe outside such a region. The ending -thorpe
is common in Norfolk, and occurs three times in Warwick,
in which cases it is certainly due to Norse influence; it
does not occur at all in Cambs or Cheshire, once each in
Hunts, Beds, and Herts. In Denmark to-day the ending
-trup is very common.
-thwaite. — O.N. pveit, pveiti, ' a piece of land, a paddock ' (lit.
' a piece cut off,' a piece ' thwited ' or whittled off). This
suffix is found only in the north-west, chiefly in Cumber-
land; also, rarely, in S. Scotland. The limits seem to be —
Seathwaite, Broughton-in-Fumess, Satterthwaite, Ulver-
ston, Linthwaite (' flax plot '), and Slaithwaite, Hudders-
field, and Hunderthwaite, N. Yorks {Dom. Hundredestoit,
or ' bit cut off the hundred '). Modem lips have clipped
Slaithwaite down to S16-at. We have one -twight in
Norfolk, Crostwight, Dom. Crostueit; and see Eastwood.
-toft. See Toft.
-ton ranks with -ley as the commonest of all our suffixes. Dr.
Lee estimated that about one-eighth of all the names in
the first two vols, of Kemble's Codex Diplomaticus had this
ending, whose root idea is ' enclosure, ' ' my property ' ;
whereas, singular to note, this same root is never used as
a place-name ending anywhere on the Continent. It is
O.E. c. 725, ' tuun cors ' ( = cohors, L. for ' court '), later
tiln, O.N. t'ijjn, 'enclosure, homestead, farm'; toun in
Scot., town in W. Somerset, and tun in Norw. dialects are
still used for ' a single farm.' In Cornwall town and
town-place are still applied to the smallest hamlet or
even to a farmyard. Then, probably after the Nor.
Conquest, tun came to mean ' a town ' ; long before
60 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
that it meant 'a village.' The root is often said to be
akin to Keltic d/an, ' a fort,' as in the old ending -dunum.
But this is doubtful, as diA^n means first, ' a hill,' and then,
' the fort which so often crowned the hill. ' True, the
forms -don and -ton do sometimes run into one another,
as in Bishopston, 1016 Biscopesdun, Farndon (Cheshire),
Dom. Ferentone, Gamston, Larton (Cheshire), Dom.
Lavorchedone, etc., also Dunstall and TmsrsTALL.
One needs to be careful about the common confusion
with -stone, as in Atherstone, Beeston Castle, Brigh-
ton, Brixton, etc., whilst Elkstone, Leek, was 1227
Elkesdon (c/., too, the common interchange of Johnston
and Johnstone). Perhaps oftenest, in these eases, the
original ending was O.E. stan{e), 'stone'; but not in
Johnston. An example of the reverse case is Woolstone,
Berks, which is the O.E. Wulfricestun. Sometimes the s is
the genitive of the preceding personal name ; and of course e
may be added at the end of almost any old name. There
are also some curious corruptions, like Austerson, Cheshire,
which is DoTO.'s Alstanton, whilst Enson, Staffs, is c. 1300
Eneston and Enson. In rare cases, as in Cotton, Cambs.
the ending -on may be the old locative, ' at the cots, '
the same ending which in Yorks so often becomes -un,
-um, and then -am; see -ham; so that -ham and -ton may
mean the same thing, and yet not ' dwelling ' at all !
In rare cases -ton is, or was, used to give a Saxon look to
a Keltic name — e.g., Clyst, Exeter, was 1001 O.E. Chron.
Glistun, v.r. Chstun, whilst we also have a ' Clistune ' in
Dom. Worcester, all probably being originally W. glwys,
' a hallowed place, a fair spot.' In Mitton, which occurs
several times, the -ton is corrupted from O.E. mythan.
-warden, -wardine, -worth, -worthy, are best all taken together,
being in root the same. Very common is -worth, O.E.
worth, weorth, wurth, wyrth, ' open space, piece of land,
holding, farm, estate,' akin to our Eng. worth. In Dom.
it is usually found as -orde, or -vrde, -worde. Examples
are so numerous that they need not be cited. J. H. Turner
cites thirty-one cases, past or present, of the ending, in
Yorks alone. Occasionally we meet a corruption, as in
BiSHPORT for 'bishop's worth,' and, more serious, Sea-
INTRODtJCTION -ei
COURT near Oxford, which, was once Seovecwurde or
' Seofeca's iarm.' Who would ever guess that"? In a £ew
cases -worth has been replaced by -iord, as inDuxEOUD and
Pampispoed, Cambs ; Offord, Warwick, and Tudworth,
Yorks ; where Dom. has both Tudeworde and Tudeforde.
We see the reverse case in Brinsworth, Rotherham,
Dom. Brinesford, and Wigglesworth, E. Yorks, Dom.
Wiclesforde. In either case the transition form was -vorde.^
-worthy is an ending purely S. Western. It is O.E.
worthig, seen more fully in Worthing ; root and meaning
the same as -worth. Seemingly it is not a diminutive
but an extended form as in -warden. Examples are
Badgeworthy, Holsworthy, King's Worthy, etc.
-warden, -wardine, is an ending very common in Salop,
whilst a few cases occur in the surrounding counties ; else-
where it is unknown. It is Mercian O.E. worthign, ex-
tended form of worthig and of worth ; see above, and
meaning, as before, ' farm, holding, place of worth.' In
Dom. Salop we have a simple Wrdine; but instances of
the ending are also abundant in that shire — Belswardine,
Shrawardine, etc. In N. Hereford we have Leintwardine
and Pedwardine, in Worcester Bedwardine ('the monk's
table farm '), and ToUerdine, in Fhnt Hawarden, whilst
we have contracted forms in Garden, Cheshire; and
Harden, Staffs; as well as Ellerdine, Salop. Gloucester
gives us Ruardean, c. 1281 Rowardin, and Shepherdine. It
is interesting to note that Lapworth, Warwick, is in an 816
charter Hlappanwurthin and in Dom. Lapeforde. In
Holland we have names like Leeu warden (Dutch, leeuw,
' a lion '), where we seem to have the same ending; but
there is no Dutch warden or worden in CaUsch's Dutch
Dictionary.
■wich, -wick. — This is O.E. wic, 'dwelling, village,' borrowed
from L. vicus, 'village,' same root as Gk. olKo<i, 'house ';
also borrowed in Corn, as Gweek, found in place-names
there. One of the very earliest recorded instances of
-wich is 'the port of Quentawic,' in Bede iv. 1, i.e.,
St. Quentin, Picardy. In the South wic is usually softened
into -wich — -Greenwich, Harwich, Sandwich, etc. In the
^ The natives now call Deskford, Banffshire, Deskurd.
62 THE PLACE NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
north it remains hard, as -wick — Ahiwick, Berwick,
Cheswick, Withernwick, etc. But the hard -wick is also
found in the south. We have both Berwick St. James
and St. John near Salisbury, as well as one near Shrews-
bury, and we have Chiswick near London as well as one
in the far North. In Cheshire and Worcestershire -wich
or -wych is popularly interpreted as indicating a brine
or salt spring {cf. 716 charter ' In wico . . . Saltwich,' Wor-
cester). But there is no O.E. authority for this, even
though Nantwich is in W. Yr Heledd gwen, ' the white
place for making salt.' Droitwich is in O.E. Chron. simply
Wic. We get the hard form in Salwick, Preston, which
can hardly mean ' salt bay,' O.N. vik, but rather, ' village
where salt was made.' It is doubtful if any -wick in
England means ' bay ' (though cf. Sandwich), whilst
such are common in the north of Scotland. Skeat thought
the -wick in Saltwich, Droitwich, etc., was the N. vik,
* a smaU salt creek or bay ' ; and that the change to
' brine-pit ' would be easy. But to some of us this seems
very unlikely indeed, down inland at Droitwich, and so
early as 716. In Yorks wic becomes Wike, Dom. Wic,
and Heckmondwike, etc. The O.E. ending -awic some-
times becomes -age, q.v.
-with. — O.N. vith-r, Dan. ved, 'a wood,' is common in Yorks.
J. H. Turner cites eleven cases — AskwitH, Beckwith,
Bub with, etc., where Dom. spells vid, wid, uid, and vi,
always avoiding ih. It is doubtful if -with ever really
interchanged with -wick. We do have Skipwith twice
in Dom. as Schipewic, and again in 1200 Scippewic, also
Butterwick, Yorks, in Dom. both Butruic and Butruid;
but as a rule in such cases c wiU be the common scribe's
error for t. Occasionally -with is found changing into
-worth; whilst Langwith, Derby and Notts, and Lang-
worth, Lines, all ended with -wath, ' ford,' in thirteenth-
century charters.
CHAPTER VII
THE NOKMAN ELEMENT
The pure Norman period in England was but short — from the
Conquest in 1066 to the accession of the Angevin Henry II.
in 1154. However, from the marriage of ^thelred to Emma,
the Duke of Normandy's sister, in 1002, Normans began to
find homes in our land and to influence our affairs, an influence
which lasted on till the accession of Edward I. in 1292, first of
our Kings with an English name since fatal Senlac, and an
EngUshman out and out. Hallam has well pointed out that
Norman influence in England has often been exaggerated.
Sir Henry Ellis's enumeration of the nearly 8,000 mesne tenants
in Domesday shows how very large was the number of purely
Saxon lords of the manor at that date; whilst it should be
better known that French was never used among us for deed
or law until the reign of Henry III., 1216-1272. Still, consider-
ing the wide power of Norman lords and landholders, and the
large use of French among all educated EngUshmen, Norman
place-names in England are wonderfully f ew.^ Here the stolid
Saxon peasant fairly extinguished the proud Norman peer.
But there is one pretty large group, of Norman names in
England, those beginning with Beau — or, before a vowel, Bel-
(feminine, belle), 'beautiful, lovely,' a common prefix for a
spot chosen because of its fine outlook or natural beauty.
There are among us two Beaudeserts or ' lovely wilds,' a Beau-
lieu, ' lovely spot,' reappearing corrupted in Bewdley and in
Leighton Buzzard; also two Beaumonts and two Belmonts,
' fine hills.' There are two Belchamps, ' fine plains,' better
1 Of course the Normans profoundly influenced both the spelling
and pronunciation of many English names, both local and personal.
See p. 26, and names like Cerne, Osgodby, etc. ; but wholly Norman
names in England are few. The whole subject is carefully worked out
in Zachrisson's Anglo-Norman Influence on English Place-Names, 1910.
63
64 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
known to us in the shape of Beauchamp or Beacham ; then there
is not only a modern Belle Vue, ' fine view,' but an old Belvoir,
' fine to see,' whilst the Beaurepair, ' lovely haunt,' of the
Chron. of Lanercost, has now become transformed into Beau-
park, Ebchester; but it remains as Belrepeir in Gloucester, and
appears again in Derby as Belper. Belford, Belgrave, and
a good many other names in Bel-, have an English, not a
Norman, origin.
Antrobus, Nantwich, is of an almost unique type for an
English name ; but it surely must be Fr. entre huis, ' among
the box-trees ' ; in Dom. it is Entrebus. Almost its only
parallel so early is Montgomery, of which, and of other
Norman names, we shall have something to say in the
chapter on Wales Another old name in Mont- we have
in Montacute, 'sharp hiU,' brought in the Conqueror's days
from Normandy to S. Somerset. A few of pur abbey
names also are Norman. It is not to be wondered at, so
many French monks and clerics swarmed over to England
with William I. ; hence Jervaulx and Rievatjx. These, how-
ever, are only haH French, the fijst half in both cases being
Enghsh; but vaux or vaulx is the plural of Fr. vol, ' a valley.'
Bois, Fr. for ' a wood,' has been preserved in a few place-names,
Chesham Bois, Bucks ; Theydon Bois, Epping Forest, etc. ; but
not Cambois. Forest, too, as in New Forest, Forest of Dean,
etc., is, of course, French. Then it should be noted that all our
names with the suffix -market are due to Norman influence —
Newmarket (4), Stowmarket, etc. About the earliest record
of such names which we have found is in the Pipe RoU
for 1179-80, Yorks, De Novo Mercato (Latinized form of
O.Nor. Fr. mercat), now Newmarch, which gives us the modern
Fr. marche, with the same meaning.
Norman personal names are very conmionly appended to
real old English names — e.g., Bovey Tracey, Hurstmonceux,
MUton Deverel, Sutton MaUet, and Montis, etc. A run through
Duignan's county books will show, however, that these double-
barrelled names rarely came into use until well on in the Middle
Ages. More rarely the Norman name (in most cases the pro-
prietor's) is prefixed, as in Guyhirn, Royston, etc. A real
Norman name, long a puzzle, is Barnet, first found c. 1200,
Barnette. It is almost certainly a diminutive of Fr. heme
INTRODUCTION 66
or herme, 'a narrow space, a ledge, a berm.' Boulge, Suffolk,
is also worth referring to, because it preserves an old Norman
word for ' a heathery waste.' In the same region is Dover-
court, which goes back to Dow., and so gives us the word court
more than 200 years earlier than it is recorded m our English
dictionaries. ^
A church or ecclesiastical building among us is usually
denoted by -church in the south, -kirk or kir- in the north,
or else by -minster. But Normans have their share here too.
The O.Nor. Fr. capele, late L. cappella (Ut. ' a httle cape '), is
now usually Chapel, which goes to form fourteen names in the
Postal Guide — Chapel Allerton, Chapel Amble, etc. They may
not all go back to Norman days, but such a name as Chapel-en-
le-Frith certainly does; so do the four Capels, two in Kent
and near Dorking and Ipswich, whilst there are ten Capels in
Wales. There is likewise a Chappel in Essex. Very few of our
names in Castle come in before 1300; but Castle Holdgate,
Salop, occurs as Chastel Hollgod in the thirteenth century, and
must be Norman.
Three curious specimens of quasi-Norman names may bring
this brief chapter to a close: Lappal, Halesowen, is in 1335
Lappole, which "must mean ' the pool '; while in 1342 we read
of ' Thomas atte Pole.' Surtees, Co. Durham, is in 1211 Super
Teisam, the L. super having been changed into Fr. sur ; and the
name, of course, means (place) ' on the Tees, ' Beachy Head,
Sussex, if correctly interpreted, is unique in its way as an
English cape name. It is always thought to be the Fr. beau
chef, ' fine head ' or ' headland ' ; and there is a Beauchief near
Sheffield. The French article le, ' the,' stiU remains in a curious
number of cases — Chapel-le-Dale, Chester-le-Street, Newton-
le- Willows, etc.
CHAPTER Vin
THE NAMES OP WALES, MONMOUTH, AND CORNWALL
Great progress has now been made in the study of the names
of England and Scotland, still greater with the names of
Ireland and of Man., As to the wealth of Keltic names in
Cornwall much remains to be done, largely because Cornish
is now so utterly a dead language. It has dictionaries, but
none satisfactory to the place-name student; and perhaps
nobody now aHve knows enough about it to do the subject
justice, imless it be Mr. Henry Jenner. We have, indeed, a
great store of Cornish names in Domesday, including twenty-
eight which begin with Lan-, or 'church.'^ But, with rare
exceptions, like Bodmin or Launceston, Domesday's names
are not those famihar to most of us to-day. So, for lack of
anything which we feel worth saying — we confess it with
regret — we pass on.
With Wales, and its very Welsh neighbour, Monmouth, the
case is altogether different. Welsh is a tongue exceedingly
alive. In 1911, 43-5 per cent, of the people still spoke Welsh,
though that showed a decrease of 47,542 in ten years. On
the other hand, only 14 per cent, of the people of Ireland then
spoke Erse, and just over 4| per cent, of the people of Scotland
spoke Gaelic. Excellent Welsh scholars abound, yet almost
nobody seems to have fairly tackled the host of intricate and
interesting Welsh names which await explanation. Men like
Professors Rhys and Anwyl have given scattered hints; and
one very solid contribution we do have — the Cymmrodorion
Society's edition of Owen's PembroJceshire (1603), edited by
H. Owen, with huge blocks of notes in small print by himseK^
Mr. Egerton PhiUimore, Professor Rhys, Mr. W. H. Stevenson,
^ Out of the 200 old Cornish parishes, no less than 145 are called after
Keltic saints — Irish, Welsh, Breton, or Cornish.
66
INTRODUCTION 67
etc., notes which often display acutest learning and insight
concerning names all over Wales, but arranged with a terrible
lack of method, and sadly unhandy for the busy student.
The only book dealing with the whole subject seems to be Mr.
Thomas Morgan's Place-Names of Wales, second edition, 1912.
The author was prize-winner at the Newport Eisteddfod in
1897 for a Dictionary of Welsh Names in Monmouth, so it may
be taken for granted that he knows spoken Welsh thoroughly,
and he has collected a lot of useful material. But he omits
many important names, even Glamorgan, and he hardly refers
to any mountain or hill, not even Plynlimmon, Worse stiU,
Mr. Morgan has had no scientific training, and so, on many
points, his little book is a very unsafe guide.
Something might have been expected from the new edition
of the Encyclopcedia Britannica, that wonderful monmnent of
well-arranged learning. The article ' Wales ' gives a long list
of Welsh words for river, hill, and dale, with specimen names
derived from them. But the list is such that any tyro could
easily compile it out of a dictionary for himself ; and no attempt
is made to analyze or explain a single one of the hundreds of
difficult Welsh names. Rarely, an article like ' Cardiff ' makes
some effort to deal with the philological problems. But, from
a place-name point of view, many of the separate articles are
deplorable. All we are told — e.g., under 'Denbigh' — is: 'Din
in Dinbych ' (the Welsh spelling) means ' a fort.' But, as we
shall see, the strong probability is that Denbigh is a Danish,
and not a Welsh, name at all. Under Wrexham, another
puzzling name, we are told that the original name ' in the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle,' is ' Wrightesham.' This last is not
the original name, and Wrexham is never mentioned in that
Chronicle at all, i
As we have referred to Cardiff, the history of the great
seaport's name is quite worth telling before we proceed further.
The Britannica article gives a very imperfect record of the early
forms of the name. But in all probability it is correct in
holding that the usual explanation ' fort on the Taff ' must be
wrong. No early writer ever calls it Caerdaf , (which would be
the proper Welsh spelling if this were so), unless we make ex-
ception of the English antiquary Leland, in the days of
Henry VIII., and he was only writing down his own guess.
68 THE PLACE-NAMES OP ENGLAND AND WALES
The earliest spelling now known is of date 1128, Kardi; a little
later we find Kardid, whilst in the Pipe Roll for 1158-59 we
have Cardif. The modern Welsh is Caerdydd, pronounced
Caer deeth. These forms suggest the meaning ' fort, castle of
Didius.' Within the last few years it has become certain that
Cardiff stands on the site of a Roman fort ; and so this Didius
will probably be that Roman general who, in a.d. 50, fought
against the Silures, the British tribe who inhabited this region.
If this conjecture be right, Cardiff will take rank as one of the
earliest known Roman stations in the British Isles.
It is generally agreed that Wales was originally peopled by
a non-Keltic race, almost certainly pre-Aryan, and now
practically wiped out, though it has left its mark in the skulls
of many of its successors. Next, it is agreed, came the Goidels
or Gaels, Kelts pure enough. They probably spread over
nearly the whole of modern Wales, and a little farther east,
except where, near the Salop border, the Brythonic Ordovices
became firmly fixed. Their leading tribes were the Silures
in the south-east and the Demetae in the south - west.
Brythons came in successive waves after the Gaels ; and while
the Saxon was busy driving the native Briton westwards out
of England, the Brython was as busy in Wales conquering the
Gael, the conquest being aU but complete about a.d. 500.
Legend and tradition make it weU-nigh certain that the Gaels
were once in large force in Wales, and, in early historic times,
were aided against the Brythons by counter invasions of Gaels
from the south of Ireland. But, as they were completely
conquered before civilization had made any great advance,
they have left behind only a few inscriptions, rare and precious,
in South Wales, especially Caldy Island, Pembroke, in Ogam
characters. There are no such inscriptions in Mid Wales,
and only one in the north. Of clear trace in Welsh place-
names the Gael has left singularly little. It is difiicult to say
now what must be truly Goidelic. The fact — e.g., that glyn,
our Scottish glen — ^seems commoner in Glamorgan than else-
where might perhaps seem to point that way. But the fact
e.g., that we have a Clyne (modern Welsh dun, G. claon, ' a
meadow ') both in Glamorgan and in Sutherland, is hardly
convincing proof that the Welsh Clyne must be a name left
behind by the now vanished Gael. But to one interesting
INTRODUCTION 69
pair we may venture to point — Rosemarket and Rhosmarket,
both in Pembroke. Their old forms are Rossmarken and
Rosavarken, for which no explanation is forthcoming in
modern Welsh. The names must surely be the same as Rose-
markie, Fortrose (c. 1228, Rosmarkensis Episcopus), where
Dr. W. J. Watson takes the ending to be G. marcnaidh, old
genitive of marcnach, ' place of horses ' ; and so the whole name
is probably Goidelic for ' moor on which horses were kept or
stabled.'
About Rome, too, and the tramp of her many legions through
Wales, surviving place-names tell us sadly little, though Rome
most certainly was here. There are no -casters or -chesters
to be found; caer- or car- everywhere takes their place. For
early place-name material we are worse off in Wales than
anywhere else in our British Isles. In Wales — e.g., no Roman
inscriptions have yet been found, though they are found every-
where else, one or two even in Cornwall. We have already
told how that Cardiff was probably a Roman fort soon after
A.D. 50. But, as matter of fact, no Roman writer mentions
any place in Wales tiU we come to Tacitus, who, in his Life
of Agricola, c. a.d. 90, refers to Mona, the Welsh Mona or
Anglesea, not Julius Caesar's Mona, the Isle of Man; whilst
in his Annals, at least ten years later, Tacitus mentions Mona
again and also Sabrina, the River Severn. Soon after Tacitus
comes the famous Geography of Ptolemy, c. 150, who describes
all Britain in ample detail ; and yet, perhaps, the only existing
Welsh name identifiable in Ptolemy is Maridunum, which must
be Caermarthen. This last seems, indeed, to be a translation
of Maridunum, ' fort, castle by the sea.' In Welsh ' the sea '
is mor, but in G. it is muir, genitive mara ; so that this, too,
may probably be taken as a Goidelic name.
The present name we find first in Nennius, c. 800. He
spells it Cair mardin, a spelling exactly preserved in (perhaps)
its next mention, the Pipe Roll, 1158-59, whilst Giraldus,
c. 1188, has Cairmardhin, or -merdhin. In Welsh II has come
to have the soft or hissing thl sound, and so, at least since the
twelfth century, Welshmen have taken the same to mean
'fort of Merlin, 'the mighty magician of King Arthur's court.
His name in modern Welsh is Myrddin; but already by 1148
we find it in its Latin form Merlinus. One of the earliest
70 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
known instances of the Welsh II, written as thl, is in the Rolls
of Parliament, I. 463/1, not later than 1300, where we find
a very familiar name spelt Thlewelyn.^
For a few other Roman names in Wales we can tm-n to the
Itinerary or Road Book of Antonine (see p. 4). There were
plenty of Roman roads in Wales, and wherever one finds sarn
in a place-name, one may hopefully search for traces of a Roman
road. But in the Antonine Itinerary we can identify only
three known names of to-day, and there is doubt even among
these — Gobannio (certainly Abergavenny), Nid (which may
be Neath), and Leucaro, possibly Loughor, Caermarthen;
all three on the Roman highway from Uriconium (Wroxeter)
to Caermarthen. In the Ravenna Geographer, a. 700, we can
probably identify Canubio with R. Conway. That seems
to exhaust our stock for the early centuries.
The Saxon has left a much deeper mark on the surface of
Wales than his Roman predecessor, but, unfortunately for us,
not in his Chronicle nor in his charters. In the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle we find nothing in the shape of a Welsh place-name
before the Conquest, save Buttington, Montgomery, in 893,
Brecknock in 916, and Rhuddlan in 1063. We have now
mentioned all our available documentary evidence up to
Domesday; because the dates of the present text of Skene's
Four Ancient Books of Wales are far too uncertain to found
almost anything upon. To refer to Domesday now may be
to anticipate; but we may finish this survey of our meagre
data before 1100 by saying that a handful of place-names in
Flint and Denbigh are mentioned in the Conqueror's survey
of Cheshire, 1086-87 — Hawarden, e.g., also Bersham, Brough-
ton, Halkin, and Rhuddlan, here Roelent; but probably not
Bagillt, though so careful an antiquary as Mr. A. Palmer
of Wrexham confidently identifies it with Domesday's Bachelie.
This seems as phonetically impossible as Mr. Morgan's Welsh
derivation, hu- geillt. The first syllable has always been Ba-,
and seems to represent W. hack, G. heag, ' little ' ; the second
means ' hiUs ' or ' cliffs.'
Salop's Domesday contains, perhaps, no Welsh name except
Montgomery just on its border. But several names around
* But also c/. Cardeol ( = ca^r Lleol), spelling of Caklisle by Ordericus
Vitalis, c. 1145; and for an instance in 1246, see Cefn Llts.
INTEODUCTION 71
Monmouth are in the Domesday of Hereford. From 600
onwards the Welsh march or frontier was a very unfixed
quantity — has always been so, we may say, up to the present
hour. Monmouthshire, nominally in England, is still Welsh
in nearly everything but name ; whilst Hereford and Monmouth
were once called West Wales. The fluctuating frontier is well
illustrated by the fact, often referred to in recent disestablish-
ment controversies, that, at points, the jurisdiction of the
Bishops of St. Asaph and Llandaff runs right into England,
whilst something like four parishes of the See of Hereford are
in Wales. West of the River Wye Hereford names are largely
Welsh, whilst east of it they are purely Enghsh; and in that
West-of-Wye region, Welsh was largely spoken not more
than sixty years ago. On the other hand, the Saxons were
always pushing their spears into Wales, especially the redoubt-
able OSa who, before 800, finally hunted the Welsh out of
Pengwern (henceforward known as Shrewsbury), and built
the famous dyke all the way along from the mouth of the Dee
to the Wye, so making this quite an English region, even, e.g.,
a good piece of what is now Denbigh.
Thus it is only as one might expect, that English place-
names are to be found in considerable numbers over about
two-thirds of St. David's PrincipaUty, historic and ancient
place-names too. The most purely Welsh of the twelve
counties are Cardigan, Merioneth, and Caernarvon, all in the
west, where, curious to relate, in all three, perhaps the only
Old English name is the highest mountain in the land, Snowdon,
' the snow-capped hill, ' a name found as early as the Norman
chronicler, Ordericus Vitalis, who, at Lisieux, c. 1140, wrote
of Mons Snaudunus. Doubtless the name goes back to Saxon
days. The natives have their own name, Y Wyddfa,. 'the
Tomb,' or 'Tumulus.'
Almost as early in Wales as the Saxons were the Norsemen.
The hardy Norseman was always prowling about the Irish
Sea and St. George's Channel, from the beginning of the ninth
century to the end of the thirteenth; and for long there were
Norse or Danish Kings in Dublin and the Isle of Man. It
was impossible, therefore, that Wales should escape their
usually unwelcome attentions ; though, it must be added, when
once they settled down, very peaceful and industrious settlers
72 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
they did make. So far as place-names go, they have left little
mark in Wales, save among the bays and islands of Pembroke,
which are so like their own much islanded, much indented,
rocky shores. In Pembroke we have Norse footprints in abund-
ance — Caldy I., Colby, Dale, Pish-guard ( = garth or yard),
Flathokn, Gellyswick, Hakin, Haverford, Milford Haven,
Skokholm, Stack Rocks, and Tenby, with quite a number
more, which all testify to Viking visitors, though it is impossible
in almost any case to give to these a precise date.
The French-speaking, domineering Norman was in great
force along both north and south coasts, and along the border,
from the Conquest, or a year or two later, right on to the days
of Edward I., whose little son, the first Prince of Wales, was
born at Caernarvon in 1284. Both William the Conqueror
and his son Rufus personally led expeditions into Wales, the
latter no less than three, on one occasion marching as far as
Snowdon. Indeed, only the rugged north-west was left un-
touched. South, in Glamorgan, we can still decipher not a
few of the heavy footmarks of the great Sir Robert Fitzhamon,
one of the Conqueror's chief knights, who, with his leading
retainers, coined many new names for the hamlets in the Vale
of Glamorgan, because their Norman tongues could not pro-
nounce the Welsh ones. Altogether, these landlords from France
have left behind a very interesting and somewhat important
little group of place-names — e.g., the Welshman's Mon has
now an EngUsh name, Anglesea, with a French name for its
capital, Beaumaris — or Beumarish, as it is earlier spelt. The
natives called it Rhosfair, ' moor of Mary.' However, in 1293
Edward I. came hither, built a castle on the low-lying land by
the shore of the Menai Straits, that so the castle might com-
municate with the sea ; and, because of the suitability of the
site, called the place Beau marais, or 'fine, beautiful marsh !'
Mold, in Flint, is another remarkable Norman name, well
disguised. The Kelts termed it Gwyddgrug, ' conspicuous
mount, ' from the great heap still to be seen near the chief road.
The Normans translated this into Mont halt (mod. Fr. haut),
'high mount '; and we find Roger de Monalto here in 1244.
Mont hault, with a transition stage in Moalt, has now been
squeezed down into Mold, just as Mowbray was originally
Munbrai.
INTEODUCTION 73
As interesting is the name Montgomery. A border castle
was built at this place just after the Conquest, by one Baldwin;
hence its present Welsh name Trefaldwyn, ' Baldwin's house.'
The castle was soon captured by Roger de Montgomery, who
had been made Earl of Shrewsbury in 1071; and ever since the
spot has borne his name. We find it in a Latin form in
Orderic, c. 1145, Mons Gomerici, ' hill of Gomeric,' which must
have been the name of somebody in Normandy, now lost in
oblivion. Already in Domesday, its first mention, the name
is spelt not only Montgomeri, but also Muntgumeri, which,
shows how early o was slurred into u.^ Of pure French is
Beau Pre 2 or ' Fine Meadow ' House, in Glamorgan, on the site
of another Norman castle, whilst Fleur de Lys is just across
the border in Monmouth. Beaufort, Brecon, seems to be
modern; but Hay near by is true Norman (Fr. haie, ' a hedge ').
We have already heard (p. 65) that names in Capel must be
Norman too ; and there are at least ten chapel sites in Wales
with this name, Capel Curig, Capel Saron, etc.
When we come to examine the true Welsh names as a whole,
as we now have them, we find, as we should expect, that the
river-names are all Keltic, or else pre-Keltic. Many of the
former, as well as of the latter, are difficult to interpret, how-
ever early we get their forms. The subject still requires much
investigation, and as yet clearly pre-Keltic names seem few.
Some river names are easy enough, like Use, which goes so
readily with Axe and Exe. Indeed, a good many are names
common to both England and Wales, and have already been
treated — Dee, e.g., and Wye, and Avon (Glam.), where also
we find the parallel form Aman, just as we have in Gaelic both
abhuinn and amhuinn, the latter seen in such a Scottish name
as Cramond, originally Caer Amond. The River Amman,
Caermarthen, though spelt with two m's, is more likely to be
the same word than to come from ami ; whilst the River
Co]srwAY goes with Wye, being W. con gwy {con, ' together '),
i.e., 'chief stream.' Cynon may be similar, q.v. Before we
go farther, it ought to be noted that the Severn, biggest and
* In Norman Frencli o regularly becomes u, especially before a nasal.
2 It may be added here that the Beaurepair, ' lovely haunt,' and
Belper of England reappear in Keltic Cornwall as Barrepper, Borripper
or Brepper.
6
74 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
earliest recorded river of all, is probably now insoluble. The
native Welsh name is Hafren, which the Romans turned into
Sabrina and the Saxons into Saefren — quite according to rule ;
as, in like manner, the Greek e^ and eTrrd are the Latin sex
and septem, our six and seven.
We have also in Wales, as in England, a good many Keltic
names, as well as Avon, which mean simply ' water ' or ' river '
— e.g., Dovey, W. dwfr, seen again in the Derbyshire Dove;
whilst a common river ending is -on, which also means nothing
but ' stream, ' as in Aeron, Cynon, and Avon itself ; also in
Scottish rivers Uke the Carron, and French ones like the
Gar-onne; L. Garumna, where the -imina is clearly the
G. amhuinn and L. amnis — or, rather, a root akin thereto.
The old Keltic deities were largely local or identified with
places. Thus we are not surprised to note that a good many
Welsh rivers, in the view of scholars like Sir Edward Anwyl,
show in their names survivals of river- worship — e.g., Dwy ffor
and Dwy £fach, which, says Anwyl, mean ' great ' and ' little
goddess, ' whilst the Merioneth Dyfi probably means ' goddess '
alone. The goddess of war may be commemorated in the
Aeron, and the god of the metal-workers or smiths in Gavenny
(where -j = gwy, 'river'). Yet another god seems to be
buried, or should we not rather say drowned, in the River
Ltjgg.
The River Tawe is probably the same root as the Enghsh
Thame and Thames, only aspirated, all meaning ' smooth,
quiet.' Tawy may be the same; but the Towey must be
another root, implying ' to spread out ' ; and the Cardigan
Tivy may have the same notion hid within it. The derivations
of many of the Welsh streams given by Mr. Morgan are pure
guess-work. Everything here needs careful sifting by a good
Keltic philologist.
The Welsh mountain names are aU Keltic too, with the one
notable exception of Snowdon. Some of these mountain names
hide quite a story, if only we could draw it out — Cader Idris,
e.g., 'the chair ' of 'seat of Idris,' who is said to have been
a Welsh hero and a great astronomer. Unfortunately, for
early forms or spellings of these mountain names, our best
and earliest authorities almost entirely fail us ; we mean Liber
Landaviae or the Book of Llandaff, c. 1130, and the bulky
INTKODUCTION 75
works of Giraldus Cambrensis, the famous Pembrokeshire
Norman, c. 1180-1200.
But when we turn to counties and coastline we find a quite
different state of matters. It is somewhat remarkable that
five out of the twelve Welsh counties now bear non-Welsh
names. First there is Anglesea, usually interpreted as
Old English for 'the Isle of the Angles,' a name which goes
back to the Norman Conquest. But Mr. W. H. Stevenson
prefers to derive from O.N. Ongulsey, ' island of the fjord '
(the Menai Straits); the Welsh always call it Ynys Fon — i.e.,
their Isle of Man. Then comes Denbigh, a name over which
much nonsense has been talked, largely because, from its
earliest mention (? c. 1 350), the name is always found in its
Welsh spelling, Dinbych, Dynbiegh, or the like, with a final
guttural. Dinbych would literally mean ' hiU of the wretched
being '; while Mr. Morgan holds out for din bach, ' little hiU,'
which it certainly is. But Din bach it is never called; and
there can hardly be any doubt that the English pronunciation
gives the true name. Den-by, 'Danes' dwelling.' The ending
-by is one of the commonest in Great Britain, whilst Dane has
become Den- just as in Den-mark, The name is thus identical
with Tenby at the opposite corner of Wales ; d and t continually
interchange in Welsh names. Next is Flint, also debated;
but it must be the English flint, and be called from some rocky
peculiarity about the town or county, even though what we
technically term ' flint ' does not seem at aU common here.
The fourth is Montgomery, already dwelt upon; as a
county name unique in either Wales or England, being called
after a Norman. Lastly, there is Radnor, as plainly English
as Flint, though few people seem clear about it. Mr. Morgan
' teUs us, the shire's name was given to it in the reign of
Henry VIII., and that it means 'red district.' The fact is,
the name, though not the shire, is as old as Domesday, and is
the Old English Radan ora, probably meaning, ' at the edge
of the road,' presumably the Roman road which ran from
Wroxeter south to Abergavenny and Caerleon. The native
Welsh name is Maesyf ed or -hyf ed, probably for maes hyfaidd,
' field of the dauntless one.'
As to the seven other counties with pure Welsh names, it is
notable that no less than five commemorate a national hero —
76 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
Brechyn, Ceredig, Merlin, Merion, Morgan. This is greatly
different from the practice of the Scottish Kelt, who rarely
puts either himseK or any other human being into his place-
names. The two exceptions among the seven are Pembroke,
which is corrupt Welsh for ' head of the sea-land ' ; as Giraldus
has it, ' Pembrochia caput maritimae sonat ' ; and then
CAEENARVOisr, ' f ort opposite Mon ' or Anglesea. There is
another Carnarvon in Cumberland, with the same meaning.
Only in this case the Mon (aspirated Fon, pron.. Von) is our
Isle of Man.
The Welsh have been allowed even less say in naming their
own coastline than in naming their counties. A study of the
map shows that, except round Cardigan Bay, it is the Norse-
man or the Saxon who has named all the headlands of impor-
tance. Beginning at the north-east corner and going round,
we find — e.g., Point of Ayre, Great Orme's Head, Strumble
Head, St. David's Head, Hook Point, St. Gowan's Head, Scar
Point, Nash Point, Oldcastle Head, the Nose and Worm's Head
{Worm being another form of Orme, ' the Snake '). The
common or map names of the islands are almost all Teutonic,
too, though, of course, the Welsh have names of their own —
Anglesea, Holy Island, Skerries, South Stack, Puffin Island,
Bardsey, Ramsey, Skomer, Skokholm, Grassholm, Caldy, etc.;
where, of course, the endings -y, -ey, and -hohn are aU Norse
for 'island,' in its English form -ea. The bays, too, are very
largely English Even in very Welsh Anglesea we have a
Church Bay and a Redwharf Bay, whilst farther south we
have Fishguard Bay, Milford (' sandy fjord ') Haven, Oxwich,
and Swansea Bays.
Examination of Welsh town and hamlet names reveals
several curious and interesting things. The Kelt has always
been a devout man, and it is only what one would look for to
find that the Church has had a large say in Welsh nomen-
clature. Of churches called after the Virgin Mary alone
(Llanfair, etc.) we have about 150. Of course, by far the
commonest prefix here is llan, ' a church, ' originally ' an
enclosed bit of land,' found once in Scotland in Lhanbryde,
'church of St. Bride.' The Postal Guide registers less than
half the total, and of its 221 Uans, four are in Hereford. Crock-
ford's Clerical Directory enumerates about 465 in all, to which
INTRODUCTION 77
must be added Lampeter, ' St. Peter's church,' and Lamphey,
formerly Llandyf ei, and so, not as commonly thought, ' church
of faith,' but 'church of St. Tyfai.' Crockford also gives ten
places named Capel and sixteen named Bettws, to which we
shall return. But meantime we feel compelled to decline
discussing the patron saints of Welsh churches. It would be
an endless task, a very perplexing one too. There are so many
saints of the same name, whilst about so many exceedingly
little is known. It only remains to add, that the student
who wishes to know more of British hagiology, and to assure
himself who is the saint referred to in Bettws Cedewen,
Bettws Garmon, etc., or in any of the 460 Hans, will do
weU to consult Smith's well-known Dictionary of Christian
Biography, where he will find practically all that is really
known, set forth in compact form. Only, of course, the
student always needs to be on the outlook for spurious saints
like St. Ishmael's, or saints in disguise, like Tyfai, who lies
buried in the afore-mentioned name Lamphey.
We cannot but note, however, that modern Nonconformity
has had a share in the naming of villages, which makes a fair
second to that of the ancient Catholic Church. In the most
Welsh of shires we find a number of hamlets now styled
Bethesda or Beulah, Hebron, Nazareth, or Pisgah, after some
popular Baptist or Methodist chapel in their midst. It is
rather humiliating to add that the public-house comes close
on the heels of the Nonconformist chapel in its effect on Welsh
place-names, and, little as one would expect it, has had more
say in Wales than in any other part of Britain. Tavern Spite
marks the site of an inn reared on the ruins of a hospice for
pilgrims to the shrine of St. David's. Spite, W. ysbytty, is
a compound of the L. hospis, -itis, 'a guest,' and W. ty, 'a
house.' This is unobjectionable; but names like the Three
Cocks, Brecon ; Stay Little, Montgomery ; and Tumble, from a
TumbledownDick, in Caermarthen, do not sound very dignified.
But, as we prom'sed, we are not yet done with the Church.
In addition to all the Llans, there are at least two or three
Capels, or Chapels, in almost every shire — Capel Garmon, from
the much commemorated St. Germanus, and the like. We
need not again comment further on this Norman prefix. But
to many a reader it will be a surprise that the familiar W.
78 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
bettws is a purely English word with a Welsh frock on. ' We
come now to Bettws — that is, a warm, comfortable place.'
So the word means in Welsh, or else simply ' a house, a place
of shelter.' But though Mr. Morgan mentions ten different
suggested derivations, there can be little doubt that bettws is
nothing other than the EngHsh bead-house, O.E. bedhus, ' a
prayer-house.'^ Phonetically this exactly suits the case. In
English a ' bead-house ' came to mean an almshouse, whose
inmates prayed for the repose of the soul of its founder. But
in Welsh a bettws seems to have been a prayer-house erected
on one of the great pilgrim highways for the use of devout and
weary pilgrims. It is scarcely questioned that Bettws y Coed,
and all places of like name, date from after — indeed, probably
a good deal after — the Norman Conquest. Dyserth in Flint,
like Dysart in Fife, is the L. desertum, 'a desert,' then 'a hermit's
cell,' and then, like Bettws, 'a pilgrim house.'
As with the headlands and islands, so also the chief sea towns
have been named by Norse or English lips (except Cardiff)
— Swansea, e.g., and Newport, Milford, Fishguard, and Holy-
head. Because of its present pronunciation, some have thought
that this last must be Holly head ; but it is found as ' Le holy
hede ' before 1490. The Welsh call it Caergybi, in honour of
Gybi or Cybi, a British saint who, after visiting Gaul and
opposing Arianism, returned c. 380, to found a monastery on
this remote isle. Even a number of the favourite watering-
places are non- Welsh in name: Tenby, e.g., and Oystermouth
or Mumbles, and the Cardigan New Quay, which, like its Cornish
namesake, and like Port Madoc, is quite a modem affair. We
must add Barmouth, reaUy a corruption of Aber Mawddach,
' at the mouth of the Mawddy,' or ' the broad, expanding river.
But by the sailors it was deliberately changed to its English
form in 1786, that they might have an English name to mark
upon their vessels. Aber-, by the way, is a very common
prefix in Wales. It was much used by the Brythons and also
by the Scottish Picts. But its Goidelic equivalent Inver-, so
common all over Scotland, and not rare in Ireland, is never
found in Wales. The Postal Guide mentions forty-four Abers-
in Wales and Monmouth.
* Possibly Corn, botus, ' a parish,' may be the same word; see Botus-
FLEMING.
INTKODUCTION 79
There are, as we have noted, perhaps no original Roman
names left, but there are two Welsh abbeys still with names
in medieval Latin — VaUe Crucis, ' the Valley of the Cross,' and
Strata Florida, 'the Flowery Way,' in Cardigan, called the
Westminster Abbey of medieval Wales. The county for non-
Welsh names is Pembroke, where the town and village names
run about half and half. A rough calculation of the names
of any consequence gives about seventy Welsh and seventy non-
Welsh. Many of these last are known to be due to the batch
of Flemings whom Henry I. imported from the Netherlands
in 1111, and whom he settled here to help to cow the native
Welsh, who could ill brook the iron-handed Norman in their
midst. Johnston, Reynoldstown and Rogeston, are cases in
point. William Rufus had planted a like colony in Gower in
1099 ; but Freeman thought these must have been Wessex men
brought over from Somerset. All place-name study is full of
pitfalls and snares, and Wales is no exception. The student
therefore must always be on his guard against names which
are not what they seem. There are many real English names
on Welsh ground, but not a few masqueraders too, like Valley
in Anglesea, which is reaUy the Welsh maelle, ' place of trade,'
with the often aspirated m; whilst Watford, Glamorgan, seems
to be a corruption of the Welsh Y Bodffordd, ' the house by
the road.'
Of aU the real Old English names in Wales not yet descanted
upon, perhaps the most important — anyhow, the most per-
plexing — is Wrexham, now in Denbigh, but in Saxon days
a frontier town of the kingdom of Mercia. We have seen
nowhere an accurate account of this name ; and we have found
that even prominent and highly educated dweUers in Wrexham
believe its name to be Welsh, because it has a so-caUed Welsh
name, Gwrecsam, for which some extraordinary explanations
have been given. But Gwrecsam is an obvious corruption of
the English name, which, in its early spellings, is a little puzzling.
It occurs first in the Pipe Roll for 1160-61 as Wristlesham.
The St at once betrays the pen of a Norman scribe. These
men, as we already know (see p. 26), detested gutturals, and
practically never wrote them down. When we hunt in Searle's
monumental Onomasticon Anglo- Saxonicum for a name likely
to be represented by Wristles-ham, we find only one, Wrytsleof ,
80 THE PLACE-NAMES OP ENGLAND AND WALES
' dux,' at Crediton in 1026. Wryt- will be for Wryht-, and in
aU probability the original name is ' Wryhtsleof's home.' The
next recorded spelling is in 1222, in the charter of Madoc ap
Griiffydd — Wrecheosam; in 1236 it is Wreccesham or Wrette-
sham; whilst in 1316-17 is given as Wrightlesham, by far
the nearest approximation to the original form. Beaumont
and Fletcher, as is well known, clipped it down to Rixum.
CHAPTER IX
PHONETIC NOTES ON THE ALPHABET AND ITS MUTATIONS
IN ENGLISH PLACE-NAMES
a tends to become se, or reversely — Abba, ^Ebba; Alfred,
iElfred, etc. The -an of the masculine O.E. genitive often
becomes -ing — ^Ebbandune, now Abingdon; Aldantmi,
now Aldington, etc. We see a reverse process in ^Ifre-
dinctmi now Alfreton. Medial eo in classic O.E. regularly
becomes a in Mod.E. — Haekstead, ' place of Heorc,' etc.
h may become its fellow labial p ; but rarely — Abetone is now
Apeton, Ebbasham is now Epsom. It also intrudes itself
like p, but much more rarely — Gamesf ord is now Cambles-
f orth, Gamelesbi is Gamblesby, Ghemeling is GembUng, etc.
c in Danish regions generally remains hard, but elsewhere
tends to soften into ch; cf. -caster, -cester, -Chester. Some-
times, though rarely, c softens into s; cf. Braceborough,
and Shad well, thought to be ' Chad's well,' whilst already
in 1236 we have Ceffton for Sefton.
d interchanges sometimes with its fellow dental t — BeUord is,
c. 1175, Belifort. It even sHdes on into -th; many of the
northern -fords are now -forths. It is one of the letters
which frequently insert themselves, as in Bewdley for
Beaulieu, Brindle for Brinhill, Windrush for Wenrisc, etc.
e in M.E. may appear almost anywhere. It is often a worn-
down a as in Essebi for Ashby, or represents some other
almost lost inflexion; but very often, as an ending, it has
no significance.
/ in Welsh sounds v — Afon is Avon, etc. ; ff sounds /, though
often the modern final -ff is no true /, as in Cardiff,
Llandaff, etc.
g in Welsh freely interchanges with c — Gaerwen for Caerwen,
etc. Sometimes it does so in Teutonic names too —
Gisburn is, 1197, Kiseburn, etc. Initial g tends to drop
81
82 THE PLACE-NAMES OF ENGLAND AND WALES
away, leaving I or Y, as in Ipswich, the old Gippeswic,
Great Yarmouth, once Gememuth, etc.
h is an elusive aspirate, which freely prefixes itself all over —
Abbertune is now Habton, Yorks; Addingham was once
also Hatyngham; whilst Aldermaston is found spelt
Heldremanestuna.
i and j are rare initials in old names. These will generally be
found under g.
k. In O.E. we only have c, in O.N. only h. Dom. rarely has
k except in Suffolk, and, more rarely, in Norfolk.
I. This liquid is always disappearing; indeed, the liquids
I, m, n, r, above aU other letters, need watching. Aid-
worth by 1225 has become Audeworth, and Alnwick, by
c. 1175, Audnewic (Norman speUing), whilst to-day it is
pronounced Annick. I is also constantly appearing where
it has no right to be, as in Islington, Scagglethorpe,
Walney, etc., or as in Hartlepool for 'hart's pool.' We
even get Harlington for an orignal Herdington. The I
may not seldom be replaced by its sister r, as in Abberley
for ' Eadbeald's' lea ' ; Barnacle for Bamhangre shows
the reverse process ; whilst it is the liquid n instead of r
in Ecchinswell for Eccleswell, and in Dromonby.
II is a peculiarly Welsh combination. Its soft thl sound was
reached soon after 1200. The first instance we have
noted is in the Patent' Boll for 1246 — Keventhles, now
Cefn Llys, Radnor. About fifty years later comes Bolls
Parliament,!. 463, l,where we have Thlewelyn for Llewelyn.
But up to at least Giraldus, c. 1200, there is no trace of
this. In him we always get Ian, e.g., and no trace of llan.
We find c. 1620 the interesting form Flanteclex for
Llanteglos, with which compare Fletherhill.
m and n, being closely kindred liquids, tend to interchange,
as in several cases of Dmn- for Dun-.
n is specially liquid, and tends to vanish. See Alnemouth,
now Alemouth, Quarrington, etc. It may also interchange
with any of the other liquids. See Allerdale for Allendale,
Holsingoure, now Hunsingore; Hildrewelle, now Hinder-
weU; and Baltersbergh, now Baltonsborough. As curious
a case as any is the name now Rickmansworth, originally
' Ricmser's worth.'
p. As already said, p interchanges with b, but rarely. Per-
INTRODUCTION 83
hape in no sure case in aber-, though in old spellings in
Scotland we do certainly find apor-. Cf. Dom. Ypestan
now Ibstone. The letter 39 is a common intruder; see
Bampton, Hampton, etc.
qu as in old Scots is =wh, as Whaplode, old Quappelode;
Wheldale, old Queldale; Whenby, old Quennebi; etc.
r. See already under the other liquids I and n. Of course, it
often disappears, as in ' fine English ' pronunciation to-day
— Abbey Dore is really Aberdore, Heigham Potter should
be H. Porter, and Mary-le-bone is properly Mary-le-
bourne. It can intrude itself too, as in Bajbdon", Ulver-
STONE, etc.; whilst Derrington, Staffs, was regularly
Doddington, or the like, up to 1318. Note that re in
old spellings is always sounded er. This often helps to
unravel a knot.
s. The O.E. scr, of course, becomes sh-, as in Shalcombe,
Shalfleet, Shanklin, etc. More rarely sh- may be fr. O.N.
sh-, as perhaps in Shap and Sheerness. This sk- usually
remains hard. The plural 5 or es is often modern. Gj.
Coates, Mumbles, Staithes, etc.
th, as we know, is almost always (Z as a final in Dom. We
find the same change in modern names too, as in Cottered,
where -red stands for -rith, 'stream.' Initially th is
sometimes a mere Norman superfluity, as in Thames,
whilst the Th in Thanet is also quite late. Dom. usually
writes initial Th as T. Th- also makes a singular and
remarkable change into /, as in Fenglesham, Deal, which
was in 831 Thenglesham, Felbridge, old Thelbrig, and,
conversely, Dom. Freschefelt is now Threshfield, Yorks.
«; is a genuine element in very few English names.
y is usually for O.E. ge- or g, as in Yarmouth, Norfolk, for
Gernemuth, Yardley for Gyrdleahe, Yarnfield for Gearn-
feld, Yatesbury from a man Geat, etc. But Dom. often
has nothing to show for the y sound, as in Yarlett, Dom.
Erlid, and Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, Dom. Ermu.
z is South- West English for 5. Zoy, e.g., is Soweie, ' sow
island,' etc. In Dom. it often replaces 5 — Cranzvic for
Cranswick, Branzbi for Brandsby, etc. In Ginge, Berks
Dom. has Gainz, ' where z has the sound of ts or dz, and
only approximately represents the English sound of a
palatalised g (like modern English j).' — Skeat.
EXPLANATORY LIST OF
THE CHIEF PLACE-NAMES
OF ENGLAND AND WALES
a., ante, before.
Alii. Itin., The Antonino
Itinerary.
B.C.S., Birch, Oartulari-
um Saxonicum.
c. , circa, about.
cf., compare.
chart., charter, usually in
B.G.S,, which is ar-
ranged chronologically.
cny., century.
corrup., corruption.
dat., dative.
dial., dialect.
Dom., Domesday Book.
Flor. W., Florence of
Worcester.
fr., from.
gen., genitive.
Gir, Camb.y Giraldus Cam-
brensis.
ABBREVIATIONS
G., Gaelic.
ih., the same.
K.G.D., Kenible, Codex
Diplomaticus.
L., Latin.
loc, locative.
mod., modern.
N., Norse.
Nor., Norman.
O.E., Old English or
Anglo-Saxon.
O.N., Old Norse or Ice-
landic.
O.W., Old Welsh.
Onom., Searle's Oiwmasti-
con Anglo -Saxoni-
cum.
orig., originally.
Oxf. Diet., A New English
Dictionary, Oxford,
edited by Sir J. A. H.
Murray, etc.
P.G., Postal Guide.
perh., perhaps.
Pipe, Rolls of the Great
Pipe.
prob., probably.
pron., pronunciation.
quot., quotation.
R, Rolls.
K Glouc., Robert of Glou-
cester.
Sc, Scottish, or, see Place-
Names of Scotland.
syll., syllable.
v.r., various reading.
var., variant.
W., Welsh.
W. and H., Wyld and
Hirst, Place-Names of
LatieasMre.
2-4, or such-like figui-es before an English word denote the centuries in which it is so
spelt; e.g., 3-7 nelde means that needle is found so spelt from the thirteenth to
seventeenth centuries.
Abbeeley (Stourport). Dom. Edboldlege, c. 1200 Albo(l)de8leye,
1275 Albedeleye. Gf. c. 1350 chart. Aberleye, prob. Linos.
' Meadow of Eadbeald ' or ' Mdhold,'' a very common O.E. name.
See how one liquid, I, glides into another, r! Cf. next and
Abram, also Ablington, Bibury, c. 855 chart. Eadbaldingtune.
See -ley.
Abberton (Pershore and Colchester). Pe. A. 969 chart. Ead-
brigtincgtune, Dom. Edbritone, 1275 Edbriston {si. Norman),
1538 Abnrton. ' Dwelling of (the sons of) Eadbriht ' or ' Ead-
heorht.^ Cf. Abberley, and Dom. Salop, Etbretone, and Ebring-
ton (Glouc), Dom. Bristentune, c. 1300 Ebricton. But Co. A. is
Dom. Eadburghetun, ' dwelling of (the woman) Eadburga.'
Cf. Aberford. See -ing and -ton.
Abbey Dore (Pontrilas). Corrup. of Aher Dore, ' place at the
confluence of R. Dore ' and Monnow; W. aher, O.G. aher, abher,
ahir, ' confluence.' The other places in Abbey denote a former
abbey — e.g., Abbey Hulton (Burslem), or ' Hill town,' where a
Cistercian abbey was built in 1223.
Abbots Bromley (Rugeley). 1004 Bromleag, -lege, Dom. Brun-
lege, c. 1400 Bromley Abbatis, Abbottes Bromley. It belonged
to Burton Abbey. See Bromley.
87
ABBOTSBUEY 88 ABEEBEEG
Abbotsbury (Dorset), Dom. Abbodesberie, 1155 Abbedesberi,
c. 1180 Bened. Peterh. Abbotesbiria. ' Burgh, of the abbot,'
O.E. abhod. Cf. 1167-68 Pipe Glostr., Abotestun. A Bene-
dictine abbey was founded here in 1044 by the steward of K.
Cnut. See -bury.
Abbot's Kerswell (Newton Abbot). Dom. Carsewelle, -svelle,
1158-59 Pipe Cari?ewell. 'Watercress well,' O.E. ccerse, cerse,
now ' cress,' Sw. kaise. Cf. Cresswei.l and Keresley. For
the Abbot see Newton Abbot; also cf. 940 chart., Abbodes
wyll, Wilts.
Abbots Langley (Herts). ' Abbot's long meadow,' O.E. lang
leak. Close by is King's Langley.
Abbotsley (Hunts). 1225 Alboldesley, c. 1256 Abboldesley, 1340
Abbodesley. ' EaldbeaWs, ' or ' AlhoW^ meadow.' Fine lesson
in caution, and in the liquidity of I. See -ley.
Abbots Ripton (Hunts). 960 chart Riptone. Prob. not ' harvest
village,' O.E. rip, 'harvest, reaping'; but, ' village of Bippa.'
Cf. K.C.D. 1361, Rippanleah (now Ripley, Woking), andREPTON.
Abbotts Ann (Andover). Dom. Anne. It is on the R. Anton, of
which Ann seems to be a contraction ; though there is no early
record of the form Anton ; and Anne may be a contraction of
W. afon, ' river.' See Introd., p. 11, and Andover.
Aber (N. Wales). In W. Aber -gwyngTegyn. W. aher, 'con-
fluence,' or ' place at the mouth of ' (here) a beautiful glen.
Nennius speaks of an Oper linn liuan where the Llivan, a tribu-
tary, joins the Severn; and Irish Nennius speaks of an Operuisc,
now Caerleon. Cf. Aber (Sc.) at mouth of R. Endrick. Aber in
G. is often pron. obair ; in O.G. it is also apor, Gwyn gregyn
is W. for ' of the white shells,' sing, cragen.
Aberaman (Aberdare). ' Confluence of the R. Cynon with R.
Aman,^ which is prob. an unaspirated var. of afon, ' river.' Cf.
R. Almond (Sc.) and G. amhuinn, 'river.' There is also a R.
Amman, Carmthn.
Aberangell (Dinas Mawddy). W. angel, 'an angel'; and see
Aber.
Aberarth (Aberystwith). 'Confluence at the height'; W. and
Corn. arth.
Abebayron (Cardigan) . ' At the mouth of R . Ayron .' See Aeron .
Aberbargoed (Rhymney). ' Confluence of the R. Rhymney with
R. Bargoed.' This last, the P.G. spelling, should be W. bar
coed, ' height with the wood ' ; but the more correct spelling
seems to be Bargod, which means ' a march, a boundary.'
Aberbeeg (Pontjrpool). ? ' Little confluence ' ; O.W. becc, W. bach,
G. beag, ' little.'
ABERBRAN 89 ABERGAVENNY
Abeebran (Brecon). On Bran see Brancaster, In W., Ir., and
O.G. bran is ' a crow.'
Abercanaid (Merthyr). 'At the mouth of the Canaid,' a rivulet
here; W. cannaid, ' white, gleaming.*
Abercarn (Newport, Mon,). ' Confluence at the cairn or mound ';
W., O.Ir., and G., cam.
Aberconway (N.Wales), c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Aberkonewe, -coneu;
1295 Aberconewey. See Aber and Conway.
Abercrave (Neath). ' Confluence of R. Tawy with the brook
Craf ' ; fr. W. craf (f pron. v), ' claws, talons ' ; crafu, ' to scratch
or tear up,' referring to the action of the stream.
Aberdare. ' Confluence of the R. Cynon with R. Dar ' ; Cynon
may mean * chief brook,' whilst Dar is prob. W. dar, ' an oak.'
Aberdaron (Pwllheli). ' At the mouth of the R. Daron,' which
is said to mean 'noisy river ' ; the ending -on may quite well
stand for ' river,' as in Carron (Sc), Garonne, etc., and as in
Cynon, see above.
Aberdulais (Neath). 'Confluence of the dark, black stream';
W. du glais. Cf. Douglas and Dowlais.
Aberedw (Builth). ' Confluence of the R. Edwy,'' of which the
Ed- may be fr. W. eddu, ' to press on, to go,' whilst the -wy is =
Wye or ' river.'
Abererch (Pwllheli). 'Confluence of R. Erch'; W. erch, 'dun-
coloured, dark.'
Aberefan (Merthyr). ' Confluence of the brook Fan,,'' with R.
Taff. Said to be fr. AV. Ian, ' high.'
Aberferaw (W. of Anglesea). a. 1196 Gir. Garni). Aberfrau, 1232
Close R. Abbefrau, c. 1350 Aber(i)frowo. Ffraw is thought by
H. Bradley to represent an orig. Frama, later From (name of
R. Frome in O.E. Chron. 998), which would develop on Brit,
lips to Frauv, and later to Ffraw. The earliest recorded form
of R. Frome actually is Fraau (O.E. Chron. 875). Meaning
doubtful; some think it means ' agitated, active, swift ' river.
Aberford (Leeds), a. 1200 Pipe ^Edburgforth, .^dburford
Nothing to do with W. aber, ' confluence ' ; but * ford of ' (the
lady) 'Eadburh,' gen. -burge, as in Abbbrton (Essex). See -ford.
Abergavenny, c. 380 Anton. Itin. Goban(n)io, a. 1196 Gir,
Camb. Abergavenni, -gevenni, c. 1200 Gervase Bergevene, 1281
" and often later, Bergeveny, 1610 Holland Aber- Grevenny. Local
pron. Aber-venny. In W. Abergefni or Y Fenni. ' Confluence
of the Gavenny ' and Usk. Gobann is gen. of goibniu, ' a
smith,' in Ir. a proper name= Smith and Govan (Sc.) and Gowan,
In late W. legend Gofannon is patron god of metal-workers.
The a- in aber- is rarely lost, as in many old forms here; but
c/. Barmoxjth, Berriew, etc.
7
ABEEGELE 90 ABINGDON
Abergele (N. Wales). Pron. -gayly. Perh. c. 1350 chart. Aber-
gelon. 'At the mouth of the R. Gele'; prob. W. gele, 'a
leech ' ; leeches used to be common in the estuary here.
Abeegwili (Carmarthen). Gwili is a river name. Here it is prob.
the same root as R. Wiley. Some derive fr. W. gwyllt,
'wild.'
Abeegwynfi (Bridgend, Glam.). ' Confluence of the brook
Gwynfi'; Thos. Morgan says Gwynfai means 'blessed plain';
W. gwyn ffau would mean ' clear cave.' The writer cannot learn
if there is one here.
Abergwynolwyn (Towyn). 'Confluence of the white swaUow;'
W. gwinnol qwyn. But the name seems better spelt Aber-
gwernolwy(n). The river here is the Gwernol, W. for ' swampy,
boggy.'
Abeekenpig (Bridgend, Glam.). ' Confluence at Kenfig Hill.'
Abeellefni (Merioneth). The -llefni is very doubtful. W.
llefnau means ' ruins ' ; some think of W. llech feini, ' slate
stones.' Thos. Morgan inclines to the form Llwyfeni, as the
name is spelt by I fan Tew ; this means ' elm-trees,' still found
on the bank of the river. Cf. Leven (So.) and Aberllynfi, 1233
Close R. Abberlewin, Abreleniiith.
Abeelledstiog (Anglesea). c. 1205 Brut re ann. 1096, Aberlleiniawc.
' Confluence of the Lleiniog,' a mere brook. The name seems
connected with W. lleinio, ' to blade,' lleiniad, ' a putting forth
of blades/ fr. llafn, ' a blade.'
Aberpoeth (Cardigan). W. dber porth, ' confluence at the har-
bour.' Cf. Langpoet.
Abeesyghan (Pontypool). ' Confluence of the Sychan,'' which may
mean, a brook that runs dry in summer; fr. W. sych, ' dry ';
sychin, ' drought.'
Abeeteivi (Cardigansh.) Sic a. 1196 Gif. Camb. ; he also has
Aberteini, -theini (? mistakes, n for u) ; also Abertewi (? the
same place). See Tivy.
Abertillery (Pontypool). ' Confluence of the R. Tillery,^ perh.
a pre-Keltic name. To derive fr. a reputed ty O^Leary, or
' O'Leary's house,' seems ridiculous; nor is it likely to be fr.
O.W. twyllawr, -Iwr, ' a cheat, a deceiver.'
Aberystwith. c. 1196 Gir. Camb. Aberescud; 1461 Lib.Pluscard.
Abirhust Wiche -a bad shot by an ignorant scribe. W. ystwyth
is ' pliant, flexible,' a likely name for a river. But -escud sug-
gests W. ysgwd, ' a thrusting forward,' or ysgod, ' a shadow,' or
ysgoad, ' a starting aside.'
Abengdon. Sic c. 1540; 699 chart. Abbendune; 1051 O.E. Chron.
Abbandune, ^Ebbandune; c. 1180 Benedict Peterb. Abbendonia;
ABINGER 91 ACKLAM
c. 1377 Piers PI. Abyndoun. O.E. JElhan dun, * Ebba's hill '
or * fort.' Ahha or Mliha is a common Wessex name. In Yorks
the Abbetune of Dom. has become Habton. See -don.
Abinger Common and Hammer (Dorking). Pron. Abenjer, c/.
BiEMiNGHAM. Old Abingworth, Abingerth. O.E. Ahban worth,
' Abba's farm,' rather than ' Abba's yard ' or ' garth,' O.E.
geafd. See Hammer. Dom. Surrey has only Abincebomo.
See -bourne and -ing and -worth.
Abington (Cambridge and ISTorthants). Cam. A. Dom. Abintone,
1302 Abyntone. Nor. A. chart. Abintone. O.E. Abban tun,
* village of Abba.' ABEisrGTOiir (Sc.) is 1459 Albintoune.
Ab-Kettleby (Melton Mow.). Dom. Chetelbi, c. 1350 chart.
Abbekettelby. The Dom. form is simple — ' dwelling of Cetel '
or ' Kettel,^ a common O.E. name. The Ab- is difficult; perh.
the name intended is ASlfcytel, a fairly common one, of which a
var. Mlbcytel occurs. There is also a name Aba, seen prob. in
' Abegrave ' in Dom. of this same shire. Cf. ' Abblinton,' Lines,
in Boll Rich. I., and Abload, Glouc, 1189 Pipe Abbelada;
also Kettleburgh. See -by.
Abram (Wigan). 1190-1322 Adburgham, 1212 Edburgham, 1372-
1481 Abraham. .' Home of Eadburh ' or ' Eadburga,' a common
O.E. woman's name. Of course the later forma have been
modified through supposed connection with Abraham. ' Cf.
Abberton, Babraham, and Wilbraham.
Aby (Alford). Dom. Abi. 'Dwelling, village on the stream';
O.N. d-bi. Cf. Abridge, Romford, and 1166-67 Pipe, Hants,
Abrigge, Hamonis; only in this last the A- will be O.E. ed,
' river.' See -by.
Acaster Malbis (York), and A. Selby. Both in Dom. Acastra,
-stre, also 'Acastra, other Acastre'; 1166-67 Pipe Acastra.
Prob. N. d-caster, ' camp, fort by the stream.' See -caster.
The Malbysse family dwelt at A. Malbis for some centuries after
the Conquest. It is on R. Ouse.
AccRiNGTON. 1258 Akerynton, 1277 Acrinton, a. 1300 Alkerington,
Akerington, c. 1350 Alcrynton; cf. Dom. Worcr. Alcrintun.
This seems to be * town, village of Ealhhere ' ; also spelt
Alcher and Ahhere, or, of his descendants. The name, is very
common in O.E. See -ing and -ton.
AcKLAM (York). Dom. Aclun, 1202 Aclum, 1528 Acclame, 1530
Acclome. A little puzzling. Said by some to be an old loc.
of O.E. dc, ' at the oaks.' Cf. Kilham. But how account for
the I ? The first part must be the name of its owner, given in
Dom. as Ulchel, or Ulkel, short for the common Ulfcytel ; the
Onom. also gives a form or name Achil. The ending may be a loc .,
' at Ulkel's,' afterwards assimilated to -ham, q.v. Cf. Ackling-
ton, Morpeth, where old forms are needed, and Acomb.
ACKLETON 92 ADBASTON
AcKLETON (Wolverhampton). Old forms needed. Prob. 'Aculfs
or Acvmlfs town ' ; but c/. above, and Acle ; and see -ton.
AcKLEY (Kent). [789 O.E. Chron. Acleah, and Sim. Dm. ann. 851
Aclea, in Northumbria.] a. 1000 chart. Acleah, O.E.= ' oak-
lea, oak-meadow.' Cf. Acle and Ockley. But Acksley
(Dorset) is K.C.D. 706 Accesleah, ' meadow of Acca.' Ackholt,
Kent — i.e., ' oak-wood ' — is 1232 Close R. Achalt, -holt.
AcKWORTH (Pontefract). Dom. Acewrde, 1204 Acworth, which is
O.E. for ' oak place.' See -worth.
Acle (Norwich). Sic in Dom. A rare type of name, O.E. dc leak,
' oak mead ' ; -ley is rarely slurred into -le. But cf. Oakle, Minster-
worth, old Okkele, Ocle; also cf. Ack- and Ockley.
AcoMB (Hexham and York). Hex. A. old Oakham, mod. pron.
Yekhm. Yor. A. Dom. Acum, Acun. This seems to have
nothing to do with -combe ' valley,"" but to be an old loc,
O.E. dcun, ' at the oaks '; afterwards influenced by -ham. Cf.
AcKLAM and Kilham.
AcoNBUKY (Hereford). 1218 Patent R. and 1285 Close R. Acome-
bury. ' Burgh of ' ? Acorn, used as a personal name, not in
Onom. The sb. is O.E. cecem, 'fruit of the acre,' i.e., 'un-
enclosed land.' Oxf. Diet, does not give the form acorn till
1440. Very likely, however, Acorn- may be corrup. of Ecehearn
or Ecgbeorn, a name found in Wore. c. 1055.
Acrefaib (Ruabon). 'Acre' or 'field of Mary'; W. Fair (/ is
aspirated m in W.).
Acton (London, Suffolk, Nantwich, etc.). Lond. A. c. 1300 Acton;
Suff. A. a. 1000 chart. Acantun; Nant. A. Dom. Actune. O.E,
dc-tun, ' enclosure, village, with the oaks.' But Acan- must be
the gen. of Aca or Acca, a common O.E, personal name. In
S. Yorks the Actone of Dom. is now Ackton, whilst in E, Riding
Dom.'s Actun has become Atjghton.
Acton Buenell (Shrewsbury). Dom. Achetone, 1271 Actone
Bumel. The ch in Dom. is the habitual softening of the Nor.
scribes. See Acton, Sir Robt, Bumel, tutor to K. Edward I,,
and made by him Ld. Chancellor and Bp, of Bath and Wells,
was given the manor here c. 1270, Brunei is the same name,
Acton Trtjssell (Penkridge). 1004 Actun, Dom. Actone; and
Acton Turville (Chippenham). See Acton. A Tourvile or
Turville came over with Wm. the Conqueror, and is found on
the roll of Battle Abbey. One is found at Normanton-Turvile,
CO. Leicester, temp. Hen. II. The Trussells were also a Nor.
family.
Adb ASTON (Eccleshall), Dom. Edbaldestone; later Adbaldestone,
Alboldestun, Albaldiston, ' Town, village of Eadbeald,' a
common name. Cf. Abberley and Adbolton (Notts) Dom,
Alboltune.
-^^^ER 93 ADLINGFLEET
Adder or Adur R. (Wilts), a. 420 Nofitia Portus Adumi— ;.c.,
Aldrington on this river. Nothing to do with adders; but Kelt.,
Corn, dour, W. dyior, 'water.' The A- is doubtful. The So. R.
Adder is prob. aspirated[fr. G.fad ddhhar or dur, ' long stream.'
There is a R. Adur both in Sussex and Cornwall.
Addebbury (Banbury), a. 1000 K.C.D. 1290 Eadburgebyrig,
Dom. Edburgberie, 1229 Close R. Eadburebir', 1230 ib.
Eburbir', 1270 Abberbury, 1288 Adburbur', 1428 Addurbury.
' Burgh, town of the lady Eadburh,^ gen. -hurge. To-day it is
the d, not the 6, which has survived, as in Abberton and Abber-
pord. But we stUl have the d in St. Adborough's Ditch,
Cotswolds. See -bury.
Adderley (Mket. Drayton). Dom. Eldredelei, 1284 Close R.
Addredeleye; 'Meadow of the woman Aldreda,'' in O.E. Mthel-
ihryth, a common name. See -ley.
Addestgham (Leeds), c. WZ^Sim.Dur. Addingeham, v.r. Hatyng-
ham, ' Home of the descendants of Adda,'' a common O.E. name.
See -ing and -ham, and cf. next.
Addington (Bucks, Croydon, Maidstone, Northampton.). Croy. A.
Dom. Edintone, Nor. A. chart. Adyngton(a), Dom. Edintone,
whilst Dom. Kent is Eddintone. ' Village of Adda or Edda,^ or
his descendants. Cf. above, and -ing.
Addiscombe (Croydon). Old Adscomb, Adgcomb; not in Dom.
'Adda's vale,' O.E. cumb[e). Cf. above. But Addiscott, S.
Tawton, is 1228 Close R. Eilrichescot, ' cottage of Elric,' var.
of the common Mlfric.
Addle or Adel (Leeds). Dom. Adele, Ecton's Liber Regis Adhill.
' Hill of Ada,' 2 in the Onom. Possibly the -ele represents
-hale or -hall, q.v.
Addlethorp(e) (W. Riding and Burgh, Lines). Dom. Yorks,
Ardulfestorp, Lines, Arduluetorp. 'Ardulfs village.' Cf. Addle-
stone (Chertsey), and see -thorpe.
Adisham (Canterbury). 616 Grant Adesham, v.r. Edesham.
* Ada's ' or ' Edda's ' home. Cf. Addingham, and see -ham.
Adlestrop (Stow-on-Wold). Dom. Tedestrop, Thatlestrope, 1198
Tadelesthorp, Feud. Avd^ Tatlestrop. This must be orig.
' Toedald'a' or ' Tcedweald's village'; one such in Onom. The
name is very interesting for (1) the rare dropping of initial T,
and (2) the preserving of the true O.E. form t{h)orp, very rare in
Eng. names, except in this shire. Cf. Westrip, old Wcstrop, and
Wolstrop, old Wulvesthrop. See -thorpe.
Adlingpleet (Goole). [Perh. O.E. Chron. 763 ^Iflet ee; ee= O.E.
ige, 'isle.'] Dom. Adelingesfluet, c. 1080 Athlingfleet, 1304
Athelingflete. ' Stream of Atheling,' the O.E. ce^el-ing, * descen-
dant of a noble family,' spelt 1387 Trevisa ' adelyngus.' Cf.
ADLINGTON 94 AINDERBY
Ger. add. The -fleet is O.N. jljot, ' stream, river,' cognate with
flj6t-r, ' fleet, quick.' The Adelingestorp of Dom. is now
EUinthorpe, S. Yorks.
Adlington (Chorley and Macclesfd.). Chor, A. 1184-90 Edeluinton,
Adel-, Aldeventon, Adelinton, Athelington, 1294 Adelingtone,
1286 Edlington. Mace. A. c. 1250 Adelvinton. The name is
the very common O.E. Mihelvnne, in its L. form, Adelwinus ; but
some of the spellings were evidently influenced by the O.E.
(Biding. See above, and -ton.
Admaston (Rugely and Wellington, Salop). Rug. A. a. 1200
Edmundeston, Admerdeston, a. 1300 Admundestan, Edmunde-
stone. Wei. A. a. 1300 Ademon(e)ston. ' Town, village of
Eadmund^ (or ' Eadmcer^), The forms show how both the
liquids n and r can vanish.
Adstock (Winslow). Dom. Edestocha. 'Place of Ada, jEdda,
or j^ddi ' ; -stock is= Stoke. Cf. Ad wick, and Adsett (Glouc),
1221 Addesete, ' Adda's settlement.'
Adub R-. See Adder.
Advent (Lanteglos, Cornwall). May be fr. Advent Sunday, day of
the consecration of the Church here; or fr. St. Adwen, daughter
of a W. saint and king, 4th cny.
Adwalton (Bradford). 1202 Athelwaldon; 'Town, village of
Mihdweald,'' or its equally common var., ' Eadweald.''
Ad WICK - LE - Street (Doncaster) and Ad wick - on - Dearne (S.
Yorks). Both Dom. Adewic, 'Dwelling of J[(Za.' (7/. Adstock,
and see -wick. For Dearne see Wath-on -Dearne.
Adwyrclawdd (Wrexham). W. adwy r' dawdd, ' gap, breach in
the dyke ' — i.e., Off a's Dyke, close by.
Aeron or Ayron R. (Cardigansh.). Possibly fr. Agriona; Kelt,
goddess of war, W. aer, ' battle.' W. air is ' bright, clear,'
whilst -on is contraction of afon, ' river.' Cf. Carron (Sc).
Affpiddle (Dorchester). Dom. Affapidele. Prob. ' puddle ' or
' puddly stream of Affa ' ; 2 called Affa and 2 Afa in Onom.
See Piddle.
Afon" Ax aw (Anglesea). W.= ' river of water lUies.' Afon in W.
is, of course, pron. Avon.
Afonwen (Holywell). W. afon gwen, * very clear, bright river.'
Aigburth (Liverpool). 1190-1256 Aykeberh, 1329 Aikebergh.
O.N. eik-herg, ' oak-clad hill ' or ' rock ' ; the endings have been
influenced by the forms of what is now Barrow sb^ Oxf. Diet.,
O.E. heorg, 3 herhg, 4t hergh, hurgh. Cf. Eakring.
Ainderby (Northallerton). Dom. Aiendrebi, Andrebi, 1208 Ender-
by. ' Dwelling of Andar ' or ' Mnder' though the only forms in
Onom. are Andhere and Andahari. Cf. Anderby, and see -by.
AINSDALE 95 ALBOURNE
AmsDALB (Southport). Dom. Einuluesdel, 1199 Annovesdala,
1190-1206 Aynuluisdale, 1201-02 Ainolvesdale, 1206 Einonesdal.
' Valley of Einumlf,' one in Onom. Cf. Abmthorpe and
Eynesbtjry.
AiNSWORTH (Bolton). 1190-1216 Haineswrthe, 1244 Ainesworth,
c. 1514 Aynsworth. Doubtful. It may be ' farm of Eginulf '
or ' Einulf,' as in Ainsdalb, It prob. is 'farm of Hagena'
(now Haines) ; or perh. ' of Egon' as in Eynsham. Ainstablb,
Armathwaite, Cumbld., is 1210 Einstapeleth, which may be
'^inwulfs market/ cf. Barnstaple. See -worth.
Aentreb (Liverpool). 1244-92 Eyntre, 1296 Ayntre. Perh.
* jEne'fi tree.' Cf. the ' Aynburg ' in Sim. Dur., Braintrbe, etc.
But Wyld says, O.E. an treow, ' one tree,' one in N. dial, being
ane, 5-6 ayne, ain.
Aire R. (Yorks). 959 chart. Yr., 1314 Hayr. Prob. O.N. eyri,
'tongue of land, gravelly bank.' Of. Ayr R. (Sc), which
prob. has the same origin.
AiRMYN or Armyn (Goole). (? Dom. Amuine.) 1314 charl.
HajTTminne, 1317 Ajrremynn, a. 1400 Ayermynne. Aire -munn
is 'confluence of the R. Aire' and the Ouse; fr. O.N. minni, N.
munn-r, ' mouth.' Arminni is common in the Sagas for ' a
confluence.' Cf. Stalmtne.
AiRTON (W. Riding). Dom. Airtone. * Town on R. Aire.'
AiSHOLT (Bridgewater). Not in Dom., but it has in Somst. Aisseoote
and -forde. O.E. cesc-JioU, ' ash-wood.' Ash is found a. 1300 as
asse, c. 1450 aish. Cf. Great Aish, South Brent. But Ais-
THORPE, Lines, is 1233 Close R. Austorp, prob. ' east village.'
Cf. AirSTERFIELD.
AiSLABY (Sleights, Yorks). Dom. Aslachesbi. ' Dwelling of AslacJ*
Cf. AsLACKBY, and see -by.
Akeld (Wooler). O.N. eik-kelda, 'oak-tree spring'; cf. Little
Salkeld. Possibly the name is purely O.E. Cf. O.E. dc
('an oak'), and Bapohild.
Alberbury (Shrewsbury). Dom. Alberberie. Prob. ' Ealdheorht^s
burgh ' or ' fort.' Several men of that name known in Mercia.
Cf. Albur-, Alber-wyk in a charter of Edw. TIL, and Elberton
(Glouc.;, 1230 Albricton. There is in 1160-61 Pipe N'hants,
an Albodeston, or ' Ealdheald's town,' which may be the same
name as Albaston, Tavistock; old forms needed. At any rate
we have 1166-67 Pipe, Glouc, Abbdeston, Abbedeston, also
found as Albedeston. Ealdbeald is more commonly Eadbeald,
v.r. uEdbold.
Albourne (Sussex). C^. Dom. Aldingeborne.) Cf. 931 in B.C.S.
II. 358 q.v. Mt aleburnan pet J^am lytlan egilande [near
Clare, Hants]. The Al- is doubtful. Cf. Alburgh; and see
-bourne.
ALBEIGHTON 96 . ALDEKLEY
Albeighton (Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton). Dom. Salop,
Albricstone. [823 chart. ' Aldberhtingtun in occidente Stur,'
near Canterbury.] ' Town ' or ' village of Ealdheorht.' Cf.
Elburton, Plymouth: on the -st in Dom. Cf. p. 26,
Albtjbgh (Harleston) and Albuby (Guildford and Bps. Stortford).
Guil. A. o. 900 chart. Aldeburi, whilst Bps. S. A. is still spelt
Aldboro'. O.E. eald (M.E. aid), hurh, ' old burgh, fortified
place.' Cf. negro ole for old, Aldborotjgh and Aldeby; also
see -burgh.
Alcester (Redditch). 1166-67 Pipe Alecestr', 1178 ih. Alen-
cestra, 1217 Patent E. Alencestre, 1538 Leland Aulcester.
* Camp on R. Alne.' It certainly was a Rom. camp. Close by
is Great Alne. See -cester.
Alconbury (Hunts). 1232 OZo.se E. Alcmundebir', a. 1300
Alkemundebyri. ' Burgh of Alchmund. But Aconbury,
Hereford, is 1218 Patent E. Acornebury, seemingly fr, a
man called Acorn, O.E, cecem, ' acorn.' See -bury.
Aldborotjgh (S.W. Essex, Norwich, and W. Riding). No. A. Dom.
Aldebga, York A. 1203 Vetus Burgum, L. for O.E. eald, Mercian
aid hurh, ' old burgh,' or ' fortified place,' A. in Yorks is,
e.g. Roman (L, Isurium), Cf. next and Albttrgh. For
AiiDBOROUGH HatcA (Ilford) see Hatch.
Aldb R. and Aldeborough (Suffolk). Sic 1298, but Dom. Alde-
bure. This, unlike the above, is ' town on R. Aide,' W. allt,
' side of a hill, wooded crag,' cognate with G. allt, which in Sc.
names is often Auld. In Scotland it usually means a stream,
or the high banks through which a stream flows; thus = L. altus.
Cf. Alt.
Aldeby (Beccles). Not in Dom. North.O.E. eald by, ' old
house ' or ' hamlet.' Cf. Albury, and -by. This cannot be
a Norse name, as Norse used only gamel for ' old,' positive
degree.
Aldenham (Bushey). Sic 969, but 785 chart. ^Eldenham, a.
1000 Ealdenham. Dom. Aldeham, 'Home of Ealda'; several
so called in Onom.
Alderbury (Salisbury). Not in Dom. Prob. O.E. aler-hurh,
' town of the alder-tree,' O.E. alor, aler, as early as Chaucer.
alder. Cf. Alderford (Norwich) and Axderholt (Salisbury),
O.E. holt, * a forest, a wood ' ; and see next.
Alderley (Crewe, Manchester, Leek, etc.). Cr. A. Dom. Al-
dredehe. Le. A. 1129 Aldredeslega. ' Aldred's lea ' or ' meadow,'
O.E. leah. There are many Ealdreds in Mercia in Onom,
But in. some cases it may be simply ' alder-meadow ' ; cf. above.
With Alderley Edge, Manchester, cf. Dom. Suffk, Ethereg, now
the name Etheridge
ALDERMASTON 97 ALDWINCLE
Aldeemaston (Reading). Sic c. 1540. Dom. Eldremanestune
and Heloremanestune (scribe's error), 1166-67 Pipe Alder-
mannestun, 1316 Aldermanston; also Aldremanneston. 'Village
of the alderman,' O.E. ealdormann. The n has been lost
through its liquidity.
Aldeeminster (Stratford-on-Avon). 1275 Aldremoneston, -mes-
ton. Not in Dom. Corrup. of ' alderman's town,' as in above,
influenced by -minster.
Alderney (Channel Islds.). a. 380 Ant. liin. E-iduna. Er.
Aurigny, 1218 Aurennye, 1219 Aureneye, 1224 Alnere. As
it stands the name is ' alder- tree isle/ O.E. celren-ige. Aldern
is an adj. already found, 1001, as celren. Riduna might repre-
sent a Keltic rid dun, ' reddish hill.' Cf. W. rhydd, rhudd, ' red.'
Aldeeshot. Shot is a broad way or glade in a wood, through
which game can dart or shoot. Cf. Shotover and Cockshutt.
Similarly, Aldershaw (Lichfield), c. 1300 Alreshawe, is ' alder
wood,' O.E. sceaga, M.E. schawe.
Alderton (Beckford, Chippenham, Felixstowe). Ch. A. Dom.
Aldritone. Fe. A. c. 1150 Alretun. ' Alder-tree village.'
Cf. Allerton.
Aldford (Chester). ' Old Ford,' O.E. eald, Mercian aid.
Aldin Grai^ge (Durham). Prob. fr. the very common Aldhun or
Ealdhun ; one was bp. at Chester-le-Street, Durham, c. 990.
Cf. Grange.
Aldington (Hythe and Worcester). Hy. A. a. 1124 Eadmer
Ealdintune. Wor. A. 709 chart, and Dom. Aldintone. K.C.D.
61 Aldantune, ' Town, village of Alda ' or ' Ealda,^ gen. -an.
Cf. Aldingbourne, Chichester, and Aldingha' in Dom. N. Lanes.
Aldridge (Walsall). Dom. Alrewic, a. 1200 Alrewich, Allerwych.
O.E. air wic, ' dwelling, village among the alders.' Cf. Alder-
bury and Penkridge.
Aldringham (Saxmundham). Not in Dom. Perh. ' Home of the
elders or parents/ M.E., c. 1300, eldryng. But old forms might
reveal that it comes fr. some personal name. See -ing and
-ham.
Aldrington (on R. Adur, Wilts), a. 1300 Aldrinton. Prob. now
' Village of the elders.' Cf. above. But orig. it came fr. the
river on which it stands, q.v.
Aldwark (Easingwold). 'Old fort' or 'bulwark'; O.E. wore,
an ' outwork,' a fortification. Cf. Wark.
Aldwinole (Northampton). 1137 O.E. Chron. Aldwingel; 1166-
67 Pipe Aldewincle, 1298 Audewyncle. Nothing like -wingel in
O.E. So this will be ' Ealdwine-geil' The former is a common
O.E. name, cf. B.C.S. 1280 Aldwines barwe; the latter is O.N.
ALD WORTH 98 ALLERTON
geil, gil, ' a deep glen or ravine, a gill ' ; not found in Eng. till
1400 ' gille.' Of. Winskill, Langwathby; and see -gill.
AldwortA (Reading), c. 1225 Audeworth, 1316 Aldeworth.
'Old -farm'; O.E. eald, Merc. aid. But Aldsworth, North-
leach, Dom. Aldeswrde, is ' farm of Eald ' (the old man). See
-worth.
Alford (Lines and Somst,). Lin. A. Dom. Alforde, Som, A.
perh. Dom. Aldedeford. These names are uncertain; perh,
O.E. eald ford, ' old ford.' But Alford, Hants, is K.G.D.
1035 .Elwelford— t.e., ' Mfweald, Alfwold, or Mhelweald's
ford.' All these names are common in Onom.
Alfreton (Chesterfield). 1002 chart. ^Ifredincgtun. ' Hamlet
of Alfred's descendants.' See -ing.
Alfriston (Polegate), Dom. Alvricestone, 1288 Close E. Alver-
icheston. ' Village of JElfric ' or ' Alfricus' both in Onom.
Of. Alfrio (Wore), said to be for Alfredeswic, and 1167-68
Pife, Devon, Ailricheston.
Algarkirk (Boston). 810 chart. Algare. 'Church of .Mlfgar,
V.V. Alger,' a very common name. It may be fr. Earl Algar,
9th cny., a brave opponent of the Danes.
Alkborough (Doncaster). a. 1100 (in Grant of 664) Alkebarue,
1359 Alkebarowe. ' Burial mound of Alca,' one in Onom. This
is O.E. ehh, M.E. alee, L. alces, ' an elk.' Of. next and Bar-
row; also Alkham, Dover.
Allan R. (Bodmin and St. David's), and Allen R. (S. Northbld.
and Dorset). Keltic aluin, ' fair, lovely.' See Aln, and cf.
Allerdale. The Alwyn, trib. of Coquet, is, of course, the same
name.
All Cannings (Devizes) and All Stretton (Church Stretton).
Prob, the all is for hall, O.E. heall ; cf. Halton. See Can-
NiNGTON. Stretton is ' street town,' ' village on the (Roman)
road.'
Aller (Somerset). 878 O.E. Ohron. Alor; perh. Dom. Aba. O.E.
alor, ' the alder-tree.' Cf. Coulter Allers (Sc), also 808
chart. Alercumb, Somst.
Allerdale (Cumberland), c. 1080 AJnerdall. ' Valley of the
alder-trees ' ; see above and Alderney. Only, through it flows
the R. Alne or Ellen, near whose mouth is Alneburg or Ellen-
borough, for which see Allan. The liquids r and n easily inter-
change. See -dale. Allerden (Nthbld.), is 1099 Elredene,
' alder dean '; see -dean.
Allerthorpe (York). Dom. Alwarestorp. ' Ealdweard's village.'
Cf. Alverthorpe and Ellerby, and see -thorpe.
Allerton (Axbridge and 3 in Yorks.). Dom. Yorks, Alretonj
-tun, mcluding Northallerton twice; Chesh., Salop, and Wore.
ALLESLEY 99 ALNEMOUTH
Alreton(e). Perh. = Alderton, ' village in the alder-trees.'
But Axb. A. may be a. 1199 Roll Rich. I. Alurinton (in
Somst.), where the first part may represent a man's name,
it is micertain what. And Allerston, Pickeriiag, is Dom.
Alurestan, Alvrestain, Alvestun, ' town ' or ' stone of Alfere,'
late form of the common .^Elfhere, fr. which also comes North-
allerton. Cf. Ellerton.
Allesley (Coventry). Sic a. 1300, and Allestree (Derby).
Prob. ' lea, meadow,' and ' tree of ^lla' a common name.
But Alleston, Pembk., is old Ayllewarston, or ' Mthdweard'B '
or jElfweard's town."
Allington (Grantham). Dom. EUingetone. 0/. Dom. Chesh. Alen-
tune. Prob. ' town of the sons of Mlla.' See -ing.
AllitSwaite (Grange). ' Place of Alii.' a man found in Onom. ;
and Alia was K. of Northumbria in 560. See -thwaite.
Allonby (Maryport). c. 1350 Alaynby. 'Dwelling of Alayn,
Alio, or Allon.' There was an Alio, gen. Allonis, dux c. 800;
and Allon is still a surname. Of course, the name may be,
' dwelling near the R. Alne or Ellen ' ; but this would not be in
accordance with analogy in names ending in -by, q.v.
Alltwen (Swansea). W. allt gwen, ' bright, clear hill-side or
wooded crag.' Cf. Alde.
Almeley (Eardisley). c. 1200 Gervase Almelege. O.E. elm-ledh,
' elm-meadow.' O.E. elm, O.N. alm-r. Sw. and Dan. aim,
' elm.' No man Aim or the like in Onom.
Almington. See Amtngton.
Almondbury (Huddersfield) and Almondsbury (Bristol). Hud.
A. Dom. Almaneberie, 1202 Aumundebir. Br. A. Dom.
Almodesberie, 1233 Alemundebere. Nothing to do with almond
or Sc. Almond ; but ' burgh, town of Almund, Alemundus, or
Ealhmund,' a very common name. See -bury.
Aln R. (Northumbld.), Alne R. (Warwk.), Alne or Ellen R.
(Maryport), and Alne (York). Nor. A. prob. c. 150 Ptolemy
Alaunos, with Alauna, ? Alnwick, c. 730 Bede Aln, Alna; War.
A. B.C.8. 1227 re the year 723, iElwinnae, 1178 Alen; Yor.
Alne., sic in Dom. All these names are apt to run into Allan,
Allen, and, like those in Scotland and Ireland, are all Kelt.;
though not always with the same meaning, for the Sc. and Ir.
Allans are often fr. ailean, ' a green plain.' But the Eng.
names are prob.= Sc. R. Ale, c. 1116 Alne, W. alain, alwyn,
alwen, G. aluinn, ailne, ' exceeding fair, lovely, bright.' Cf.
Algester and Alnemouth.
Alnemouth (Northumbld.). Often locally pron. Alemouth. See
above.
ALNEY 100 ALTON
Alney (R. Severn). Prob. 1016 O.E. Chron. Olanige; a. 1200 Wm.
Newbury Alnewich, ' Olio's isle ' ; see -ey. Cf. Olney and Alne.
Alnwick, pron. Annick. c. 1175 Fantosme Audnewic ; c. 1180
Bened. Peterh. Alnewic ; c. 1463 Annewyke. ' Dwelling on the
R. Alne.' See -wick.
Alphengton (Exeter). Dom. Alfintone. Prob. ' town, dwelling of
^Ifin '; one was bp. at Athelney in 1009.
Alresfobd (Colchester and Hants). Col. A. Dom. Alreforda, a.
1200 chart, ^lesforda, Hants A. c. 830 cJiart. Alresforda, 1286
Alresford. Form a. 1200 may be a scribal error; but cf. Ayles-
FORD. Prob. * ford of the alder-tree/ O.E. aler, air, olr, M.E.
aller. Of. Alleeston.
Alrewas (Lichfield). Sic 942 and Dom. 1284 Allerwas. Pron.
Allr-wass. O.E. air, alor wdse, O.N. olr veisa, ' alder fen ' or
* marsh.' Cf. Alderbuby, Broad was, Rotherwas, Herefd.,
and Oxf. Diet. s.v. ooze sb^ 1280 Close R. has ' Alrewasheles,'
? in Northbld.
Alsager (Stoke-on-Trent). Pron. Al-sae'jer. Old forms needed.
Cf. ' Alsiswich,' Herts, a. 1199 Boll Rich. I., Alsi is a contraction
for JElfsige or ^Ifswith, both very common O.E. names. This
latter part is doubtful.
Alston (Stafford and Carlisle), and Alstonpield (Ashbourne).
St. A. Dom. Alverdestone — i.e., ' Mlfweard^s town.' But another
Alston (Staffs), is a. 1200 Aluredstone, where Alured is var.
of Alfred; whilst Alstonfield is Dom. ^Enestanfelt — i.e.,* field
of uEne's stone.' Note, too, that Austonley (S. Yorks) is Dom.
Alstanesleie. How needful and important early forms are ! Cf.
Beer Alston and Athelstaneford (Sc).
Alt R. (S. Lancashire) =Aldb. On it is Altcar, fr, carr sb^ in
Oxf. Diet., ' a bog, a fen '; it is Norse; Norw. Jcjcer, Tcjerr, 'pool,
marsh, wet copse.'
Altarnun (Launceston). Pron. altar-nun, as if Eng. 1294
Ecclesia de Altar Nun, 1536 Alternone, Corn, altar Nan,
' altar of St. Non,' sister of Gwen of the three breasts, and mother
of St. David, a. 550.
Althorne (Maldon). Not in Dom. Prob. ' old (O.E. eald) thorn.'
Cf. Albury. Only Altham (Lanes), is old Alvetham,'Elvetham
— i.e., ' home of Mlfgeat.^
Althorpe (Doncaster). Not in Dom. a. 1100 chart. Alethorpe.
Perh. 'Ale place,' 'ale-house'; O.E. alu, ealu, in 2 ale; but
prob. ' village of a man JEla ' or 'Ala,' both forms in Onom.
Cf. Alatorp, Dom. Norfk., and Altofts, Normanton, (see -toft),
in Dom. it is simply Toftes.
Alton (Dorset, Hants, etc.). Hants A. c. 880 chart. ^Eweltun,
Aweltuu, 1166 Pipe Aultona, which looks like O.E. awel-tun,
ALTRINCHAM 101 ALVESTON
' village shaped like an awl,' O.E. eel, eal, awel, awul. M'Clure
says =' Ea- well ' — i.e., ' spring- ton ' or 'river-source.' Dom.
Surrey has Aultone. Some of the others may be ' old town ';
c/. Albury and Norton. But Alton or Alveton (Uttoxeter),
is Dom. Elvetone, c. 1300 Alneton [n for v), which is prob.
'town, village of ^If^ or ' Mlfa,^ one each in Onom. The
' Alton ' in Dom. Yorks is now Halton.
Alteencham (Manchester). Pron. Al'tringham. Named fr. some
man; there are Aldran and Aldrannus in Onom. ; or perh. ' home
of the elders,' O.E. eldran, comp. of eald, ' old,' c. 1440 either.
There is a personal name, Eltringham; also see -ing.
Alvanley (Warrington). Not in Wyld and Hirst. It may be
' meadow of Alfa,' or ' of JElfheah ' ; cf. 1294 Alvedene, also in
Lanes, and Alvingham. See -ley.
Alvechuech (Birmingham). 780 iElfgythe cyrce, Dom. Alvieve-
cherche, 1108 iElfithe cyrce, a. 1200 Alviethechurch. Now
pron. AUchurch. ' Church of Mlfgiih ' ; but Dom.'s form is in-
fluenced by Alveva or Mlvive, late forms of Mlfgifu, a very
common woman's name in Onom. Cf. Alvecote {sic a. 1300),
Tarn worth.
Alveley (Bridgnorth). 1160 Pi'pe Aluielea 1231 Alwithel'. See
above and -ley.
Alvermere (Worcester). K.G.D. 120 ^Iferamtere, ' Mf here's
lake.' But Alverthorpe (Wakefield), not in Dom. is prob. =
Allerthorpb.
Alverstoke (Gosport). i)om.. Alwarestoch, ' ^Zti;ardl's place.' Cf,
next, and Dom. Essex, Alueraina; and see -stoke.
Alverstone (Sandown). Dom. Alvrestone, and Alverton (Notts
and Penzance). ' Town of Alfer,' late form of the common
JElfhere. The two ' Alvretone ' or ' Alvretune ' in Dom. Yorks,
have now become Allerton Mauleverer and North Allerton.
But Notts A. is Dom.. Aloretim, but c. 1190 Alvrington,
Auvrington, which seems to be a patronymic. Cf., too, Ailvertune,
Dom. Norfk. See -ing and -ton.
Alvescot (Bampton). Dom. Elfegescote, 1216 Elephescote, 1274-
79 Alfays-, Alfescote, 1276 Aluescot. 'Cottage, cot of Mf-
heah.' Cf. Exon. Dom. Ailesvescota.
Alveston (Thornbury). c. 955 chart. ^Ifes-, ^Elvestun, Dom.
and c. 1097 Flor. W. Alvestan, 1158-59 Pi'pe Alvestan 1229
Alewestan. ' Dwelliag of ^Ife ' (the eK) ; Cf. Sim. Dur. ann.
1093 Alwestan, Elston and Olveston. See -ton, which often
interchanges with -stone. But A. (Stratford-on-A.) is 985
chart. Eanulfestune, 988 ih., Dom. Alvestone, 'town of
Eanwulf.' For Alweston, Sherborne, old forms are needed;
perh. it is 1166-67 Pipe Alfwieteston, which may be, 'town of
Mlfswith' a common female name.
ALVINGHAM 102 AMBEOSDEN
Alvingham (Louth), old forms needed, and Alvington (Lydnoy
and I. of W.). Ly. A. 1221 Alwintone, 1223 Elvetun, later
Elvynton. I, of W. A. Dom. Alwinestun. Prob. all. ' home '
and ' town of Mlfwynn ' ; but, in last case perh., ' of Ealhwine '
or ' Alioinus,'' names in Onom. It should also be at least noted
here, that O.E. mlf, elf, 3 alve is ' an elf,' and O.E. celfen, dfen,
' a female elf.' See -ing, -ham, and -ton.
Alwalton (Peterboro'). Said to be 955 chart, ^thelwoldingtune —
i.e., 'dwelling town of Ethelwold's descendants.' But a. 1100
chart, and 1230 Close B. Alewalton, which may be ' old, walled
town.' Cf. Albury and Walton.
Alwen R, (N. Wales). W. al-{g)wen, ' very white, very bright ';
same as Elvan Sc, c. 1170 Elwan, Alewyn. Of. Alwin.
Alwtn R. (Rothbury) =Alwen. On it is Alwinton.
Alwoodley (Leeds). 1288 Close E. Athewaleley ' MthelweaWs
meadow.' See -ley.
Ambergate. Not in Dom. Prob. 'pitcher-road'; fr. O.E.
amber, amber, ' a pitcher, a bucket,' and geat, ' gate, way,' de-
noting the road to a well. There are many names in Amber- ;
Dom. Bucks Ambretone suggests a man, ? Ambet ; so even
more does Dom. Ambresdone, now Ambkosden; only it is prob.
fr. Ambrosius. Amber Hill, Boston, will be fr. O.E, amber,
fr. its shape.
Amberley (Stroud, Harden, Herefd., and Arundel). St. A. 1166
Umberleia, later Umberley. Ma. A. Dom. Amburlege, Ar. A.
Dom. Ambrelie. ' Meadow of the pitcher,' see above; cf.
Ombersley. Some derive fr. a man ^?n6er or ^maZfteorA^. See -ley.
Amble (Acklington). Old forms needed. Perh. W. am <pwl,
' round about the pool.' But cf. Ampleforts, Amblecote.
Stourbridge, is Dom. Elmelecote, a. 1300 Amelecote, ' cottage
of Hemele,' a common O.E. name, still found as Hamil. Cf.
Amblestone.
Amblerthorn (Halifax). Old forms wanted. Not in Dom.
Perh. fr. a man Amalbeorht, a name in Onom.
Ambleside. Perh. ' Hemele' s seat'; cf. Amblecote and next:
-side is corrup. of Icel. soeti, set, which means ' a seat ' in either
modem use.
Amblestone (Pembroke), In W. Tre amlod, of which Amblestone
is a translation, ' house ' or ' town of Hamill,' said to be one of
the vikings who founded the Norse colony here. Hamil is still
an Eng. surname; cf. Hamilton Sc, also Dom. Surrey ' Amele-
brige,' and above.
Ambrosden (Bicester). Dom. Ambresdone. Prob. ' den, haunt
of Ambrosius ' Aurelianus, Damnonian chief, leader of the
Britons against Hengist, c. 450 a.d. Cf. Amesbury, and
AMERSHAM 103 AMPTHILL
Ambresbury Bank, Epping. In c. 800 Nennius we read of
* Ambros, British Embres guletic,' which last, W. gwledig, means
* a leader, a general.' The Eppiag place is or was also called
Amesbury and Ambers' Banks, and is reputed the site of Q.
Boadicea's final defeat.
Amersham (Rickmansworth). 1218 Patent R. Aumodesham, 1231
Agmodesham, 1280 C^ose 72. Agmundesham, 1291 Amundesham.
An interesting corrup., ' Agmund-r^s home ' ; cf. Amotherby.
Ameeton (Stafford), c. 1300 Embricton, later Ambric-, Am-
brighton. ' Town of Eanhriht ' or ' Eanheorht.'
Amesbury (Salisbury). 995 O.E. Chron. Ambresb3Ti(g) ; Dom.
Ambresberie; c. 1160 Gest. Steph'. Abbesbiriensis (prob. scribe's
error); c. 1180 Bened. Peterh. Ambres-, Ambesbiria, 1280 Aum-
bresbir'. ' Fort, town, of Ambrose.^ See Ambrosden and -bury.
A(l)mington (Tamworth). 889 chart. Alchmundingtuun, later
Alhmundiagtun. ' Abode of the descendants of Alchmund.'
But Almington, Mket. Drayton, is Dom. Almontone, a. 1300
Alkementon, which is simply, ' town, village of Alchmund ' or
' Ealhmund.' See -ing and -ton.
Amlwch (Anglesea). c. 1451 Amlogh. W.. meaning ' a circular
inlet of water ' ; the Iwch is cognate with G. loch.
Ammanford (Caermarthen). ' Ford on the R. Am{m)an.'* See
Aberaman. -
Amotherby (Malton). Dom. Edmundrebi, Aimundrebi; c. 1350
Aymonderbi, * dwelling of Agmund-r.' Cf. Osmotherley and
next. Dom. says Edmund-, because Agmund-r was an un-
familiar name to the Nor. scribe. But cf. next and see -by.
Amouistderness (Preston). Dom. Agemundrenesse, Sim. Dur.
ann. 1123, Agmunderness ; later, Ackmoundemess. 'Cape,
promontory of Agmund-r.' Cf. above. But in ch^rt. dated
705 it is Hasmunderness, fr. Asmund or Osmund, well-known
N. names. Cf. Osmotherley. See Ness.
Ampleforth (York). Sic c. 1505, but i)om. Ampre-, Ambreforde,
1166 A'pleford, 1202 Ampleford, 1298 Ambelforde. 'Ford of
the pitcher.' See Ambergate and -forth. The name is a
lesson in phonetics.
Ampney Crucis (Cirencester). The Ampney is a river, Dom.
Omenie, -nel, later Omenai, Ameneye, -anell. This name is
a tautology, the p, as often being a late intrusion, cf. Hampton.
Amen or Omen is simply O.Kelt, for 'river ' (see p. 11), whilst
the -ie or -ey is O.E. ea, ' stream.' Here stands the Early Eng.
church Santae Crucis, ' of the Holy Cross."
Ampthill (Bedford). Sic 1454, and c. 1350 AmpthuU, but Dom.
Ammetelle. ' Ant-hill,' O.E. cemete, cemyte, 3-4 amte, 4-6 ampte,
' an ant or emmet.'
AMRATH 104 ANERLEY
Ameath, -both (Pembroke), c, 1130 Lib. Landav. Amrath, 1603
Owen Amrothe. Prob, W. am Ehath, ' on the Rath,' the river
Lib. Land, calls the Radh. Cf. Cilrath and Penrath near by,
and llan am ddyfti =LLAJsrDOVEEY. W. rhath is ' a mound, a
hill,' as prob. in Roath, Cai'diff.
Amwell (Ware). Dom. Emmewelle, 1281 Amewell, later Emwell.
There is in B.C.S. 801 an Ammanuuelle, but not this one.
' WeU of Amma.' Cf. B.C.S. 1110 Amman broc.
Ancastee. (Grantham), c. 1190 Gir. Camh. Anecastrum. This
must be ' Anna's camp.' Anna is an O.E. man's name. See
next and -caster; and cf. Anwick, Sleaford.
AiifCROFT (Beal). a. 1128 Anacroft, later Anecroft. This must
be 'Anna's croft' or 'field.' Anna is a fairly common O.E.
name, and croft a real O.E. word. Cf. Ancaster. We have
croft also in Dom. Cornw. Croftededor.
Andeeby (Alford) and Andeeton (Northwich), ' Town of Andar'
or ' Andhere,' names in Onom. Cf. Aindeeby and ' Andrelav,*
Dom. Salop and ' Andrebi,' Dom. Holdemess ; and see -by and
-ton. But Andeesfield, Somerset, is 1233 Close B. Eldredesfeld,
fr. the common Ealdred.
Andovee (Hants). 994 O.E. Chron. To Andeferan, -faran,
-efron; Dom. Andovere, c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Andovre, 1155
Pipe Andieura. Andover is now on R. Anton, but no early
forms of this name seem on record; and the earlier forms seem
to have been Ande or Anne (see Abbotts Ann). The O.E.
form has been interpreted as ' fare ' {cf. thoroughfare) or ' pas-
sage, ferry, over the Ande.' But the O.E. word is foer, faru,
inflected fare, not fara ; the root being faran, ' to go, fare, make
one's way ' ; so this is' doubtful. More likely is it Ande-ofer,
' on the bank of the Ande,' -over, q.v., being a very common
ending. The similar-looking names Wendovee (Bucks), and
Cen- or Candover (Hants), tempt to a derivation fr. the old
British Dovee, W. dwfr, ' a stream.' In that case An-
might be the Kelt, an ' the.' In any case the river-name
Anton, Ande, or Anne, is doubtful. It may have some con-
nection with Ann' mother of the gods among the Kelts — e.g.,
in ' The Two Paps of Ana,' Kerry. But the R. Ant, S. Nor-
folk, must be the same root ; then what of the t ox d? And-
ovee(s)-eoed (Cheltenham) is 759 chart. Onnanford, c. 800 ib.
Annanford, c. 1270 Anneford, which Baddeley derives fr. the
O.E. man's name Anna. It is also 1266 Andevere, c. 1270
Andovere, where he makes the latter part=Dover, and the
former he leaves doubtful. In W. on, pi. onn is ' an ash-tree.'
Cf. Ampney.
Aneeley (Norwood). Not in Dom. ' Meadow of 4w^r,' Of,
B.C. 8. 910 Aneres broc. See -ley.
' ANGARRACK 105 ANNESLEY
Angareaok (Gwinnear Road). Corn, an carrack, ' the rock,' G.
carraig.
Angerton (Morpeth). ' Town of Anger.' M.E. angard, ongart,
' boastful, arrogant.' There is one Angerus in Onom. Of. the
mod. name Ainger,
Angle or Nangle (Pembroke), c. 1190 Oir. Camb. Angulus,
1594 Nangle. The -feng. sb. angle is fr. Fr. There "seems no
W. equivalent name. It lies in an angle; but W. H. Stevenson
thinks it may be O.N. ongull, ' a fjord,' fr. ang-r, O.E. e»gr,
' narrow.' Cf. Anqlesea. Nangle is for an angle.
Anglesauk (Lanes). ' Shieling, hut of the Angle ' ; argh, ark, or
ergh, is a N. corrup. of G. airigh, airidh, ' shepherd's hut.' Cf.
Aeklid, Golcar, Grimsargh, etc. Final -gh in G. is now
usually mute. The fuller form is seen in Airyholme, N. Riding,
which was Ergun in Dom., whilst Eryholme, also in Yorks, was
Argun in Dom. The -un is sign of the loc. plur.
Anglesea. 1098 O.E. Chron. Angles ege — I.e., * isle of the Angle,'
or Englishman. But in W. ynys Fdn, ' Mona's Isle,' cf. Man,
and see -ey. The same name is found in Cambs, 1270 Angle-
seye. However, W. H. Stevenson thinks the orig. name was
O.N. Ongalsey, ' isle of the fjord ' (see Angle). It is so named
c. 1225 in Orkney. Saga.
ANGMERmo (Worthing), c. 885 Alfred's Will, also in 2 charters,
Angemseringtun, Dom. Angemare. ' Place of the descendants
of Angemcer.' See -ing.
Anker R. (Nuneaton). O.E. ancra, 3-6 ancre, 4-7 anker, * an
anchorite, an anchoress, a nun.' Evidently so called from the
Benedictine nunnery on its banks — almost a unique river name
in its way. Cf. Ankerwyke, Staines, where a Benedictine
nunnery was founded, in 12th cny. ; also Ankerdine Hill, Brom-
yard, 1275 Oncredham, c. 1300 Ancredam, and -ham; prob. also
fr. ancre ; for its ending see -den; the O.E. would be ancran denu.
Anlaby (Hull). Dom. Umlouebi, Unl-, Umloveby. ' Dwelling of
Unlaf or ' Anlaf.' Cf. Anlafestun B.C. 8. 1128. One Anlaf
was K. of Northumbria, 941-52. See -by.
Annaitsford (Newcastle). Anait is Kelt, for ' a parent church.'
Cf. Ann AT, Sc. Possibly Annait- is corrup. of a man's name.
There is nothing in Onom. nearer than one Enefcet. It may be
Annette, dimin. of Anne.
Annear or Ennor (Cornwall). Corn. ='<^e earth,' an being the
article, and nor, ' earth.'
Annesley (Nottingham). Dom. Aneslei. ' Lea, meadow of Anna '
or ' Ana.' Several of this name in Onom. ' One was K. of East
Anglia, 636-54. Cf. Ainley and N. and S. Anston, Yorks, which
in Dom. are Anele and Anestan, also Anc aster, etc.
8
AN ORS 106 APPLEDOEE
An Ors (rock, Lizard). Corn. =' the bear,' L. ursa, Fr. ours.
Ansley (Atherstone). Dom. Hanslei, a. 1500 Ansteley, -lay.
Doubtful, but prob. ' meadow with the narrow pathway.' See
next and -ley. However, Anslow (Burton-on-T.) is 1004
Ansythlege, Eansythlege, Ansideleye, c. 1300 Ansedesleye.
' Meadow of Eanswyth,' possibly a female saint. Ajstsdell
(Lytham) is not in Dom.. and doubtful too.
Anstey (Alton, Buntingford. Leicester, Tamworth), and Anstye
Cross (Hayward's Heath). Alt. A. 1157 Pipe Anestiga. Tarn,
A. Dom. Anestie, a. 1300 Anesty, Anestleye; O.E. anstiga, -ge,
' a narrow path, a pass,' lit. ' one footway.' Li Dom. Yorks,
we have Ainesti, Annesti Wapentac, 1179-80 Ainsti, now Ainsty
Wapentake.
Antrobus (Nantwich). Dom. Entrebus. Prob. Fr. entre huis,
'among of the box-trees.' Fr. autre, 'a cave/ is not recorded
till 1564. Nor. names are very rare so early in this locality.
Cf. Wahboys and 1215 Close M. Grambus = Fr. grand hois.
Apethorpe (Stamford) and Apeton (Stafford). Dom. Abetone,
a. 1300 Abbe-, Abe-, Apeton. ' Place ' and ' village of MhU;
a common name, found also as jEbha, Ebha, and Eafpa. Of.
next, Epsom and ' Apetun,' chart. Hants. The ape is foimd in
O.E. as afa, ape, but is hardly likely here. Cf. Apes Dale,
Bromsgrove, 1552 Apedale. See -thorpe.
Apperley (Leeds). 1201 Appeltreleg — i.e., ' apple-tree meadow.'
A. (Tewkesbury) is 1221 Happeley, 1413 Appurley, prob. also
fr. O.E. oeppel, ' apple-tree.' But the common Eadheorht has
once Eappa as var, so this may be ' Eadbeorhfs meadow,' as in
Abberton. See -ley.
Appleby (Westmorland andDoncaster). We. A. 1131 Aplebi, 1174
Pipe Appelbi, 'Apple-town,' O.E. oeppel, oepl, O.N. epli, O.Sw.
CBpU, ' an apple ' ; and see -by. Also Appleby Magna (Ather-
stone), ' great Appleby '; cf. Ashby Magna, etc. The ' Aplebi '
of Dom. Yorks is now Eppleby in the N. Riding. The Don. A. is
not found there. However, the local pron. of this Westmorland
name is Ysepplby, which favours a derivation fr. Hidlp, a name
known in the Sagas ; and certainly in a Danish region ' Hialp's
dwelling ' would be more in accord with analogy.
Appledore (3 in Devon, and S. Kent). Crediton A. 739 chart.
Apuldre, and -dran; whilst S. Appledore, Halberton.is ib. Suran
Apuldran, Exon. Dom. Surapla. ' sour apple-tree.' Bideford
A. Dom. Appledore. Kent A. 893 O.E. Chron. Apulder, Dom.
Apeldres, c. 1200 Gervase Apeldre, 1439 Will Apuldr. Some of
these (esp. at Bideford) prob. were orig. O.W. apul dur (or
dwT/f), ' at the confluence of the streams '; apul being for apur
or abe,' {q.v.); the liquids I and r easily interchange; cf. Apple-
cross (Sc), c. 1080 Aporcrosan. But very early Apuldre was
thought to be simply ' apple-tree.' Cf. Mapledtjrham and
APPLEFORD 107 ARBORFIELD CROSS
Apperley. There is an * Appel doueham ' 1217 in Patent R.;
and there ia still an Appledram or Apuldram near Chichester;
c/„ too, 940 chart. Appildore (Wilts).
Appleford (Abingdon). 892 chirt. iEppelford, Dom. Apleford.
' Ford at the apple-tree.' Bvit c/. Appledorb.
Appleshaw (Andover). ' Apple- wood,' O.E. scaga, 'a wood.'
Dom. Hants has only Aplestede.
Appleton (7 in P.O.), also Appleton Wiske (Northallerton, Dom.
Apletune). 1179-80 Appelton, 1202 Apelton (both in Yorks).
'Town of the apples'; O.E. ce'p{'p)el, 2-7 a'p'pel. Wiske, not in
Dom., is now the name of a little R. here, 1212 Wise, which is
prob. 0. Keltic uisg, G. uisge, ' water,, stream,' hence whisky;
cf. L. I sea, UsK, and I^jrby Wiske. But it may be E. Frisian
wiske, ' a small meadow,' Ger. wiese, ' a meadow," in Eng. usage
seemingly one moist and low-lying. Cf. Whistley, in O.E.
chart. Wiscelea, Wisclea.
Appletree (Derby). 1298 Writ ' Henrico de Apletrefelde.' This
tree was the meeting-place of the hundred (or shire-division).
Cf. Gartree, Greytree, Plumtree (Notts), and Apperley.
Appley Bridge (Wigan). Not in W. and H. Prob. O.E. cs'pl-ledh,
' apple-tree meadow.'
Apps Court (Surrey), a. 1000 cAari. ^pse; also Abbs. O.^.cespe,
ceps, ' the asp or aspen tree.' Cf. M.E. and dial, claps for clasp.
Apsley (Bedford). Dom. Aspeleia, but 969 chart. iEpslea, which
is O.E. for ' aspen-tree meadow ' ; see above. Or else, ' meadow
of Mppa or Eppa ' ; cf. Epsom and Ipsley, also a. 810 Nennius
' Episford,' in our tongue ' Set thir gabaU,' where gabail must
surely be the same as G. gabhal, or gohhal, ' a forJk.' Apsley,
Tanworth, is better Aspley; but a. 1300 Apsele.
Aqtjilatb (W. Staffd.). 1129 Pipe ' Matilda de AquOa,' a. 1300
Aquilade, a. 1400 Aquilot, a. 1600 Acquilat. Called after the
Nor. family L'Aigle, L. aquila, Eng. eagle. The Matilda of
1129 was widow of Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumber-
land, and has also conferred her name on Winford Eagle, Dorset.
The ending is quite doubtful. It may have been suggested by
lade, 'channel,' O.E. geldd,see Cricklade; hardly by lot, O.E.
hht, which is not applied to land till quite late; though lootmede
or ' lot meadow ' is found as early as 1553.
Aran Mowddwy (mtn., Merioneth). W.aran mwddi, 'peaked hill
with the arch or vault.' This is (1590) Spenser, Faerie Queen^s
' Under the foot of Rauran mossy hore ' ; Rauran being yr Aran,
' the peak.'
Arborfield Cross (Reading), c. 1540 Arburfeld. Dr. Skeat in-
formed the writer that a charter has recently been found showing
that this is orig. ' Eadhurh'a field,' Eadburh being a woman.
Another warning against guessmg !
ARCHENFIELD 108 ARKESDON
Aeohbnfield, Aechfield, or Irchenfield (Herefordsh.). c. 1130
Lib. Landav. Erg5mg, and prob. c. 380 Ant. Itin. Areconium,
c. 1147 Geoff. Mon. Erging. Very doubtful; perh. erging may
suggest W. ergryn, ' terror, horror.'
Arddleen (Oswestry). W. ardd llion, ' height on the streams,'
lli<m pi. of Hi. Cf. Caerlbon.
Arden and Ardens Grafton (Alcester, Warwk,). a. 1199 Arden.
The first part is prob, a contraction of one of the numerous O.E.
names in Eard-. The ' Forest of Arden ' is an invention of
Shakespeare, in allusion to the Ardennes, Belgium; so Duignan.
Ardengley (Hayward's Heath), not in Dom., and Ardington
(Wantage and Surrey). Wa. A. Dom. Ardintone, 1316 Ardyn-
ton. Sur. A. 1233 Eard-, Erdendon. Prob. ' meadow ' and
' town of Eardmne,' 2 in Onom. Cf. the mod. surname Harding,
and Erdington; and see -ley and -ton.
Ardleigh (Colchester); also Ardley (Bicester). Dom. Ardulveslie,
1149 Ardusley, 1229 Ardolvesl,' 1259 Erdulfley, 1316 Ardele.
' Meadow of Eardimlf,' or ' Aidulf.^ The Colch. name may not
be the same; old forms needed. Cf. 1297 Writ Arderne, Essex.
See -ley.
Ardsley (Barnsley. Wakefield, etc.). 1202 Ardislawe, 1208 Erdes-
lawe. Prob. ' Eard's lea ' or ' meadow,' Eard being short for
Eardvmlf, a very common O.E. name. But -lawe is, of course,
not ' meadow,' but ' hill' ; see -low.
Ardwick (Manchester). 1282 Atheriswyke, 1502 Ardewyk. A
case of dissimilation; at least, as Wyld suggests, Ather- prob.
represents some O.E. name in ^fSel-; there are many. Cf.
Atherstone and Atserton. ' Arduuic ' Dom. S. Yorks is
now Hardwiok.
Arenig (Bala). ? dimin. of W. aren., ' a kidney.'
Argoed (Tredegar). W. ar coed, * ploughed land by the wood.'
Cf. B ARGOED.
Arkendale (Knaresboro'). Dom. Archedene, Arghendene; and
Abkengarthdale (Richmond, Yorks). Doubtful. Prob. the
Arken- is a contraction fr. some of the many names in Earcan-
or Eorcon- in Onom. Possibly it might be ' valley of the arks '
or ' chests,' O.E. earc, arc. Cf. Dom. Herefd. Archenfeld, and
Arkiaholm, old name of Langholm (Sc). The O.E. dene, see
-dean, has been changed by N. iufluence to -dale. The -garth
is O.N. gar'd-r, O.E. geard, a. 1300 garth, ' enclosure, field, yard.'
Arkesdon (Newport, Essex). Dom. Archesdana. This Ark- or
Arch- here may be contraction fr. the common Arcytel or Arkil ;
there is no recorded Arc. Or the name may be: ' (wooded)
valley of the chest ' ; O.E. earc, arc. Cf. Arkleby and Arksey;
and see -den.
AEKHOLME 109 ARMITAGE
Arkholme (K. Lonsdale). Dom. Ergun. ' Hut on the meadow.
Norse G. argh. See Anglesark and -holm. In Dom. -un
represents -am or -ham rather than -holm — indeed, is a loc,
generally made afterwards into -(h)am; so Ergun will be 'at
the huts.'
Arksey (Doncaster). Dom. Archeseia. Prob. as in Arkesdon,
' isle of the chest,' or ' of Arc' See -ey.
Arkleby (Aspatria). [Cf. c. 1215 Arkilleshow, S. Lancashire.]
' Dwelling of Earcil, Arcytel, or Earcytel,' a common O.E. name.
See -by.
Arklid (Cumberld.). Gaelic-N. argh, G. airigh, airidh, ' a shieling,
a hut ' ; and N. hM. ' a slope.' Cf. Anglesark and Pavey
Ark; also Golcar, Goosnargh, etc.
Arlbcdon (Cumberld.). Old forms needed. Perh. hybrid =
Harlech and O.E. dun, ' a hill, a fort.'
Arlesey (Hitchin). Dom. Alriceseie. ' Isle of Mric or Mfiic'
But Arlescote (Wwk.) is 1080 Orlavescoth, Dom. Orlavescote,
1123 Ordlavescot: ' Ordlafs cot.' Arleston, Salop, is 1284
Close R. Ardolfeston, 'town of Eardumlf,' a common name.
Three places in Aries-, and all different ! See -ey.
Arley (Bewdley and Northwich). Bew. A. 994 Eamleie, Dom.
Ernlege, a. 1300 Erlei, Arnlegh. ' Meadow of the eagle,' O.E.
earn ; though Duignan prefers to think of a contraction fr. one
of the numerous names in Earn-, Eambald, -grim, etc. Cf.
1179-80 Fife Erlega (Cumbld.) and c. 1537 ' Erleghecote
haythe' (Furness) which seem to come fr. earl. See above;
also Arncllfee and Early; and Arle (Cheltenham), old Alra
— i.e., O.E. aler, ' alder-tree.'
Arley Regis or A. Kings (Bewdley). Dom. Ernlege, c. 1275
Ernleie. See above. Regis is L. for ' of the King.' It be-
longed to the Crown in the Mid. Ages, having twice escheated.
Arltngham (Stonehouse). Dom. Erlingeha. ' Home of Arling ' or
' Erling '—i.e., ' the descendant of the earl.' But Arlington
(Bibury and Barnstaple) is Bi. A. Dom. Aluredintune, 1221
Alwintone; Ba. A. prob. not in Dom. ' Town, dwelling of the
sons of Alured.' Searle does not equate this with Alfred. See
-ing, -ham, and -ton.
Armathwaite (Cumberld.). A Httle doubtful. It may be ' place
of ' some man, with a name in Eorm-, Eormenburh, -frith, etc.,
and here contracted. But it may be b.N, arm-r, ' an arm/ and
then, 'the spur of a valley.' Cf. Armley, Armthorpe, and
Armadale (Sc); and see -thwaite.
Armitage (Rugeley). a. 1300 Hermitage; in Eng. 1290 ermi-
tage, 5 armitage ; O.Fr. hermitage. There was one here in the
13th cny.
ARMLEY 110 ARTHURET
Armley (Leeds). Dom. Ermelai. Prob. ' Eorm's meadow.' See
Armathwaite, and -ley.
Aemthorpe (Doncaster). Dom. Ernulfestorp, 1202 Arunthorp, 1212
Ernetorp. 'Village of Eamwulf ; the latter unaccented syl-
lable often drops away. See -thorpe. Armscott (Shipston-on-
Stour) is actually 1275 Edmundescote !
Arnclipfe (Skipton). Dom. Arneclif, and Gerneclif . Perh. ' Cliff
of the erne or eagle,' O.E. earn. But possibly Arn- represents
a man's name; cf. above and Armley. Cf. Arncot (Oxon),
which is K.C.D. 1279 Earnigcote, Dom,. Ernicote — i.e., ' cot of
Earnwig ' or * Arnwi.^
Arnesby (Leicester). 1160 Pipe Emesbi. 'Dwelling of Ami'-
— i.e., 'the eagle.' Cf. above, and Arnisort (Sc); and see -by.
Arnold (Nottingham). Dom. Ernehale. 1157 Pipe Erneshala,
1316 Arnall, 'Nook of Earne' or, 'of the eagle"; see above and
-hall. The present, quite late form has been influenced by the
common name Arnold. On the excrescent d see p. 81. Cf.
Dom. Arnodestorp, now Arnoldstoft, N. Riding. See -toft.
Arnsedb (Camforth). ' Eagle-slope,' cf. above. Side, O.E. side,
here has the sense of ' the slope of a hill or mountain.' Cf.
Ambleside.
Arrad Foot (XJlverston). Prob. W. aradiad, 'tillage,' fr. aradr,
* a plough '; L. aratrum.
Arram (Beverley). Dom. Argun. The Arg- is Norse G. argh, ' hut,
shieling ' ; see Anglesark. The -un is a loc. ; see Arkholme.
Arreton (I. of Wight). Sic 1285. Not in Dom. Hants, but in Sffk.
Are-, Aratona; 'town, hamlet of Ara,"" or 'Are,'' names in Onom.
Arrlngton (Royston, Camb.). Dom. Erningetone, chart, ^rninge-
tune, 1270 Aiington, 1307 Arnington. ' Village of the sons of
Erne or Mm,^ O.E. earn, cern, ' an eagle.' Armiagford, also in
Cambs, has the same origin. Skeat thinks the change to Arring-
ton arose through association with Barrington near by.
Arrow R. (Warwksh.), Arrow Brook (Wirral, Chesh.). A. River
a. 800 chart. Aro. Prob. same root as W. aru, ' to plough.'
The river seems nowhere like ' an arrow,' O.E. arewe.
Arthtngton (Otley). Not in Dow. 1204 Arthigton. Further old
forms needed. May be ' village of Earthegn or Ertein.'' The
name is in Onom. Cf. Hartiagton, Buxton.
Arthog (Barmouth). Dimin. of W. arth, ' a height '; ' little hill.'
Arthuret (Carlisle). Wh. Stokes thought this the same as Ver-
teris in c. 400 Notit. Dign., which is prob. of same root as W.
gwerthyr, ' fortification.' But K. Arthur was a real Keltic King
none the less, and his name prob. influenced the form of this.
The name is first found in Juvenal Sat. 3, 29, Artorius. This,
says Rhys, is early Brythonic Artor, gen. Artoros.
ARUN R. HI ASHBURY
Artjn R. (Sussex). Perh. named fr. a neighbouring hil], W. aran,
' a peaked hill.'
Aetjndel (Sussex). Dom. Harundel; 1097 O.E. Chron. Arundel;
c. 1175 Arandel. ' DeU, dale (O.E. dcel) of the ARim.' Very
early the Arundel family had on their arms the swallow or
hironddle. a Fr. word found in Eng. c. 1600 as ' arrondell.' Of
course, this is only heraldic etymology.
AsooT (Berks), a. 1300 Escot, also Ascote; AscoT-under-Wychwood
(Oxford; see Wychwood), Ascote (Southam) a. 1300 Astanes-
cote. AscoTT (Shipston-on-Stour), no old forms. Ascot or
Escot may be east cot — cf. A'stley; but is prob. = Ashcott, Bridge-
water, ' cot, cottage made of ashwood,' O.E. cbsc — cf. Asheobd,
Dom. Asford. Ascote is ' cot of Mfstan,' a ' faithful man ' re-
ferred to in a grant by Oswald, Bp. of Worcester, in 991> Dow-
Bucks has an ' Achecote.'
AsFORDBY (Melton Mowbray). Not in Dom. ' Dwelling of Asford,'
bailifE at Croyland. See Onom., and -by.
ASGARBY (Lincolnsh.). 1154-66 charts. Asgerbi, Ansgesbia; a. 1200
Asgerebi. 'Dwelling of Asgar or Asgaer'; so in Onom. Cf.
Askerswell, and see -by.
Ash R. (Wilts). 712 chart, ^sce, which is O.E. for ' ash-tree.' But
almost all our river names are Keltic, and so this is prob =Ax
or ' water.'
Ash (Aldershot, Sevenoaks, Sandwich), Prob. O.E. ^sce, 'ash-
tree.' The c has remained hard in Aske, Yorks; Dom. Hasse.
Ashbourne (Uttoxeter and Derbysh.). Der. A. Dom. Esseburne,
1162-65 chart. Essebuma; ' ash-tree stream,' bourne =Sc. hum ;
O.E. buma, Icel. hrunn-r, 'a brook, a stream.' Ash, the tree,
is given as 3 asse and 5 esche.
AsHBRiTTLE (Wellington, Som.). Not in Dom'., and old forms
needed. The origin of the Eng. brittle is doubtful; see Oxf. Diet.
But prob. this has nothing to do with brittle ; prob. it is ' j^sc-
beorht's hill.' Cf. B.C.S. 624 iEscbyrhtes geat, and Astle,
a. 1300 Asthulle.
ASHBURNHAM (Battle). K.C.D. 930 Ashbornham, 'home at the
Ashbourne.' There is also an ' Esburneha ' in Dom. Bucks.
AsHBURTON (S. Devon). Prob. Dom. Essebretone. ' Burton,
fortified hamlet, by the ash-tree ' ; or, ' of ' a man ' Msc ' or ' Mse ';
the names are in Onom. Cf. next and Ashdown.
AsHBURY (Berks and Okehampton). Ber. A. c. 931 chart. ^Escses-
byrie, 953 chart, ^scesburh, 960 ^scesburuh. O.E. for ' burgh,
fort of Msc' perh. he who was the son of Hengist. j^sc rueans
' an ash,' and Ash(e) is still a common surname. There is an
' Asseberga ' in Dom. Wore, which is prob. ' burgh of Asa,^
a name common in Onom. Cf. Ashdown.
ASHBY 112 ASHMANSWOETH
AsHBY (Doncaster) and Ashby de la Zouoh. Don. A. 1179-80
Essebi, Do la Z. A, c. 1300 Eccleston Esseby (the E. Anglian
pron.; cf. Ashwell). * Dwelling of ^sc ' or ' Asa,' see above;
and afterwards of the Nor. family La Zouch. See -by.
Ashby Pueborum (Homcastle). [Prob. 1292 Parva Askeby.]
' Ashby of the boya ' ; L. puer, ' a boy.'
Ashby St. Ledgers (Rugby). See above. St. Ledger, in Fr. St.
LSger, is Leodegarius, a famous Fr. saint and martyr, Bp. of
Autun in France; d, 678. Cf. the Doncaster St. Leger, which
already, in 1567, had reached itB popular corrup. ' SeUinger ' or
* Selenger.'
ASHDOWN (Berksh.). 673 chart. 'In Escesdune LV in loco qui
vocatur Earmundeslea.' O.E. Chron. ann. 661 -.Escesdune, ann.
871, .^scesdun; also sic in a. 910 Asser, who (or an interpolator)
explains the name as mons fraxini. ' hill,' or ' hill-fort of the ash-
tree.' But, on the analogy of i^scses byries Sudgeate or
* South gate of Ashbury ' (c. 931 chart.), this may be ' hill ' or
' fort of ^sc' There are 3 called JEsc and one jEsca in Onom.
Cf. Ashbtjby.
AsHELDHAM (Southminster). Not in Dom. Prob. ' Home of
Ashild,' a Norse female name. But Ashelworth (Glouc),
Dom. Esceleuuorde, 1260 Asselworth, is either * farm of Mscelf,^
one in Onom.; or else fr. the common Aschil, Ascil, or Ascytel.
See -ham and -worth.
AsHEY Down (Ryde). The only adj. in Oxf. Diet. fr. ash,
the tree is ashen ; yet this Ashey is prob. fr. it also. See
-down.
AsHEORD (Kent, Laleham, etc.) and Ashford Carbonel (Ludlow).
Lai. A. Dom. Exeforde; also old Echeleford, Eckleford, fr. the
little R. Exe or Echel here.. As. Carb. Dom. Asford. Prob. they
all mean * ford on the river.' See Ash R., and cf. Ashbourne.
A Sir John Carbonell is mentioned in Norfolk, 1422, in Paston
Lett.
Ashtngton (Morpeth and Pulboro'). Pul. A. Dom. Essingetune
{cf. 1298 * Johannes de Asshendene '). Prob. ' town, village of
the Askings ' ; on this family or dynasty see Bede, ii. 5. See, too,
ASSINGTON.
Ashley (many). E.g., in Dom. Ascelie (Chesh.), Esselie (Cambs
and Staffs), Achelei (Bucks). ' Ash-tree meadow.' Some may
come fr. a man JSsca, as we have Ashley (Staffs), a. 1300 Assinge-
legh. Cf. Dom. Wore, Escelie. See -ing and -ley.
Ashmansworth (Hunts), a. 1200 chart, ^scmeres weorth, which
is ' farm beside the mere or lake of the ash-tree ' ; a curious cor-
ruption. But there is both an Asman and an .Mscm^nn in Onom.
Cf. Rickmans WORTH, and see -worth.
ASHMORE 113 ASKWITH
ASHMORE (Salisbury and Lichfield). Li. A. c. 1300 Estmeresbrok,
Asschmorebroke, Ashmeresbroke. Prob. ' brook of ^scmcer.'
Cf. B.C.8. 1227 on iEscmseres hammas. Sal. A. may be ' ash-
tree moor.'
AsHORNE (WarWick). 1196 Hasshorne, 1370 Asshorne. Perh.
* ash-tree nook.' O.E. oesc, M.E. asse, esse, ' an ash,' and O.E.
hyrne, hern, ' nook, comer.' But -horn in Whithorn (Sc), etc.,
represents O.E. erne, ' house.'
AsHOVER (Chesterfield). Dom. Essovre. ' Ash-tree bank,' fr. O.E.
ohr, ofr, M.E. overe, ' border, bank of a river.' Cf. Bolsover,
etc., also Asher.
AsHow (KENrLWORTH). Dom. Asceshot (-shot prob. error, but cf.
Aldershot), a. 1300 Ascesho, Ashyho, Asshisho. 'Hoe, out-
stretching point of land, with the ash-tree.' See above, and
ASHBTJRY.
Ash Parva (Whitchurch). ' Little Ash,' L. parvus, ' little.' Of.
AsHBY Magna, etc.
ASHREIGNEY (Chulmleigh). Not in Dom. E-eigney seems to be the
S.W. dialect reen, reene, rhine, ' a ditch, an open drain.' prob.
fr. O.E. ryne.
AsHRiDGE (Bucks). Prob. 1376 Assherugge. Ridge in the N. usually
takes the form rigg., O.E. hrycg, Icel. hrygg-r. Cf. Askrtgg.
AsHTON (Northampton, etc.). c. 955 chart. iEsctune, Bristol. 963
O.E. Ohron. ^sctiin, ? which. ' Ash-tree village.' Ashton in
Dom. is sometimes Estun as well as Essetone, but that will here
mean the same.
AsHTJRST (Southampton). {Dom. has Eisseburne.) ' Ash-tree
grove,' O.E. hyrst, Sw. hurst, ' a wood.' Cf. Chiseuhtrst, etc.
AsHWELL (Herts), a. 1300 Eccleston Assewelle (for this spelling cf.
AsHBY DE LA Zoughe). ' Well by the ash-tree.'
AsKAM (Camforth). O.E. cesc-hdm, ' dwelling, village by the ash-
tree,' the hard c being retained in North. Eng. Of Asksam.
The ^sc may well be a man's name here. Cf. Ashbury.
AsKERN (Doncaster). Not in Dom. O.E. cesc-erne, ' house built
of ash-wood.' Cf. Whithorn (Sc).
AsKERSWELL (Bridport). Not in Dom. * Well of Asgar '; several
named Asgar, Asgcer, Esgar, in Onom. Of. Asgarby.
AsKHAM (Penrith and Yorks). Yorks, more than one, Dom. Ascam,
Ascha'. =AsKAM.
AsKRiGG (Bedale). North, form of Ashridge.
Askwith (Westmld. and Yorks). Dom. Yorks, Ascuid, -vid; 1201
Ascwith. O.N. ask-r vi'6-r (Dan. ved). ' Ash wood or forest.'
Of. Ask AM and Beckwith. This is, of course, the same name as
Asquith.
ASLACKBY 114 ASTLEY
AsLACKBY (Folkinghani) and Aslacton (Long Stratton). Dom.
Aslachesbi. ' Dwelling of Aslac '; several in Onom. Cf. next
and Aislaby; and see -by.
AsLACOE (Lincoln). Dom. Aslacheshou. ' Hoe or how or moct-
hill of Aslac ' ; see above. Hoe, as in Morte Hoe, also means
' an island,' as this may once have been.
ASLOCKTON (Nottingham). Dom. Aslachetone. ' Aslac'^ village.'
See above.
AsPATBiA (W. Cumberland). Local pron, Spatry. 1224 Patent R.
Estpateric, Said to be fr. As- or Gos- patrick, first lord of
Allendale, or fr. As or St. Patrick, predecessor of Kentigern,
and patron St. of the church here. In time of K. John we find
a ford near here called Wath-Patrick -weth. Ass in O.N. means
a sort of demi-god, one under the patronage of a god, usually
Thor. But possibly the iirst syll. is the obs. Eng. este, O.E.
est, O.N. dst, ' delight, good pleasure, favour ' ; so the name
would mean 'The delight of St. Patrick,' which is more in ac-
cord with analogy than to caU a place after a man alone.
AsPENDEN (Buntingford). c. 1280 Apsedene, Feud. Aids Aspedene,
O.E. oespe denu, ' aspen-tree vale.' See -den.
AsPLEY (Huddersfield, and 2 in Staffs; Dom. Haspeleifi, 1227
Aspeleg, Eccleshall; and 2 in Warwk., both 1272 Aspeley;
but one a. 1300 Apsele), and Aspley Guise (Woburn), 1232
Aspel'. ' Lea, meadow (O.E. leak) of the asps or aspens,' O.E.
cespe. Of. Apsley, and Asps, 1196 Aspes (Warwk). Guise
may or may not show connection with the well-known ducal
family of Lorraine; at any rate Guises held property here.
AspULii Moor (Wigan). Prob. =' asp-hill ' or 'aspen-tree hill,'
O.E. (Bspe, ' an aspen '; hill is found spelt 2-5 hull. Gf. Aspen-
den and Solihull.
Asselby (Yorks). Dom. Aschilebi. ' Dwelling, village of Aschil
or Ascytel,' a common O.E. name. Gf. HAiSTriORPE ; and see -by.
AssiNGDON or AssiNGTON (Colchester). 1016 O.E. Chron. Assan-
dun; c. 1115 Henry Hunt. Esesdun. This place-name is cor-
rectly translated by Flor. Wore. c. 1097, ' mons asini/ ' hill of
the ass,' O.E. assa, gen. assan, ' a male ass.'
AsTBUEY (Congleton). Not in Dom. Prob. ' burgh, town of Ast,*
given as ' 956 regulus Wore' in Onom. However, O.E. ast is
' an oast or kiln.' Cf. next.
AsTLE Hall (Macclesfield), a. 1300 Asthulle. ' Ast-hill,' O.E. ast,
' an oast or kiln ' : hill is spelt 2-5 hull. Gf. Aspull and
Solihull.
AsTLEY ^5 in P.G.). Nimeaton A. Dom. Estleia, a. 1300 Est(e)ley.
1327 Astleye. Stourport A. Dom. Eslei, a. 1200 ^stlege,
a. 1300 Estley, Astle, Estele. The Oxf. Diet, gives no spelluig
ASTON 115 ATTLEBRIDaE
of East as ast, yet old forms show that many names m Ast-
must come fr. East. See below. So this name is, ' East lea '
or ' meadow.' See -ley.
Aston (Herts, Bucks, Stafis, Warwk., Yorks, and Nantwich). All
Dom. Eston or Eastun(e) — i.e., 'east-town.' It may at times
be ' ash-tree-town.' Of. Ashford, in Dom. Asford. Duignan says
one Aston was in O.E. jEsctun, but does not say which.
Aston Magna (E. Worcestersh,). Prob. K.C.D. 616 Eastune,
1275 Estone. ' Magna ' is ' great.'
Aston Tibbold (Wallingford). Dom. Estone — i.e., ' East-town.'
Cf. Aston. Tirrold ? fr. Walter Tirel or Tirrold, who shot
Wm. Rufus in New Forest. Tirweald was a common O.E.
name; it is the same as the mod. Eng. name Thorold.
AswARBY (Folkuigham). Dom. Asuuardebi. 'Dwelling of As-
ward.'' Owom. has only one^sweri. See -by.
Atcham (Shrewsbury). Dom. Atingeham; later Attingham.
' Home of the sons of Atd' 2 in Onom. For the present form
cf. Whittingham, now pron. Whittinjem.
Athelney (Taunton). 871 O.E. Chron. .ESelinga eg or eigg— i.e.,
' island of the Athelings,' or princes or noble-born men, fr. ceSeZ,
' noble ' and -ing, ' belonging to.' M'Clure thinks the name
purely personal, and meaning ' descendants of some man called
iEthelbeorht, -^Ethelrsed,' or the like. See -ey.
Atherstone (Nuneaton, on-Stour, and Somerset). Nun. A. Dom.
Aderestone, 1246 Edrideston; also Aldredestone. Stour A. Dom.
Edricestone, 1248 Athericstone, 1249 Athereston. The former
is either ' Eadred's ' or perh. ' Ealdred's town ' ; it may be
' stone," see -ton. The latter is fr. a man Mthelric or Ethric.
Atherton (Manchester). Sic 1258-59; but 1265 Aser-, Adserton,
1320 Athyrton. This must have been orig. 'town of Asser';
• or, in its O.N. form, ' Atser.' Cf. Azerley.
Attenborough (Trent). Not in Dom. c. 1200 Adigburc, c. 1240
Hadinbur, 1291 Addingburg, c. 1500 Addyngborough. 'Burgh,
town of the sons of Ead[d)a.' See -ing and -borough.
Atterclute (Sheffield). Dom. Ateclive. 'Cliff of Ata.' The
letter r tends to insert itself, as in Kidderminster, etc. Here
it has been influenced by otter, which is found m M.E. as atter.
Attleborough (Norfolk and Nuneaton). Nun. A. 1155 Attele-
berge, a. 1400 Atleborowe, Attilburgh. Nor. A. Dom. Atlebure,
c. 1456 Attylburgh. Perh. ' Burgh, town of Athulf or Mthelwulf' ;
several in Onom. of that name. But there is a known AttiU in
Dom.
Attlebridge (Norwich). Dom. Ate-, Attebruge, c. 1465 Attyl-
brigge. 'Bridge of Athulf ; see above. O.E hrycg, North,
and Sc. hrig, ' a bridge.'
ATWICK 116 AUSTREY
Atwick (Hull). Not in Dom. Seems to be ' at the dwelling-house,'
O.E. wic. Of. Atcombe, Atlow (Derby), 1285 Attelawe, ' at
the law ' or ' hill,' Atworth, Melksham, not in Dom. and Atte-
well, now only a surname, but 1281 Close B. Ettewell, Notts.
Dom. often has Adewic, but always for Ad wick.
AuBOUBNE (Liucohi). Dom. Aburne, 1208 Audeburn. Prob. ' old
burn or brook ' as in Audlem ; presumably an old channel super-
seded by a newer one. There is also an Auburn or Awburn
near Bridlington ; Dom. Eleburn, ' brook of Ealla ' ; a liquid
sound like al easily slurs into aw. Cf. next.
Auckland. See Bishop Auckland.
AucKLEY (Doncaster). Dom. Alcheslei, Alceslei, Alchelie.
' Meadow of Aha.' Cf. Awkley, Notts, 1278 Alkelaye. See
Alkborough, and -ley.
AuDENSHAW (Manchester). 1190-1212 Aldenshade, Aldensawe,
1240-59 Aldensagh, later Aldwynschawe, 1523 Aldewynshaw,
' Wood of Alda ' or ' Ealdxi ' ; O.E. sc{e)aga, ' a wood.' Shaw
is still common in North, dial, and Sc.
Audlem (Nantwich). Dom. Aldelime. Prob. O.E, aid elm, ' old
elm -tree '; elm is found in dial, as elem, ellum ; whilst old is 4-6
aulde, awld, dial, awd, aud, aad. Cf. next, and Thorp Audlin,
W. Riding, not in Dom. except as Torp.
AuDLEY (Newcastle, Stajffs, and Saffron Walden). New. A. Dom.
Aldidelege, 1217 Aldidelee, 1218 Aldithelee. 1223 Alvithelegh,
1280 Aldithel'. ' Meadow of Aldgith ' or ' Ealdgyth.' See -ley.
AuGHTON (Ormskirk and Rotherham). Orm. A. Dom. Acketun,
1285 Aghton. Roth. A. Dom. Actun. O.E. dc-tun. 'Oaks'
town.' Cf. Acton.
AusT (Tockington). 691-2 chart, set Austin, 794 ib. set Austan,
Dom. Austreclive (' cM '), c. 1100 Augusta, 1285 Awste, Hawste,
1368 Augst. Not ' East,' as often thought, but the Roman
Augusta, name also given to Caerleon by Bav. Geogr. Cf.
Aosta, Piedmont and Eastburn.
AusTERFLELD (Bawtry). 702-05 Ouestrefelda, Eostrefeld. 'East
field,' O.E. easier feld ; easter being compar. of eastan, ' East.'
Cf. 1156 Pipe Austurcarii, and 1166 ib. Austerbi, both Linos.
But the AusTRELLS, Aldridge, is a. 1300 Asterhull, ' hill of the
hearth ' (forge or furnace), M.E. astre, O.Fr. astre, aistre, mod.
Fr. dtre. Cf. Aisthorpe, 1233 Austorp.
AuSTERSON (Nantwich). Old Alstanton — i.e., ' Athelstan's town,'
a curious study in liquids. Cf. Athelstaneford (Sc).
AusTREY (Atherstone). 958 chart. Alduluestreow, later chart. Aldul-
festreo — i.e., O.E. for ' Ealdwulf's tree ' ; Ealdwulf is a common
name m Onom., also found as Aldwulf, Aldulf ; and cf. Oswestry.
A name like this shows how hopeless it often is to guess, with-
out old forms to guide. As late as 1327 it is Aldulvestre.
AUSTWICK 117 AWSWORTH
AuSTWiCK (Settle). Dom. Oustewic, 1202 Austwic. ' Eastern
dwelling,' O.E. eastan (O.N. aust-r) mc. Cf. Austeefield.
AuTHORPE (Louth). Dom. Avetorp. Prob. ' village of Eawa,' 2 in
Onom. Cf. 1155 Pipe Auton, Hants; and see -thorpe.
AvEBTjRY (Calne). Peril. Dom. Avereberie, 1740 (and ? still)
Abury. If orig. Avereberie it may be ' burgh of JSlfhere,' a
very common O.E. name, found once as Mlfuere. More old
forms needed; it may be 'burgh of . JS/^a ' or '-^^e,' also a
common name. Cf. Aveton. See -bury.
AvELEY (Purfleet). Dom. Auileia, 1285 Alvetheley. ' Meadow of
Mlfgyth,'' a common woman's name. One was abbess of Bark-
ing in 11th cny. See -ley.
AvENAGE (Bisley, Glouc). 1337 Abbenesse. Prob. ' Ahla'^ ash-
tree.' AvENHAM (Preston), not in W. and H., may be fr. the
same man, or else fr. JS^e, -en. To-day Avenage is called
Avon Edge. Cf. next and Ashton.
AvENiNG (Stroud). 896 cMrt. to -Meningum (dat. pi.). Dom.
Aveninge, 1221 Evening. On R. Avon, with -ing or -inge here
as a river-ending. Cf. Twyning, etc.
AvETON GiFFOED (Klingsbridge). Dom. Afetone. ' Town, village
of Afa ' or ' J5^e.' Cf. Affpiddle, Avebury, etc.
AviNGTON (Alresford). 961 chart. Afintune; 1316 Aventon. Prob.
' Town of Afa,'' 2 in Onom.
Avon R. (7, 3 tribs. of R. Severn, also Aeon Wrangon, S.
Wales). Sev. A. Tacitus Avona, 704-9 chart. Afen; 793-6 Al3en,
a. 1196 Gir. Camb. Avenina, Avenna; Wilts A. c. 380 Ant.
Itin. Abone; c. 650 Bav. Geogr. Abona; a. 910 Asser Abon;
O.E. Chron. ann. 653 Afene, Afne; also charts. Afene, Auena,
Eafen, Hafene. W. afon, G. ahhuinn, 'river.' The name is
found in Sc. both as Avon and Almond. Cf. Ravenglass or
yr afon glas.
AvoNMOUTH (Bristol). 918 O.E. Chron. Aftena muSa, 1067 ib.
into Afenan mu6an.
AwLiscoMBB (Honiton). Dom,. Avlescome, 1282 Haulescumbe.
Prob. ' Valley of Eawulf ' or ' Mthelvmlf,'' a very common name.
Cf. Alton, c. 880 ^weltun. See -combe.
AwRE (Newnham). Dom. and 1223 Aure, 1160-61 Fife Aura.
Dom. Devon has Avra. W. awr means ' golden ' ; but this
scarcely seems to satisfy. Oxf. Diet, gives awre as var. of
OWHERE, ' anywhere.' But the Old English never made jokes
with their names !
AwswoRTH (Nottingham). Dom. Eldesvorde, 1316 Aldesworthe;
' farm of Ealda.' The change is quite according to rule, so far
as phonetics go. See -worth.
AXE R. 118 AYLSHAM
Axe R. and Axmouth (Somerset), c. 708 Orant Axa; O.E. Chron.
755 Asca; 944 chart. Exa, 1049 O.E. Chron. Axamntha. Keltic
for 'water, river' =Ex, UsK, etc. Cf. Ashford. We prob.
have the same name in the Fr. R. Aisne, L. Ax -ona, the-ona
being the common Kelt, ending for ' stream.'
AxHOLM (N. Lincoln), c. 1180 Bened. Peterh. Axiholm. For Ax-
see above; this was a very marshy region. A holm is properly
' an island in or near a river ' ; see -holm. Possibly it is ' holm of
Mcci,'' a known name.
AxMEsrsTER. O.E. Chron. 755 Axan-, Ascanmynster, Dom. Axe-
minstre, * Monastery on the R. Axe ' ; O.E. mynster, ' a monas-
tery,' then ' a (cathedral) church,' fr. L. monasterium.
Aycleffe (Darlington), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Heaclif — i.e., O.E.
hedh clif, ' high cliff.' But School Aycliffe is 1183 Boldon Bk.
Sculacle, -ley, and 1130 Acheleia, 1211 Aclai — i.e., O.E. dc leah,
' oak meadow ' ; this looks as if there had been a transition
form, aik lee, and the meaning of aik being forgotten, it was
' improved ' into Aycliffe. But the existence of the double old
form is puzzling.
Ayubhrton (Lydney). 1224 Aylbricton, 1288 Close R. Albrith-
ton. Prob. 'Albert's town' or 'village'; O.E. Ealdbeorht or
Alberht, of whom there are many in Onom. Cf. Elberton
(Thornbury), Dom. Eldbertone, 1175 Pijte Alberton, 1346 Ayl-
berton.
Aylesbeare (Exeter). Dom. Eilesberge. ' jEgiVs wood,' O.E.
team. See Aylesbtjby, and cf. Beer, Larkbeare, and next.
The -berge ( = Barrow) of Dom. is prob. an error for -here.
Aylesbury. O.E. Chron. ann. 571 iEgelesburh, ^Eglesbyrig;
1154-61 chart. AeOesbiria. ' .^Egil's burgh ' or ' fortified place.'
Mgil is the sun-archer of Teutonic mythology. See -bury, and
cf. Aylesbeare and Ailsbury (Warwk.) 1272 Ayllesbury.
Aylesford (on R. Medway). O.E. Chron. 455 ^gelesford, also
iEgelsthrep ; c. 1120 ^glesforda, jEUesforda; Sim. Dur. ann.
1016, Eagelesford, 1160 Fife Ailesfort, ' MgiVs ford.' See
Aylesbtjry.
Ayleston (Stratford, Wwk.) and Aylestone (Leicester). Str.
A. Dom. Alnodeston, 1095 Elmundestone, a. 1200 Alvodestone.
Either ' JElfnoth's,' later ' Alnod's town,' or ' Ealhmund's town.*
For Leic. A. old forms needed. Cf. Aylesbtjry; and on -stone,
see -ton. Aylworth, Glouc, Dom. Eleurde, Baddeley would
derive fr. the name Mthel.
Aylmerton (Norwich). Dom. Almartune. 'Town, village of
Aylmer.'' There are several called Mlfmcer or Elmer in Onom.
Aylsham (N. Norfolk). 1157 Ailesham, 1443 Aylesham. ' Home,
of Mgil '; see Aylesbury, and -ham.
AYLSTON 119 BAB WELL
Aylston (Hereford), c. 1030 chart. iEgilnothes stane— ^■.e., ' stone
of jEgilnoih or jEgil.'' See Aylesbury.
Aymestrey (N. Herefordsh.). Dom. Eiminstre. Prob. 'island-
minster ' or ' church.' See -ay and -minster. Cf. Mbnstrie
(So.) fr. G. mainistreach, ' belonging to a monastery,' in 1263
Mestreth. Aydon, Corbridge, is 1285 Close B. Eyden.
Aykho (Banbury). Dom. Aienho. 'Hoe or hill of Egon' or
' ^ga ' ; cf. B.G.S. 226 ^ganstan; there is also a Bp. ^ine in
Onom. Cf. AsLACOE and Eynsham.
Ayot St. Laurence and St. Peter (Welwyii, Hatfield). Ayot, ait,
eyot is ' a small island,' prob. a dimin. of O.E. ig, ' island.' See
Oxf. Diet. S.V. AIT.
Ayr, Point of (Wirral). O.N. eyri, ' tongue of land, gravelly
bank ' =Aire.
Aysgarth (Bedale). Dom. Echescard, 1202 Aikeskerth. ' Garth,
enclosure, court, yard of JEcce or ^cci.^ names in Onom.
Aythorpe Roding (Dunmow). Not in Dom. Old forms needed.
The Ay- may mean ' high ' as in Aycliffe, or it may mean ' egg-
place, egg farm,' fr. O.E. CB3, M.E. ay ' an egg.' See -thorpe,
and Roding.
Ayton (Cleveland, Pickering, etc.). CI. A. 1202 Haitone. Pi. A.
1208 Aton. There are several Aytons in Yorks; in Dom. all
are Aton, Atun, or Atune. This is prob. ' river-town,' O.E.
ea, M.E. cb, ' river,' ruim.uig stream. But cf. Eyton.
Azerley (Ripon). Dom. Aserla, Asserle, 1281 Close R. Atherley,
Azarlay. 'Meadow of Atser' (O.N.) or ' Asser^ (O.E.), as in
Atherton. Onom. has the forms Adser, Azer, Azor, all as var.
of the common Atser. See -ley.
Babe A- Babbicombe (Torquay). ' Valley of Babha ' or ' Behha, '
several in Onom. Cf. Bablake, Coventry, 1344 Babbelak, and
Bablocklithe, Oxon, which mean ' Babha' s pool ' (O.E. lac, see
Oxf. Diet, lake s&* 2), and ' the landing stage ' or ' Hythe '
beside it. See Babwell and -combe.
Babcary (Somerton). Exon. Dom. Babakari, Babba cari, Dom.
Babecari. Prob. ' Babbd's forts,' W. caer, pi. -rau (pron.
-ray), ' a fort, a castle.' See Babbacombe, and cf. Castle-
cary (Sc).
Babraham (Cambridge), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. and 1166 Pi'pe
Badburgeham, Dom. and 1286 Badburgham, 1450 Baburgham.
This must be fr. a woman Badburh, gen. -wge, not in Onom.
See -ham.
Babwell (Bury St. Edmunds). Dom. has only Babenberga.
1289 Contin. of Gervase. Balbewelle. ' Well of Babba: There
are 5 Babbas and one Baba in Onom. In form 1289 lb h ai
BACKBAREOW 120 BADGEWORTH .
common scribe's error or ' trick ' for hh. Cf., too, Babthorp
(Yorks); Dom. Babetorp,
Backs AREOW (Ulverston). Barrow is O.E. heorg, 2 beoruh, 6 harow,
' a mount, a hill,' then, ' a grave mound, a tumulus.' The
Back-, as in Backford, is doubtful; it may be Icel. haJcki, Dan.
hakke, Sw. backe, ' a hill-ridge,' and so the name will signify
' long, ridged hill.'
Backtord (Chester). The meaning of back- here is uncertain.
It may just be ' back ' ; less likely =' hill-ridge,' as prob. above;
very possibly =hach or heck as in Sandbach, Dom. Sanbec, and
so, ' ford over the beck or stream.' Cf. Bacton and Backworth,
(Newcastle-on-T . ) .
Baconsthorpe (Holt, Nfk,). Dom. Baconstorp, 1346 Baconthorpe.
' Place, village of Bacon,'' a name which seems not otherwise
recorded in England till 1200. It is an O.Fr. accus. of a Ger-
manic Bacco. See -thorpe.
Bacton (N. Walsham and Stowmarket). N. Wal. B. Dom. and c.
1150 Baketun(e), a. 1310 Baketon. St. B. Dom. Baohetuna.
Prob. ' village, town of Bacca or Becca.' Cf. Dom. Essex,
Bacsteda, and Baxby, Yorks, Dom. Backesbi. But also cf.
Backford.
Bacup (Lanes). Local pron. Baykop. c. 1200 chart. Ffulebachope,
c. 1470 Bacop, 1507 Bacope, 1579 Baccop. c. 1200 clearly is
' foul bach hope,' or ' enclosed valley of the foul, dirty brook ' ;
see -hope. Bacup stands at the centre of four valleys or
' hopes.' Bach or bache (see Oxf. Diet, s.v.), is a rare var. of
beck, O.E. hcece, bece, O.N. bekk-r, ' brook, rivulet,' which also
becomes batch, as in Comberbatch. Sandbach (Cheshire), is
Dom. Sanbec. Cf. Eccup and Fulbeck; 'foul' is O.E. /tiZ,
2-5 fule.
Badbury (Berks), chart. Baddanbyrig, and Badby (Daventry)
Dom. Badebi. ' Burgh ' and ' dwelling of Bada ' or ' Badda,"
a name common in Onom. See -bury and -by.
Badcox (Erome). Not in Dom. Perh. W. bedd cock, ' red grave '
or ' grave mound,' with Eng. plur. s {cs =x).
Baddesley Clinton and Ensor (Atherstone). Dom. Bedeslei,
1327 Baddesleye Endeshover. ' Badda's meadow.' Cf. Badby
and Badenhall, Eccleshall, Dom. Badenhale. See -ley. Ensor
is contraction of Edensor. The ' Ednesovre ' family owned
the Warwk. manor a. 1300. Clinton is fr. the De Clintons of
Coleshill.
Badgeworth (Cheltenham). S12chart. Began wurtha, Dom. Beiwrde,
c. 1150 Begeword, and Badgeworthy (Lynmouth) local pron.
Badgery. Dom. .Bicheordin, 1167-68 Pipe Badewurth. The
man's name is a little uncertain, but prob. both mean ' Boecga's
farm.' Bicca is also a fairly common 0.^ nan^e; and the
BADINGIHAM 121 BAGLEY
phonetic change fr. Biche- to Badge- is exactly illustrated in
BuRBAGE, also found as Burbidge, now a personal name. The
endings are in root all the same, O.E. worth, with its extended
forms worthig and worthign, ' farm ' ; see -worth and -wardine.
Cf. Bageridge, Wolverhampton, 1286 Baggerugge.
Badingham (Framlingham). Dom. Badincha. [Cf. 902 O.E.
' Chron. ' Baddanbyrig,' near Wimborne, and a. 1100 chart.
' Badingtun ' near Melton,] ' Home, dwelling of the sons of
Badda.' Of. Baddesley ; and see -ing.
Badlesmere (Faversham). Sic 1363, but Dom. and 1283Badeles-
mere. ' Mere, lake of Badela.' Cf. K.C.D. 714 Badelan broc.
Badminton (Gloucester). 972 chart. Badimjnacgtun, Dom. Mad-
mintune [M an error) ; ' town, village of Beadumund or Bade -
mund,^ names in Onom. It may be a patronymic; Baddeley
thinks it is fr. Beaduhelm, a very rare name. See -ing.
Badsey (Evesham). 709 chart. Baddeseia, 714 ib. Baddesege, Dom.
Badesei; and Badsworth (Pontefract). Dom. Badesworde.
' Isle ' and ' farm of Badda.' Cf. Baddesley; and see -ey and
-worth.
Bad WELL Ash (Bury St. Edmunds). (709 chart. Badeswelle,
? Wore). Not in Dom. Prob. ' Badda's well.' Cf. above; not
likely fr. had adj. Cf. Barkston Ash.
Bagborough (Somerset). 935 chart. Bacgingberghe, ' burgh,
fortified place of Bacga.' Cf. Bagley and Bagendon, Ciren-
cester, Dom. Benwedene, a. 1300 Bagindon. See -burgh and -don.
Bagby (Thirsk). Dom. Bagebi. ' Hamlet, town of Bacga ' ; cf.
above and B.C.S. 924, ' Bsegan wyrth ' ; See -by. But,
Baggaby Bottom, Pocklington, not in Dom., is 1202 Bagothebi,
where Bagoth seems a corrupt form of Beagnoth, a common
name in Onom. ; or else it is fr. Bagot, a surname prob. fr. O.Fr.
Bottom, O.E. botm, is found with the meaning of ' valley, dell
low-lying land,' from c. 1325.
Bagden (Reigate). Not in Dom. Prob. ' Bacga' s den,' or else
' dean ' — i.e., (wooded) valley. Certainly nothing to do with
badger, as some imagine. Cf. Bagborough and Bagley.
Bagillt (Holywell). A difficult name; evidently a W. corrup. of
some Eng. name. The oldest sure form is Bagilde. By some
it is identified with the Cheshire Dom. Bachelie, later Bakley.
But it is not certain that this is the same place, and the identi-
fication is phonetically difficult. Bachelie would prob. repre-
sent * Bacga's lea,' as in next. Quite possibly the name is W.,
bach gallt (pi. gelltydd), ' little cliff.'
Bagley (Berks), a. 1100 chart. Bacganleah, O.E. for ' Bacga' s
meadow.' Cf. Bagden and Bagworth. There is also a
Baqnor (Donnington). ' Bacga's bank or edge ' ; O.E. ora.
9
BAGNALL 122 BALDOCK
Bagnall (Stoke on T:). a. 1200 Baggenhall, a 1300 Bagenholt
Baghinholt, a 1400 Baknold. There has been a mingling here
of ' Bacgd's hall ' and ' B.'s holt,' O.E. holt, ' a wood ' See above
and -hall.
Bagshot (Camber] ey), Prob. ' Bacga's shot ' or ' glade through a
wood ' See Bagden and Aldershot. The old forms are
numerous — Baggeshott, Bagshat, etc ; but also Bagshet, Bake-
shet, Bakset, Baggeshete, which Skeat says must be, O.E. hcBC
sceat, ' back nook or comer.' A wood near Winkfield is called
Bac-sceat in Chron. Abingdon, temp. Wm. I.
Baguley (Stockport), c. 1320 Baggulegh. ' Bago'B lea ' or
' meadow.' There is a Bago in Onom. See -ley.
Bagworth (Leicester). O.E. chart. Baeganwyrth, 1442 Bagge-
worth. ' Bcega's or Bacga's farm.' Of. Baglby and Bayworth,
also 1155 Pipe Bagewurda, 1160-1 Beggewurda, Somerset, and
1158-9 ih. Beggewurda, Wilts; and see -worth.
Baildon (Shipley). Dom. Beldone. Prob. O.E. heel dun, ' hill of
the fire or funeral pile.' In later Eng. it is 4-&aZe, 4 haile,
5 belle, 6 bde; see Oxf. Diet. s.v. baIjE s6.^ and bale-fire.
Bailey Gate (Wimbome). Bailey is found in Eng. a. 1300 as
hailly. It is O.Fr. bail, ' wall of the outer court of a feudal
castle.' Cf. the Old Bailey.
Bainbridgb (Bedale). Not in Dom. Perh. ' Straight bridge,'
O.N. beinn, ' straight, direct,' M.E. bayn (though not in this
sense). North, dial, bane, Whitby Gloss. ' That way's the
banest ' — i.e., the shortest. But perh. fr. a man Baga, as in
next.
Baxnton (Driffield and Stamford). Dr. B. Dom. Bagentone.
' Town of Baga, Bacga, or Becga,' gen. -an. Cf. Baynhurst,
Cookham, and 1157 Pipe Lines, Baenburc.
Bakewell (Derbysh.). 924 O.E. Ghron. Badecanwylla, v.r. Bade-
can wiellon; 1280 Close R. Bathekewell, 1287 ib. Bauquell, 1297
Baukwelle. ' Beadecd's well,' O.E. willa, wylla, ' a fountain, a
well.' There is one Beadeca in Onom. Birch says 949 chart.
Badecanwell is Bucknall cum Bagnall, Staffd. Cf. Baginton,
Coventry, Dom. Badechitone.
Bala. W. hala, ' a shooting-out,' bala llyn,' ' the outlet of a lake.'
Balby (Doncaster). Dom. BaUesbi. Prob. ' village, hamlet of
Bald, Beald, or Bealda ' ; here already seen in its more mod.
form. Ball. Cf Bald on, and Balcombe, Hay ward's Heath.
Baldersby (Thirsk) and Balderton (Newark). Dom. Baldrebi.
The original Balder was son of Odin, and hero of one of the
most beautiful myths in the Norse Edda. See -by and -ton.
Baldogk (Herts), a. 1200 Baudac, -oc, 1287 Baldak, Baudak.
An amazing name, given as a fancy name by the Knights
BALDON 123 BAMBER BRIDGE
Templars, its founders — Ital. Baldacco, the Eng. Baghdad !
Cf. Eng. baldachin, older haudekin, a fine embroidered stuff also
named fr. Baghdad.
Baldon (Oxford). 1054 chart. Bealdan hama. ' Bealda's home.'
Note the contraction, and cf. Balby and Beedon.
Bale (Holt, Norfolk), Not in Dom. O.E. heel, O.N. bdl, ' a funeral
pyre, a bale-fire.' Cf. Baildon.
Balking (UflSngton, Berks). 948 chart. Bedalacing; 963 ib.,
Badalacing, Bathalacing; later Bethelking. The Onom. has only
the names Badeca and Badela. But this seems to be a patro-
nymic, denoting the ' place of the descendants of some man
Bedalac,' or the like. See -ing.
Ballestgdon (Sudbury). Not in Dom., but cf. 704-709 chart.
Balgan dun, Shottery. This last is ' hill ' or ' hill-fort of Balga.'
But the name as it stands means ' hill of the sons of Ball,^ a
known Eng. name; in O.E. Beald or Bealda, the 'bold,' not
'bald,' man. (7/. Balby and Ball's Cross, Petworth. See -don.
Balmeb (Sussex). Dom. Burgemere; later, Bormer. A curious
example of the easy interchange of liquids, and the result of
' Cockney ' pronunciations. The orig. name would mean ' mere
or lake beside the burgh,' or fortified place.
Balne (Doncaster). Not in Dom. Possibly a loc. of O.E. bM, or
O.N. bdl. ' at the funeral pyres or bale fires.' Of. Hoxne,
formerly Hoxon, and Baildon.
Balsall Heath (Birmingham) and Balscott (Banbury). 1226
Belessale, 1327 Balesale, Dugdale Balshall ; prob. ' Ball's nook '
and ' cottage.' Of. Bram(h)all, Cheshire, Dom. Bramale, and
Balby, and see -hall.
Balsham (Cambridge). 974 chart. Bellesham, Dom. Belesham,
c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Balesham. ' Home of (prob.) Ball.' See
Balltngdon, and -ham.
Balterley (Newcastle, Staffs). 1004 Balterytheleage, Dom.
Baltredelege, a. 1300 Balterdeleye, Baldridele, -trydelegh.
' Meadow of Bealdthryth ' ; she of this lea is the only one in
Onom.
Baltonsborough (Glastonbury). 744 chart. Baltersberghe, Dom.
Baltunesberge, 1610 Balsboro'. Another case of the inter-
changeableness of the liquids r and n. The orig. name was
' burgh, fortified place of Baiter,' a name found in Onom. as
Baltherus or Baldred or Baldhere. They are .all the same name.
See -borough.
B amber Bridge (Preston). Omitted by Wyld and Hirst. Old
forms needed. Cf. Baumber, Horncastle, not in Dom., and
next. Bamber is also found as a surname. The -ber may be for
BAMBOROUGH 124 BANKYFELIN
-burgh or -bury q.v., O.E. hurg, hurh, and herig, dat. herie, ' a
fort, castle, or fortified town ' ; as it is in Dom. Caldeber.. now
Caldbergh, N. Yorks.
Bamborough (Belford). Founded O.E. Ghron. ann. 547; 709 Eddi
Bebbanburg; 1119 Bawmburgh. a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Babban-
burch; c. 1175 Fantosme Banesburc; 1197 Banburc; 1213 Baen-
burc; 1221 Bamburg; 1281 Baumburgh. Bede, iii. 16, says the
place was called ' ex Bebbae quondam reginae vocabulo.'
Bebbanburh is O.E. for * Bebba's burgh or castle ' ; and Behba
was perh. wife of K. Ida, its founder.
Bamford (Rochdale and Sheffield). Roch. B. sic 1228, 1282
Baumford. Bam- will either be O.E. hean, ' bean,' or beam, ' a
tree.' Cf. Bampton, and next. The Sheff . B. is not in Dom.
Bamfurlong (Wigan). 1205-23 Bonghefurlong, Bonke-, Banc-
furlong, 1200-20 Benfurlong, 1200-68 Benefurlong. The latter
forms are ' bean-furlong,' lit. furrow-long, properly the name of
an unenclosed field of indefinite size. But the earUer forms
seem to be fr. hank,, M.E. banke, Icel. bakki, ' a ridge, eminence,
or bank of a river,' first in Eng. in Ormin, c. 1200 ; in 4 bonke, bone.
Cf. Ashfurlong, Sutton Colfield, 1242 Hasfurlong.
Bampton (Oxford, etc.). O.E. Chron., ann. 614, Beandun; 1155
Pipe Bentune; 1298 Bamptone. Bean-dun is O.E. for ' bean
hUl.' For change of n to mp, cf. Sampton, 833 ' Sandtun.'
See -don and -ton.
Banbury. Dom. Banesberie; 1155-62 chart. Bannebiria; 1298
Bannebury. ' Burgh, fortified town of Bana.' Cf. B.C.S. 1219
Banan wyl. See -bury.
Bandon (Croydon). Not in Dom. Prob., like BaMpton, O.E.
bean-dun, ' bean hill.' Cf. Banstead and Banham, Attle-
borough.
Bangor. Sic 1250 Layam., but c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Banchor, Sim.
Dur., ann. 1102, Bancorensis, a. 1196 Gir. Camb. Bangorensis
ecclesia; also see next. There are several in Wales, two in
Brittany, and more than one in Ireland. Ir. benn-chor, ' a row
of points or peaks,' either a circlet of rocks or a row of hills, as
Joyce has shown. W. bangor now means * an upper row of
rods,' then ' a coping, a battlement ' ; W. bann, ' high ' ; Bret.
ban, ' an eminence.' It so happens that several Bangors are
lofty sites of churches or monasteries, but this is accidental ; and
the common derivation, ' high choir,' is now abandoned. Cf.
Banchory (Sc), the same name.
Bangor Isycoed (Wrexham). Bede Bancornburg. See above.
W. iscoed means ' under the wood.'
Bankyfelin (Caermarthen). Might be W. banc y Ffelin, 'table of
Felin or Velyn.' Cf. Stirling (Sc), orig. Ystrevelyn, and Hel-
BANNINGHAM 125 BAEBY
VELLYN. But simpler is the derivation ' bank, slope of the mill/
melin, aspirated /elm.
BAimnsTGHAM (Aylsham). ' Home of the Bannings.' ' Banningas
nomen populi,' in Onom. See -ing.
Banstead (Epsom). 727 cJiart. Benstede; Dom. Benestede; 1280
Banstede. O.E. hean-stede, ' bean place or store.' ' Bean ' is
O.E. Man, 3-6 ben, 4-6 bene. Cf. Bampton and Bandon.
Banwell (Somerset). Chart. Banawell, Banuwille, Dom. Ban-
welle. Prob. O.E. bdna-wcel, ' pool of the bones.' M'Clure
thinks hena-wille, ' prayer- well.'
Banwbn (three in Glamorgan). J. B. Bury thinks one of these
represents Bannauenta or Vicus Banna vem, the home of St.
Patrick. See his Confessions, c. 450 a.d. This is very doubtful.
W. ban gwen is ' fair, clear hill.'
Bapchild (Sittingboume). Not in Dom. Said to be a. 716 chart.
K. Wihtred Baccancelde, which is ' Bacca's spring ' ; O.N. kelda,
' a spring, a well.' See keld in Oxf. Diet. There is no likely
name with a p in Onom., and that letter remains unexplained.
But celde here must be genuine O.E., and not Norse, as M'Clure
thinks. Cf. Dom. Bucks, Celdestane, ' stone at the well.'
Barbon and B. Fells (Kirby Lonsdale). Dom. Berebrune. Prob.
O.N. barr or ben brunn-r, ' bare-looking bum or stream.' Liquid
r is easily lost. Or the Bar- may be O.N. barr, O.E. bere,
' barley,' Cf. Barbridge and Barford. The ' Barebones'
Parliament,' 1653, was called after ' Praise God Barbon,' a
Fleet Street leather-seller, reputed to have sprung from this
district.
Barbridge (Nantwich). Most of the names in Bar- are doubtful.
The sb. ' bar,' O.Fr. barre (origin unknown), occurs in Eng. as
early as c. 1175, but it may not enter into any of them. Some-
times Bar- may represent a man's name, a corrup- of O.E.
Boerht or Beorn or Beam, as in Barthorpe Bottoms, Yorks, 1208
Barkesthorp; sometimes, especially where Norse influence is
likely, as in Barby, it will be O.E. beer, O.N. berr, Dan. bar,
' bare.' Then sometimes it may be for O.N. bar-r, O.E. bere,
' bear or barley,' as in Barford; sometimes, too, for O.E. beor,
bear, ' beer,' as in Barham. Old forms are always needed to
ensure certainty.
Barbury Hill (Ringwood, Hants). Prob. O.E. Chron., ann. 556,
Beranbyrg; also Byranbyrig, Berin Byrig. ' Burgh, fort, af
Berin,' perh. Berinus, in Bede, a foreign bishop who came to
Wessex a.d. 635. But see also Burbury Hill ; and -burgh.
Barby (Rugby). Dom. Berchebi Is^Barkby. But Bard en,
Yorks, is Dom. Bernedan, ' valley of Bjom,' or ' the Bear.' See
-dean.
BARDNEY 126 BARKING
Bardney (Lincoln). Bede Beardeneu; O.E. Chron., ann, 642,
Bardanige, Bart5anig; 1230 Bardenay. ' Bardd's or Bardi's isle,'
O.E. ig, ige, M.E. ey, ay, 'island.' Cf. Barnstaple, also a
' Bardunig ' or ' Bart5anig,' in chart, c. 680, and B ardsley,
Ashton-under-Lyne.
Bard ON (Leicester, Haltwhistle). Leic. Dom. has only Bar tone,
see Barton. Perh. O.E. hcer dun, ' bare hill.' ' Bare ' is
3 har, 4-5 haar. But Duignan says Bardon Hill, Stratford,
Wwk., is 704 chart. Baddan dun, ' Badda's hill.' For intrusion
of r, cf. Kidderminster.
Bardsea, -sey (Leeds, Ulverston). Le. B. Dom. Berdesei, ' Isle of
Bardi.' See Bardney. Cf. 1387 Trevisa Higden I. 'At
Nemyn in North Wales a litel ilond . . . hatte Bardeseie,' which
may be 'isle of the bard,' not found in Eng. till 1449. But
M. B. is Dom. Berretseige, ' isle of Berred, Beorred, or Burgred,'
names in Onom. See -ea, -ey. For B ardsley (Glouc), see
Barnsley.
Bare and Bare Lane (Morecambe). Dom. Bare, (1) 1094 and
a. 1200 Bar. Prob. W. lar, 'top'; Corn, har, hor, 'summit';
G. barr, ' a height.' It can hardly be O.E. bee?, ber, ' a bier.'
Baregain (farm, Cornwall, etc.). This may simply indicate a
small holding. For other conjectures, see M'Clure, p. 272.
Barford (Warwick, on Tees, etc.). War. B. Dom. Bereford; Tees
B. 1183 Bereford. 'The barley ford.' See Barbridge.
Barqoed (Cardiff). See Aberbargoed.
Barham (Canterbury and Linton, Cambs). Cant. B. is 805 churt.
Beorahame, 809 Bereham, Dom. Berham; O.E. beor-hdm, ' beer-
house ' or 'brewery'; O.E. beor, bear, 3-4 ber, 'beer.' It is
urged that Barham or Berham Court belonged to the Fitzurses,
or ' sons of the bear,' O.E. bera, 2-7 bere. But, of course,
they come in far too late here. Camb. B. is c. 1080 Inquis.
Camb. Bereham, Dom. Bercheham, 1210 Berkham, 1302 Berg-
ham, 1346 Berugham, O.E. beorh-hdm, ' home on the hill or
Barrow.' Earmoor, co. Durham, is iii chart. Beyrmor, (1) ' bare
moor.'
Barkby (Leicester). Dom. Barchebi, ' dwelling of Beorc or BercJ*
See next, and cf. Barkham, Wokingham, 952 chart. Beorcham,
Dom. Bercheham. which could mean ' home by the birch-tree ' :
but Birch, like Ash, Beech, etc., is certainly also a personal
name.
Barking (Essex). 693 chart. To Bercingon, Bede Bercingas,
Bercingas, Dom. Berchmges, a. 1100 Wm. Poitiers Bercingis.
Patronymic, ' place of the descendants of Berc' the modem
name Birch. In Onom. the only forms found are Bercta, Beorga,
Beorht. Cf. Birkin, and see -ing.
BAEKSTON 127 BARNBY
Barkston (Nottingham), Barkstone (Grantham), and Barkston
Ash (Yorks). Yo. B. Dom. Barcheston, ' town, village of
Beorc.'' See Baekeng.
Barkway (Royston), Not m Dom. 1450 Berkewey. Prob.
'road laid with larh' found in Eng. a. 1300, O.N. hork-r, Dan.
harh.
Barlaston (Stoke-on-Trent). 1004 Beorelfestun, Dom. Bemulve-
stone, c. 1200 Berlaston, Berlewston. ' Town, village of Beom-
wulf or Bemulf ('brave wolf). Barlestone, Nuneaton, is
the same name, Dom. Berulvestone.
Barlboro' (Chesterfield). 1287 Barleburgh, and Barley (Selbjr).
Dom. Bardulbi. ' Burgh, fort,' and ' dwelling of Bardolf,' "in
O.E. Bardvmlf. See -borough and -by.
Barling (Shoeburyness) and Barlings (Lincoln). B. Line. 1233
Barling. Patronymics, ' place of the descendants of 1 ' See
above and -ing.
Barlow (Selby, Manchester, etc.). Man. B. 1259-60 Berlawe, 1325
Barlawe, Dom. Bucks, Berlaue, 1183 BoldonBk., Berleia, Durham.
Man. B. seems here-lawe, ' barley-covered hill.' Cf. Barton.
But all the names may not be the same. See -low.
Barmbgroitgh (or Barn-, Doncaster) and Barmby Moor and on
the Marsh (Yorks). Don. B. Dom. Bameburg, Berneborc.
Marsh and Moor B. Dom. Barnebi (this name is eleven times in
Dom. Yorks). ' Burgh, fortified town,' and ' dwelling of Beam,
Beorn, or Beorm.^ Cf. Barney and BirminghIam; and see
-borough and -by.
B arming (Maidstone) and Barmingham (on Tees). 1214 Bermige-
ham. Patronymics, ' place of Bearm^s or Beorm's descendants.'
Cf. above and BrRMiNGHAM, also Bermintona in Dom. Devon;
and see -ing and -ham.
Barmouth. In W. Abermaw. Eng. corrup. (adopted in 1768) of
Abermawddach, ' mouth of the R. Maw.' For loss of the initial
a, cf. old forms of Abergavenny, also Berriew. Mawddach is
fr. W. mawdd, ' that which fills or spreads out.' Colloquially
the name at times gets clipped down to Bermo.'
Barnack (Stamford), a. 1100 Grant of 664 Bernake. O.E. heme-
dc, ' barn oak.' ' Barn ' is O.E. her-ern, a. 1000 heme, ' barley-
house.' Barnacle, Nuneaton, is Dom. Bernanger, ' barn in the
hanging wood,' O.E. hangre. See Clayhanger, etc.
Barnard Castle. 1200 de Castello Bernardi; 1305 Villa de Castro
Bernardi. Built, 1112-32, by Bernard Baliol, ancestor of John
Baliol, King of Scotland . Bernard in .E . is Beornheard . There
is a Biornheardes lond ' in 808 chart (Kent).
Barney (Beccles, etc.). Newark B. Dom. Barnebi =Barmby.
BARNES 128 BARNWELL
Barnes (London). Dom. Berne; also old Bernes. 'Bams,' O.E.
heme, ' a bam.' Cf. Babnace.
Baenet (N. of London). [1199 chart. Bergnet is spurious] c, 1200
chart. Barnette, 1278 La Bemette, 1428 Barnette. This is Nor.
Fr., and a dimin. of bez-ne or herme, ' a narrow space, a ledge,
a berm,' prob. cognate with O.N. harm-r, ' brim, edge.' A very
rare name for England.
Babnetby (Lines). Dom. Berned-, Bernetebi. Prob. ' dwelling of
Beornheard ' or ' Bernard.'' See -by.
BabnSam (Bognor, etc.). Bo. B. Dom. Bemeham. * Home of
Beam or Beom,^ though possibly ' house with the bam.' O/.
Babnack and Babnwell.
Babnoldswiok (Colne), Dom. Bemulfeswic. ' Dwelling, village of
Beomwulf or Bamulf,^ a common O.E. name. See -wick.
Babnsbuby (N. London). It is said to be Bemersbury, fr. Juliana
Berners, prioress of Sopwell Nunnery, near St. Albans, c. 1400.
This is for several reasons doubtful. Otherwise it might be
* baron's burgh or fort,' fr. baron, a. 1200 barun, 6 barne.
Babnsley (Yorks and Cirencester). Yor. B. Dom. Berneslai.
' Meadow of Beorn '; eo regularly becomes a. But Ci. B., also
spelt Babdsley, is c. 802 chart. Bearmodeslea, 855 ib. Beorondes-
lea, Dom. Berneleis, a. 1300 Bardesle otherwise Barnsley, and
must be fr. a man Beommod. See -ley;
Babnstaple. 930 chart. Beardastapole, 1018 chart. Beardestaple,
Dom. Barnestaple, c. 1160 Gest. Stefh. Bardestapula, 1167-68
Fife Berdestapl', c. 1200 Gervase Bernestapele. As early as 1397
contracted Barum (m and n commonly interchange). The orig.
name was ' Barda^s market,' O.E. stapel, ' a prop, a post ' ; then
' a fixed market.' Cf. Babdney. But in some abnormal way
it was early changed into ' Beam's or Beam's market.' perh.
because it is in the hundred of Branton (Beam -ton). Cf. Babm-
BOBOTJGH. There is also a ' Berdestapla ' in Dom. Essex.
Baenston (Birkenhead and Dunmow), Babnstone (Nottingham),
and Babnton (Northwich). First three in Dom. Bemestone, -tuna.
Perh. all mean ' Beam's or Beorri's town or village.' Cf. above.
But Bamton, not in Dom., may come fr. barn. Cf. BabnUam.
Babnt Gbeen (Birmingham). ' Burnt Green,' fr. burn, O.E.
beornan, beaman, past t. 1 beam, bam, 3 bamde, bearnde, mod.
burnt. Cf. Barnhurst, Wolverhampton, a. 1400 Bamthurst,
also BUBNTISLAND (Sc).
Babnwell (Oundle and Cambridge). Oun. B. a. 1100 Grant of 664
Bernewell, which might be ' well beside the barn,' O.E. berne,
earlier ber-ern, ' bear or barley house.' But Camb. B. is 1060
chart. Beornewell, c. 1250 Bernewell, ' well of Beorna or Beom,^
O.E. for ' warrior.'
BAER BEACON 129 HARTLEY
Barras (Kirby Stephen) and Barrasford (Wark). O.Fr. larras,
M.E. c. 1375, barras, ' a barrier or outwork in front of a fortress ' ;
then ' the lists for knightly tournaments ' ; fr. Er. harre, ' a bar.'
Cf. Barrassie (Sc).
Barr Beacon (Walsall), c. 1200 Barr(e). W. bar, bor, bur, ' top,
summit '; G. barr, ' a height '; Beacon, O.E. beacn, is a common
name for a commanding hill — Worcestershire Beacon, Dunkery
Beacon, Exmoor, etc. — but Oxf. Dict.'s earliest quot. is
1597.
Barrington (Cambridge), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Barentone, 1210
Barntone, 1428 Baryngtone. ' Village of Bara, -an.' But B.
(Glostrsh.) Dom. Bernin-, Bernitone, c. 1245 Bernington, is prob.
* village of Beomwine.' There are two others. Cf. Berring-
TON and the surname Baring. See -ing and -ton.
Barripper (Camborne). Not in Dom. There are elsewhere in
Cornwall also Bereppa, Brepper, and Borripper, which good
authorities think all come fr. Fr. beau repaire, ' fine haunt or
lair.' Cf. Bebepeir, HaresHeld, c. 1220 Bewper, a. 1470 Beau-
repaire; and see p. 64.
Barrow (nine Barrows in P.G.), also Barrowden (Stamford) and
Barrowford (Nelson). Chesh. B. Dom. Bero. Wore. B. 1275
Barew. O.E. biorg, beorh, ' a hill '; after 1576 harrow is often
applied also to a grave-mound, a tumulus. It is a common
name of hills in the S.W. — Bull Barrow, Dorset, etc. In the
N. usually it is a long, low hill — e.g., Barrow near Derwent-
water, Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, etc. Cf. Berrow and next,
and Burrow.
Barrowby (Kirkby Overblow, Yorks, and Grantham). Yor. B.
Dom. Berghebi, ' dwelling by the hill,' or ' tumulus.' See above.
' Berghebi ' in Dom. is often Borrowby. See -by.
Barry (Cardiff). In W. Y Barri, ' the Barry.' The island be-
longed to the family of Giraldus de Barry, lords of the island.
The du Barry family is well known, or rather notorious, in later
Fr. history. There is also a Barry, sic 1603, in Pembk.
Barston (Birmingham). Dom. Bereestone, Bertanestone, a. 1300
Berstonestun, 1327 Berstanston. * Town, village of Beorhtstan '
or ' Beorkt.' See -ton.
Bartestree (Hereford). Dom. Bertoldestreu. ' Tree,' O.E. treow,
' oi' Beorhtweald,' a very common O.E. name. Cf. Oswestry.
Bartherton or Batherton, Nantwich, is 1283 Close R. Bercher-
ton, prob. fr. a man Beorhtheard or Berehthart, names in Onom.
Barthomley (Crewe). Dom. Bertemlea. ' Lea, meadow of Bert-
ram or Beorhthelm,' a very common O.E. name. See -ley.
Bartley (Southampton and Birmiagham). ' BeorJiVs meadow.'
Cf. Bartestree. Duignan omits. See -ley.
BARTLOW 130 BASSALEG
Bartlow (Cambridge). 1303 Berklawe, 1316 Berkelowe, 1428
Berklowe, * Hill of Beorht, Beorh, or Beorc,^ all the same name.
Cf., too, Barham (Cambs.) See -low.
Barton (16 ia P.O.). Leicetser B. Dom. Bartone ; Dom." SfEk.
Bertune. Barton-on-Hnmber is thought to be Bede, iv. iii.
ad Barve, which Bede renders * at the wood.' Barton Regis
is Dom. Bertune apud Bristou; and Barton - on - the - Heath
(Warwk.) is Dom .Bertone. Barton-under-Needwood is the same.
But Barton le Street (Yorks) is Dom. Bartun(e), and so is Barton
le Willows. Barton is O.E. lere-tun, ' grange or enclosure for
bear or barley or other com, farmyard.' Cf. Barwick.
Barton Bendish (Norfolk), Barton-in-the-Clay (Ampthill), etc.
There are forty-five such names compounded with Barton in
P.O. Bendish is said to be for fen-ditch, but phonetically that
is very unlikely. It is prob. a family name.
Barwick-in-Elmet (Leeds). Dom. Berewich. O.E. here-ivic,
' house for here or barley ' = Berwick and Barton. Elmet, sic
Nennius, Bede and Dom. Elmete, a. 800 cTiart. Elmed ssetna
(' dwellers in '), was a British kingdom, now the W. Riding of
Yorks. Origin unknown.
Baschttrch (Shrewsbury). Dom. Bascherche. * Church of Bassa.''
See Llywarch Hen's elegy. Bassa or Bassus, a valiant soldier
of K. Edwin of Northumbria, is mentioned in Bede. {Cf., too, the
mod. surname Bass, though it may be fr. Le bas.) Similar is
Bascote, Southam, sic a. 1300, and the 2 Basfords, Dom. Notts,
Baseford.
Basildon or -den (Wallingford). Dom. Bastedene; 1241-42 Bas-
tilesden ; also Basteldene. Cf. B.C. 8. 565 Bestles ford. ' Dean,
(wooded) valley of Bcestel or Beetle.^ Cf. Bisham.
Basingstoke (Hants). 871 O.E. Chron. Basingas; Dom. Basinge
8toch(es), 1238 Basyng. Patronymic, 'Place (O.E. stoc — lit.
* stake '), 'of the Basings,' or 'descendants of Bass.' Cf. Bas-
chttrch. But Old Glossary Basincge, melotae, ' in goat-skins.'
Bessingby (Yorks), is Dom. Basingebi.
Basingwerk (Flint), sic 1277, but a. 1196 Gir. Camb. Basingeworc —
i.e., ' outwork, fort of the Basings.' See above, and Basohurch.
There is a ' Basingewerc,' 1160, in Pi'pe Notts and Derby.
Baslow (Chesterfield). 1156 Bassalawa. ' J5a55a's hill.' See Bas-
CHURCH and -low.
Bassalbg (Newport, Mon.). Thought to be c. 800 Nennius Campus
Elleti {t common scribe's error for c), and so =the mod. W.
name Maesaleg, ' plain ' (W. maes) ' of ^lloc ' or * Aloe,' names
of men in Onom. Close by is maes Arthur, ' plain of Arthur.'
But it is c. 1130 Lib. Landav. Ecclesia de Bassalec. Kuno Meyer
derives this fr. L. basilica, Gk. (Saa-tXiK-j, ' royal residence, court-
BASSENTHWAITE 131 BATCH WORTH HEATH
house,' in L., after 4th cny. a.d., ' cathedral, chiirch,' found
in O.Ir, as haisleac. But there seems no sure evidence or
analogy for this, and it contradicts the evidence given above.
Moreover, the church here is dedicated to St. Basil, and the
-lee or -leg might easily represent the common O.E. leak, Ikb^,
see -ley, and so the name be ' Basil's meadow.' Only, Eng.
names so early as 1130 in this region are very unlikely. The
present W. pron. varies between Maesaleg, Mashalyg (' field of
willows '), and Maeshalog (said to be ' salt-field '), showing that
the natives are all at sea ; and the rest of us are not much better !
Bassenthwaite (Keswick). ' Place of Bassa ' (the -en is a gen.).
See BASCflUKCH:, and -thwaite.
Bassetlaw (a wapentake of Notts). Dom. Bernedeselawe, ' Hill
of Beomheard ' or ' Bernard,' a common O.E. name. But 1155
Pipe Desetlawa, 1189 ib. Bersetelaw. a. 1199 Basselaw {d or t
prob. omitted in error). As Mutschmann says, the orig. name
prob. was, O.E. bearu-scetena-hldw, 'mound of the forest-
dwellers'; cf. DoESET, and see next. In 1155 D is an error
for B. See -low, -law.
Bassett (Southampton). Dom. Bessete. Difficult. Perh. ' heath
of Besa, Bassa, Bass, or Ba^so,' all names in Onom. The ending
-et is generally puzzling ; but for the suggested origin here cf.
the forms of Hatfield, Herts, and Hodnet. The Bassetts
were Nor. lords of Drayton Bassett, Tamworth, and elsewhere,
for several generations. So possibly the name is O.Fr., though
not probably. Fr. basset means ' of low stature,' and gave
name to a Nor. family very early in Notts.
BASSiNGBOiniN (Royston, Camb.), also Bassestgham (Newark).
1202 Bassingbum; 1298 Bassingbum, -borne; a. 1300 Eccleston
Bissingbume (Norfolk pron.). ' Bum or brook of Bass's de-
scendants.' Cf. Baschtjech and Basingstoke. See -bourne
and -ham. ,
Baston (Market Deeping). Sic in chart, of 806. 'Town, village
of Bass.' See BASCHUncfl, etc.
Bastwell (Blackburn). 1288 Baddestwyssel, 1329 Battistwyssel,
1322 Batestwysel, 1594 Bastwell. A remarkable contraction —
' the Twizel,' or ' confluence of Badda.' Cf. Haltwhistle and
Dom. Norfolk, Bastwic.
BATCHWOETBt Heath (Rickmansworth). 1007 cAari. Baecceswyrth.
Prob. ' Place of Bacca or Becca,' both names in Onom. Cf.
BetchIworth:, and Bletchley fr. Blecca. But possibly fr.
batch, var. of bache, ' a river- vale.' See Oxf. Diet. It is the
same root as beck, cf. Comberbach and Plilverbatch, Salop.
Skeat inclines to the meaning, ' farm in the river- valley.' The
sign of the gen. in the chart, is against that. See his own
PL Names of Berks, p. 35. Cf. The Batche, Forest of Dean.
BATCOMBE 132 BAWDLANDS
Batcombe (Bath, etc.). a. 900 chart. Batancumb, 940 chart. Bate-
combe. Gf. 1298 ' Thomas Botencombe.' ' Valley of Bata' a
name m Onom. See -combe.
Bath. c. 380 Ant. Itin. Aquse Solis. 781 ' at Beathum; 796 chart.
' Celebri vico qui Saxonice vocatur set BaSum'; 1088 O.E.
Chron. (Peterb.) Baf^on, 1130 ib. Bathe, c. 1160 Oest. Steph.
Batthentona, also ' Batta quod Bahieum interpretatur.' O.E.
&£bS, ' a bath.'
Batsealton (Somerset). Dom. Badeheltone, Batheaston [ib.),
(?) Dom. Estune, 'east town,' and Bathwick, 'dwelling near
Bath.' See -wick. In all three cases, of course, the first part
is Bath. The -ealton may be O.E. eald tun, ' old town.' Cf.
Eltham. But it may be ' town of Ela, Eli,' or ' Ella,' all names
in Onom. Cf. Elton.
Batley (Dewsbury). Dom. Bateleia, Bathelie; 1202 Battelege;
1298 Bateleie. ' Pasture lea or meadow,' fr. O.N. beit, ' pas-
ture ' ; beita, ' food, bait ' ; or else ' Bata's lea.' Cf. Batcombe
and Dom. Norfk. Bathele, Notts, Badeleie (now Bathley).
Batley Caee. (Dewsbury). See above. Carr is North. O.E. carr
(c. 950 in Lindisfarne Oosf.), ' a rock.' Cf. the Carr Rocks,
Berwick, and Redcar.
Battersby (N.E. Yorks). Dom. Badresbi. ' Dwelling of ' some
Norseman, prob. Beaduheard or Badherd, common in Onom.
Cf. Bttttermere, and see -by.
Battersea (London). 693 chart. Batriceseye; Dom. Patricesy;
1308 Badricheseye. ' St. Patrick's ' or ' St. Peter's isle ' ; Peter
and Patrick are often interchanged. See -ey. It belonged to
the Abbey of St. Peter of Westminster, Cf. Padstow. Change
fr. P to jB is not common, and M'Clure suggests ' Beadurich's
isle,' and compares Beadorices Uurthe, old name of St. Ed-
mund's Bury in Ethelwerd's Chronicle.
Battle Abbey (Hastings). Begun 1070, four years after the battle
of Hastings. Dom. Ecclesia de labatailge (O.Fr. bataille, ' battle ').
1297 R. Glouc. ' Ycleped in Engelond abbay of ])e batayle.'
Battyeford (Normanton). Not in Dom, Prob. fr. some man.
The surname Batty is well loiown, and there is Beata in Onom.
Baughtjrst (Basingstoke). B.C.S. 624 Beaggan hyrst. ' Wood
of Beagga.' See -hurst.
Bawdeswell (Dereham). Dom. Baldereswella. ' Well, spring of
Bealdhere,' 5 in Onom. The change to Bawde- is quite accord-
ing to phonetic law. Cf. Bawdsey.
Bawdlands (Clitheroe), not in W. and H., and Bawdsey (Felix-
stowe). Old forms needed for the first; prob. fr. bawd sb.^,
' a hare.' The second is Dom. Baldereseia, Baldeseia. ' Isle
oi Bealdhere.' Cf. Bawdeswell, and see -ey. •^"'
BAWD RIP 133 BEACHAMWELL
Bawdrip (Bridgewater). Dom. Bagetrepe. 'Drop of Baga,'' or
' BcBga.' There is The Drip near Stirling; the So, verb is
dreep, ' to drop down from a height.' It occurs in Id.E. as
dripe, and in O.E. as dry pen, but is not found in either as a 56.
Cognate with drip, droop, and drop. Cf. Bawtry, Yorks, not in
Dom. ? ' Baga's tree.'
Baxenden (Accrington). 1332 Bakestonden; also cf. B.C. 8. 917
Beaces hlaw, and B.G.lS. 906 Bacgan broc. A somewhat rare
combination — 'town of Beaca,' + -den, q.v. Cf. Baxby, Cox-
wold par., Yorks, Dom. Baohesbi, 1201 Baxeby.
Baxterley (Atherstone). 1327 Baxterleye. A unique name.
' Meadow of the baxter,^ still a common Sc. surname. O.E.
hcecestre, M.E. haxter, ' a baker.'
Baydon (Lamboume). Prob. O.E. Beagan dun, ' Beaga's (or
Bacga's) hill,' cf. B.C.S. 882 Beagan wyl. Cf. Bayton and
BaywortA. Bay =' bay-coloured,' is O.Fr. hai, and is not found
in Eng. till 1374. Bayford (Hereford) will have a similar
origin.
Baylham (Ipswich). Dom. Beleham, 1453 Beylom, 1456 Boylom.
Prob. O.E. Bcel'Mm, 'home, house of Bsel ' or 'Bayle'; cf.
B.C.8. 1316 BseUes wseg. Not so prob. fr. O.E. heel, O.N.
hdl, 5-9 bail, ' a blaziug pile, a bonfire, a funeral pyre.'
Baynards Castle (Horsham). Said to be fr. Bainiardus, Bai-
nardus, or Baignardus, tenant of the abbot of Westminster,
named in Dom. Cf. Bayswater. The final -ard in personal
names, like Bernard, Reynard, etc., is usually O.E. heard,
O.H.G. hard, ' strong (in counsel).'
Bayston Hill (Shrewsbury). Dom. Begestan. ' Town, village
of Begha or Baega' same name as St. Bees. Cf. Bayworth;
-stan i.e., -stone often interchanges with -ton, q.v.
Bayswater (London). 1653 Grant, ' At Paddington, near to a
place commonly called Baynard's Watering.' But in 1720
clipped down to Bear's Watering.
Bayton (Cleobury Mortimer). Dom. Betune, a 1200 Bertune,
1275 Beyton, 1339 Baynton. Some confusion here, but
Duignan is prob. right in making it O.E. Bcegan tun, ' Baega'e
town.' Cf. Baydon and next.
Bayworth (Abingdon). 956 chart. Beegen weorthe; Bsegan wyrthe;
Dom. Baiorde; a. 1200 Hist. Abindgon Baigeuuortha. 'Farm
of Baega or Begha,' same name as St. Bees. Cf. Bayston
and Bagworth, and see -worth.
Beachamwell (Swaffham). Dom. has Becheswella, ' well, spring
of Bcecca, Beac' or ' Beocca," all in Onom. Dom. also has
Becham, Bicham, which is prob. ' home on the beck,' O.E.
heSce, bece, cf. Bacup, but may also be ' Beac's home.' This
BEACHY HEAD 134 BEAUFORT
Beacham can hardly be the same as Beauchamp (pron. Beecham)
Court, Wore, Dom. Bello Campo, which is Fr. and L. for
'fine field '= Belch AMP. Beachley, Tewkesbury, is old
Betesle, fr. a man Beta or Betti.
Beachy Head (Sussex). Fr. heau chef, ' fine head or headland.'
There is a Beauchief near Sheffield.
Beaconsfield (Bucks). Old forms needed. Cf. Baconsthorpe.
Dom. has only Bechentone and Bechesdene, fr. Becca or Beco,
names in Onom.
Beadlam (Helmsley). Dom. and 1202 Yorhs Fines Bodlum. -lun.
Older forms needed. See -ham. But Bodlum suggests corrup.
of O.E. hotlon, loc, ' at the dwellings.' Cf. Hallam, Kilham,
etc. O.E. hotl is O.Fris. bodl. Cf. Harbottle. etc.
Beadnell (Bedford). [Cf. B.C.S. 936 Beaden heal.] Prob.
' Beadd's nook ' or ' hall,' as in charter cited. Cf. Bednal and
Bed WIN, and see -hall.
Beal (Northbld.). chart. Behil, Beyl. Prob. O.E. be, hi. Ml or
hyl, ' by the hill,' as in Biddick, Durham 1183 Bedyk, Bydyk,
' near the (Roman) Wall,' and Biwere, ' by the weir,' Inquis.
Eli., p. 190, ' Hec sunt piscaria monachorum . . . Vttrewere
('outer weir'), * Landwere . . , Biwere, Northwere, etc' Bea-
ford, Torrington, may also mean ' by the ford ' ; old forms are
wanting, but we have Dom. Wore. Beford. On the other hand,
see Beaworthy in the same county. The ending in Beal may
be -hale (see -hall). Beall (Knottingley) is Dom. Begale,
which is prob. ' Bega's nook.' Cf. Baydon and Brill.
Bealings, Great and Little (Woodbridge). Dom. Belinges, and
B. parva. Patronjrmic; ' place of the sons of Bella ' or ' Beola,^
both in Onom. Prob. = Billing.
Beane R. (Hereford), c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Beneficia. This yields
a curious conundrum.
Bear- Bersted (Maidstone). 1005 chart. Berhamstede, and so
same name orig. as Berkhamsted; or else as in Bersham,
' stead, place, farm of Ber.'
Bearley (Alcester). A changed name. Dom. Burlei, 1327
Burlege, a. 1600 Byrley. ' Burgh on the lea '; see -burgh and
-ley.
Beaudesert (Henley -in -Arden and Cannock). Hen. B. c. 1135
Beldesert, a. 1400 Beaudesert. Can. B. a. 1300 Beaudesert,
a. 1400 Bellum Desertum. This is Fr. for 'beautiful wild';
desert in Eng. is often used for ' wild, mountain or forest land.'
Henley B. was in Dom. Donnelie.
Beaufort (Brecon). Fr. beau fort, ' fine fortress.' Called after
the Fr. Beaufort, near Angers. It belonged to the Lancaster
family in the 14th cny. and from them the Dukes of Beaufort are
BEAULIEU 135 BECKENHAM
descended. Beauprb House, Cowbridge, Fr, for ' fine meadow,'
is on the site of a Norman fortress. See also s.v. Beaumaris.
Be AULiETJ (Southampton). Pron. Bewly. c. 1246 deBello Loco Regis
. {i.e., John), 1289 Contin. Gervase Bellum-locum. Fr. beau lieu,
'beautiful place'; founded by K. John for the Cistercians
in 1204. Cf. Beauchief (Sheffield), Beatjly (Sc), and Bewdley.
Beaumaris (Anglesea). Old forms Bumaris, Beumarish, Byw-
mares. The old W. name was Rhosfair, ' moor of Mary.' In
1293 Edward I. built a castle on the low-lying land by the shore,
that so the castle ditch might communicate with the sea.
Because of this suitability of site the King called it Beau marais,
(O.Fr, mareis), which is Fr. for ' fine marsh ' or ' low-lying,
swampy ground.' Cf. Beaudesert. In W. to-day it is pron.
Bliwmaris, just as Beaufort, (Mon.) is pron. Bluefort. Maresden
(Glouc.) is also fr. mareis. But Beamish, Co. Durham, is old
Beaumeis, 'fine dwelHng,' fr. O.Fr. mes, 'a manse, a mansion.'
Beaumont (Lanes., Colchester, and Jersey). La. B. 1230 Bello
Monte, 1316 Beahnont. 1494 Fabyan, ' The castell of Beaw-
mount.' Fr. beau mont, ' fine hill ' = Belmont. But Bowmont
Water, Cheviots, is a. 1000 Bolbend, of doubtful meaning; it
cannot be fr. bend sb*.
Bbausale (see Beoley).
Beaver (Ashford). Old forms needed. It may be = Belvoir (pron.
beever). Fr. for 'fine outlook' or 'view,' = 6ea% voir. Cf.
BeacSy Head.
Beaworthy (N. Devon). Dom. Bicheordin. ' Farm of Bica '
{i=ee). The ending is O.E. wor'Qige, a dat.; see -warden and
-worthy. Cf. Beaford (Devon), old forms needed.
Bebington (Birkenhead). \Gf. 1298 Willelmus de Bibington.]
' Town, village of Bebba,'' or of his descendants. Cf. Bam-
BOROUGH, and see -ing.
Becolbs (Lowestoft). Sic Dom. 1157 Pipe in Becclis, 1298 Bekles,
1443 Bekelys. An abnormal name. Possibly O.E. bi, be
EccLES, ' by, beside the church,' Of. Beeford, Bix, etc.
But prob. one of those rare cases of a man's name in the gen.
standing alone for a place-name, as in Beedon, Brailes,
Coven, etc., and so ' (place of) Beoccel.' Cf. B.C.S. 1117
Beocceles put. Dom. Suffk. has also Abecles, and Dom. Nfk.
Breckles, Breechles.
Beckenham (Kent). O.E. chart.- Beohhahamme, -hema, Dom.
Bacheham, a. 1200 Text. Roff. Becceham. A little doubtful;
prob. not. 'Mecca's home,' as in Beckbury (Shifnal), nor ' enclosure
on the bach or beck, as in Bacup; but prob. 'enclosure of
Beohha,^ though we should have expected some sign of the gen.
Cf. Dom. Essex, Bacheneia; and see -ham, ' enclosure.'
BECKlfiEMET 136 BEDINGFIELD
Beckeemet (Egremont and W. Riding). Eg. B. 1189 Pipe Bekir-
met, a. 1200 Becchiremond. W. Rid. B. not in Dom., but old
Beckermond; O.N. hekJcjar mu'S-r, ' mouth of the beck or brook.'
Beck occurs again in Albecq, Guernsey; prob. O.N. dll-bekkr,
'ed brook.' ' Mouth ' in O.N. is munn-r, mu^-r. Dan. mund ;
and N. nd regularly becomes th or t in Eng. names. Cf.
Amotherby, Osmotherley, and Mite. Also cf. 1183 Boldon
Bh. Becchermore, ' moor of the brook,' in Durham.
Beckeord (Tewkesbury). 803 chart. Beccanforda — i.e., 'ford of
Becca'; 1158-59 Pipe Becheford. Cf. Beckbury (Shifnal) and
Becesworde, Dom. Surrey.
Beokestgham (Gainsboro' and Newark). Dom. Notts Beching(e)-
ham, [Liacs Bechebi]; and Beckestgton (Bath). Dom. Beching-
tone. ' Home ' and * village of Beca's, descendants.' Cf. above;
and see -ing, -ham, and -ton.
Beckwithshaw (Harrogate). Dom. Becvid. It seems a tautology.
' Wood on the beck or brook.' Cf. Beckermet. For -with is
Icel. vith-r, ' a wood, shrubs ' {cf. AskwitS); and -shaw is O.E.
scaga, ' a wood ' (cf. Atjdenshaw).
Bed ALB (Northallerton). Sic in Dom. It is on R. Ure. Analogy
would make this, O.E. he dal, ' by, near the dale.' Cf. Beal
and Bbeford. Of course, it might be ' bee dale,' O.E. beo ;
prob. not.
Beddgelert (Carnarvon). W.=' grave of Gelert,'' the famous
and faithful dog of Prince Llewellyn, in the legend, killed by
him by mistake. Some, however, say the orig. name was
Bwth Cilarth or Bethcelert, and say it orig. was ' housC; booth
of Celer,' patron saint of Llangeler.
Beddingham (Lewes). 810 Grant Beadyngham, ' Home of the
Beadingas.' Cf. Beeding, BedingSam, and next.
Beddington (Croydon and Hants). Croy. B. c. 905 Beddrnctun,
Dom. Beddintone. Prob. patronymic like the above, and so
' town, village of the Beadingas.^ Cf. 854 cMrt. Beaddingbroc.
But both this and the above may be fr. a man Bedda.
Bedfont (Middlesex). Dom. Bedefunde, -funt. ' Bedd's font,'
O.E. font, 2-6 funt{e). Cf. Bedfield, Framlingham, and Chal-
FONT.
Bedford. There is also a Bedford near Manchester. The Bed-
ford is in W. Rhydwely, which prob. means ' ford on this
torrent,' W. gweilgi. O.E. Chron. 577 Bedecanford; 1011 O.E.
Chron. Bedanfordsclr, 1016 ih. Beadaford scire, c. 1150
Bedefordia. ' Ford of Bedeca.' Cf. B.C.S. 1307 Bedecan lea.
The Man. B. is 1296 Bedeford, ' Bosda's ford.'
Bedingfield (Eye and Notts). Eye B. Dom. Bedinge-, Bedinga-
fielda, Bading-. Not. B. Not in Dom., a. 1199 Bedingefeld.
BEDLINGTON 137 BEER
Prob. both patronymics like BEDDmoHAM. But Bedingham
(Bungay). B.C. 8. 81, Beddenham, is ' home of Bedda.^ See -ing.
BEDLiNaTON (Northumberland). Chart. Betligtona, Bellintona,
c. 1155 Bellingtonesir (-shire). 'Town, village of Bedling,^ a
name found in Onom., prob. a patronymic. Cf. Bidlingtojst,
Sussex, a. 1100 Bedelingstone. See -ing.
Bbdlinog (Glamorgan). W. hedd llwynog,' grave of the fox';
but T. Morgan thinks rather, hedw llwynog, ' place with a grove
of birch -trees ' ; they are plentiful here.
Bedminsteb (Bristol). Dom. Betminstre, 1155 Bedmenistre.
' Beda's minster ' or ' church.^ Cf. Bedfont, and see -minster.
Bedmont (Herts). Not in Skeat. ' Beda's mount ' or ' hill.'
O.E. munt, L. mons, -tis, ' a mountain.'
Bednal (Stafford). Dom. Bedehala, 1271 Beden huUe ( = 'hill'),
a. 1300 Bedan- Baden hale. ' Bede's nook ' or ' hall ' =Bead-
NELL. Cf. Bethnal Grben, and 1160-01 Pipe Nthbld.
Bedehal.
Bed WAS (Cardiff). O.W. bed gwas, ' grave of the servant.'
Bed WIN, -WYN, Great and Little (Hungerford). • 778 chart.
Bedewind, Dom. Bedvinde, 1155 Fife Estbedewind, As mnd in
O.E. simply means ' wind,' this would seem to be W. hedd
gwynn, ' fair, beautiful grave.' Though it is said to be O.E.
Chron. 675 Bedan- or Biedenhafod— t.e., ' Bieda's head' or
' headland.' But the two names cannot be the same.
Bedwobth (Nuneaton). Dom. Bedeword. ' Beda's farm ' Cf.
Bedminsteii, etc., and see -worth.
BEEDiNQ(Steyning). Dom. Bed(d)inges (nom. plur.). Patronymic.
See Beddestgham.
Beedon Hill (Newbury). Chart. Bedene, Bydene; Dom. Bedene;
1316 Budeneye; 1428 Budene, Bedene. Skeat thinks this must
be simply O.E. Bedan, ' Byda's or Beda's,' 'home ' to be sup-
plied. Cf. Biddenham. This is a rare type of name, but see
Baldon, Benson, and Wigan.
Beefobd (Driffield). Dom. Biworde. ' Beside the farm or estate ' ;
O.E. bi worth ; -worth and -ford often interchange. Also cf.
Beal and Bidbford.
Beenham or Benham (Reading). 956 chart. Bennanhamme; Dom.
Benneham, Beneham . ' Home of Benna ' ; see -ham. In Calend.
Inquisit. I. we find ' Benham manerium ' among lands held by
Adomarus de Valencia or Aymer de Valence; hence the full
name B. Valence.
Beer (Axminster), Dom. Bere, Beer Alston, and Beer Ferris
(Devon). Dom. Bere, Bera. O.E. hearu, 'a wood'; and see
Alston. The other name is better written Bere Ferrers. F.
was a crusader, whose tomb is in the church here.
10
BEESBT 138 BELLBUSK
Beesby (Alford). Dom. Besebi. 'Village, dwelling of Besa.''
One in Onom. See -by.
Bbeston (Leeds, etc.). Leeds B." Dom. Bestone, 1202 Bestona.
Notts B. Dom. Bestune. Chester B. Dom. Buistane. Perh. Bovis
in Ant. Itin. The Ches. B. looks as if fr. N. hui, ' a goblin ' ; but
the others are prob. fr, the name Begha or Bees. Cf. above.
Beetham (Westmorland). Dom. Biedun, which may be ' Bede'a
hill ' ; it is very rare for dun to become -ham.
Beetle Y (Dereham). Dom. Betellea. Doubtful, mpre old forms
needed. Prob., as above, fr. a man Beta. But perh. ' beet-
root meadow,' fr. O.E. hete ; whilst Betel- might also stand for
Bethild or Betweald, names in Onom.
Begelly (Pembksh.). Old Bugeli. It is thought to be a tribal
name, fr. W. hugail, G. huachail, ' a shepherd ' ; or perh. a
man's name, Bugail ; cf. Merthir (' martyr ') Buceil in Lib.
Land., once near Bridgend, Glam.
Beighton (Rotherham and Norwich). Ro. B. not in Dom. Nor.
B. Dom. Begetona, 1450 Beyton, Boyton. ' Begha' b town,'
Cf. St. Bees.
Bekesboubne (Canterbury). Not in Dom. ' Beca's' or ' Becca'a
brook. See -bourne, and cf. Beckbuky.
Belbroughton (Stourbridge). 817 chart. Belne, et Brocton^ Dom.
BeUem, Brotune, a. 1200 Beolne, 1275 Belne-Bruyn, Brocton,
a. 1400 Belne-Brocton, -brotton, Bellenbrokton. A curious
compound. Bboughton is plain enough ; but ' Belne ' seems
at present insoluble.
Belchamp St. Paul and Belchamp Walter (Suffolk). Dom.
Belcamp. O.Fr. bel champ, ' fine field or plain.' Same name
as Beauchamp or Beacham. Cf. Dom. Bucks, de Belcamp,
1160 Pi'pe ' Belcap,' Hereford, and Beachamwell; also 1281
Close B. Belcham, Essex.
Belch- or Belsheobd (Homcastle). Dom. and 1281 Beltesford.
Prob. 'ford of Bealda,' two in Onom. But cf. Dom. Essex
Belcham. Onom. has one Balchi.
Beley (Glostrsh.). 972 chart. Beoleahe, =Beoley.
Belfobd (Northumberland), c. 1175 Fantosme Belefort; there
is in B.C.8. 454 Bellan ford. Perh. O.Fr. ' bel fort, ' fine fort,'
as in Belfort, Alsace. But prob. ' ford of a man Bella ' ; cf.
Bellingham,
Belgrave (Leicester). Old forms needed. Not in Dom. Prob.
* Bella's grave,' O.E. graf. Cf. above. From this comes
Belgbavia, London.
BELLBUriK (Leeds). Not in Dom. ' Bell-bush,' referring to an
inn sign. ' Good wine needs no bush,' which is M.E. busk,
O.'N. busk-r, 3-7, and still in Nthn. dial., busk.
BELLEFOED 139 BENEFIELD
Bellepoed (Dartmoor). Old forms needed. ? Dom. Boleborde
(b for /, or else v, and so = -worth, with which -ford often inter-
changes). ? 'ford of Bola,' two in Onom. cf. Bolsoveb and
Belfobd. All Dartmoor names in -ford are said by some
to be fr. W, ffordd, ' a road, a way.' This is doubtful.
Bellebby (Bedale). Dom. Belgebi, 1166-67 Pipe Beleg'ebi, Berle-
gerbi ; perh. ' dwelling of Bealdgcer/ one in Onom. More old
forms needed. The name may still survive in the surname
Bellairs. See -by.
Belle Vue (Manchester). Mod. Fr. =''fine view.' Cf. Bel-
vom and Belvedere, Erith, which is Ital., with similar meaning —
' fine to see,' or ' fine view.'
Bellingham (N. Northbld., Notts, and Kent). Notts B. sic 1230
Close R., ' Home of Belling ' or 'of the sons of Bella.' Cf.
Inquis. Camb. Belincgesham, and BrLLiNGSGATE. Also Bel-
LiNGTON (Worcestrsh.), Dom. Belintones, 1275 Belinton. See
-ing and -ham and -ton.
Belmont (Bolton and Surrey). Fr. =' fine hill.'
Belpeb (Ambergate). Not in Dom. Cf. Belbepeie, Haresfeld,
c. 1220 Bewper, c. 1450 Beaurepaire, which last is Fr. for ' lovely
haunt'; O.Fr. bel., Fr. 6ea%, 'fine, beautiful.' Cf. Babbipper.
Belsay (Newcastle). ' BelV^ or Bella's island. Cf. Belfobd,
and see -ay.
Bei^tgne (Okehampton). Dom. Bellestham. Here the ending has
changed fr. ham to tun or -ton. The name of the man intended
by the first part is a little doubtful, but is prob. Bella. Cf.
Belfobd and Dom. Beleslei, Salop. Dom.'s form may be a
scribal error.
Belton (Doncaster, etc.). Prob. not 'town with the bell,' O.E.
belle, but 'Bella's town.' Belthobp, Helmsley, is Dom.
Balchetorp {cf. Belchfobd); but Belby, York, is Dom. Bellebi.
Cf. Belfobd.
Belvgib Castle (Grantham), pron. Beever. c. 1540 Leland
Beavoire, Bever. O.Fr. =' fine to see/ or 'fine view.' Cf.
Bellevtje and Belvedebe.
Bembbidge (Ryde). Old forms needed. Bem- may be O.E. beam,
a tree, a ' beam.'
Bemebton (Salisbury). Dom. Bimertone. 'Town, village of the
trumpeter,' O.E. beamere, by mere.
Bempton (Flamborough). Dom. Bentone. Prob. =Bampton —
i.e., O.E. bean-dun, ' bean hill.' It is 3-6 ben. See -don and -ton.
Benefield (Oundle). a. 1100 Grant of 664, Beinfelde, c. 1200
Gervase, Benigfelde. Doubtful. Possibly ' field of Beonna,' or
Benna,' a common O.E. name, in one case Latinized Benignus.
It might even be O.E. bean-feld, ' bean field.'
BENENDEN 140 BENTON
Benenden (Staplehurst). Dom. Benindene. 'Den or dean or
haunt of Benna or Beonna,^ gen. -an. Cf. above and Bidden-
DEN, close by.
Benfleet, N. and S. (Essex). 893 O.E. Chron. Beamfleot (c. 1120
Hen. Hunt. Beamfled), which is O.E. for ' tree river,' ? river
lined by trees. It is Dom. Benflet, 1166-67 Pipe Bemflet.
See Fleet.
Bengeo (Hertford). Dom. Belingehon, 1210 Beningeho, Benigho,
1291 Beningho. ' Hoe, hoo or high ground of the Bennings,*
or 'sons of Ben{n)a^; O.E. hoh, ho, 'high ground, hill,' Gf.
Bletsoe and next. As to Dom.'s form, cf. Bennestgton.
Dom. is always confusing the liquids.
Bengewoeth (Evesham). 709 cMrt. Benigwrthia. 714 ib.
Benincgworthe, 780 ib. Benincwyrthe, Dom. Benningeorde,
Bennicworte. ' Farm of the sons of Ben{n)a.' Cf. Benefield,
Bengeo, and Benniworth; and see -ing and -worth.
Benhall Green (Saxmundham). Dom. Benehal(l)a, ' Benna's
or Beonna^a nook.' Cf. Beenham and Benson, and Dom,
Benehale, Salop. See -hall.
Benhilton (Sutton, Sussex). Not in Dom. Old Benhill Town.
Prob. ' Bennd's or Beonna^s hill.' Cf. above.
Benington (Boston), Bennington (Stevenage), and Benniworth
(Lines.). Bos. B. Dom. Beninctim, Beningtone, c. 1275 Benig-
ton. St. B. Dom. Belintone. ' Town ' and ' farm of the
Bennings,^ a patronymic. Cf. Bengeo and Benton; and see
-ton and -worth.
Ben Rhydding (Leeds). ' A modem coinage.' Ben is G. beinn,
" a mountain, a hill,' W. penn. W. rhydd is ' red.'
Benson, more fully Bensington (WaHingford). O.E. Chron. ann.
571 Baenesingtun, 1155 Pipe Bensentun. ' Town of the
Bensings.' There is a Dan. chief Benesing in 911 O.E. Chron.
For the contracted or dropped ending, cf. Bald on and Beedon;
and see -ing and -ton.
Bentham (Lancaster and Badgeworth). La. B. Dom. Benetain
(scribe's error). ' Home among the bennet or bent-grass,' O.E.
beonet, c. 1325 bent. Cf. next and Chequerbent; and see -ham.
Bentley (Doncaster, Walsall, Atherstone, on Severn, Suffolk, etc.).
Don. B. Dom. Benedlage, -leia, Benelei, 1298 Bentele, Wa, B.
a. 1200 Benaetlea, Benetlegh. Ath. B. Dom. Benechelie, a.
1300 Bentley. Sev. B. 962 chart. Beonet laeage, 1017 ib.
Beonetleah. Suff. B. 1455 Bentele. ' Meadow of the bent-
grass or bennet,' see above. Cf. Bentworth, Hants. In some
cases perh. fr. Benet for Benedict. See -ley.
Benton (Newcastle). 1311 Durham Reg. Benton, Benington. This
is clearly a contracted patronymic, ' Town, village of the
BENWELL 141 BERKSHIEE
Bennings^; cf. Benengton. Other 'Bentones' have become
Bampton or Bempton.
BEifWELL (Newcastle), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Bynnewalle — i.e.,
' within the (Roman) wall.' O.E. binnan, 2-4 hinne ' within,
inside of.' Cf. Binbeook, and the So. ' ben the house,' where
ben iSi says Oxf. Diet., var. of binne.
Benwick (March). Ramsey Chart. Benewick. Prob. ' Ben{n)a''s
or ' Beonna'e, dwelling.' See -wick.
Beoley (Redditch). 972 chart. Beoleahe, Dom. Beolege, 1327
Beleye, ' Meadow of the bees,' O.E. beo. Cf. Beley, Beobridge,
Claverley, Salop, and Beausale, Warwk., Dom. Beoshelle or
' bees's nook,' see -hall; also see -ley.
Berden (Bp's. Stortford). Dom. Berdane. Prob. ' barley dean '
or ' den ' or ' glen.' O.E. bere ' bear or barley.' Cf. Berwick;
and see -den,
Berea (Haverfordwest). Fr. Acts xvii. 10. Welsh Nonconformists
love to name their chapels^ and the villages around them, so.
Hence we also have Bethel, Beulah, Horeb, etc.
Bereppa (Cornwall). See Barripper.
Bere Regis (Wareham). O.E. bearu ' wood.' L. regis ' of the
king.' Cf. Beer and Lyme Regis.
Bergh Apton (Norwich). Dom. Bere, Berch. Merc, berh., O.E.
beorh, beorg, ' hill, grave, barrow.' Apton is ' town, village ' of
' Apa, Ape, Appa, Appe, or Appo ' ; all these forms are
found in Onom. Baddeley derives La Berge, Glostrsh., fr.
beorg also.
Berghholt (Colchester). Dom. B'colt, Bercolt. See above.
Holt is O.E. and Icel. holt, ' a wood, a grove.'
Berkeley (Sharpness), 824 chart. Beorc-, Berclea, 1088 O.E.
Chron. Beorclea, c. 1097 Flor. W. Beorchelaum, a. 1142 Wm.
Malmes. Bercheleia, 1297 R. Glouc. Berkele. Prob, ' meadow
of the birch-trees,' O.E. beorc, byre. Cf. Dom. Wore, Berchelai.
B. Herness, in same shire, Baddeley derives fr. O.E.
hyme, M.E. hiime, 'corner, district'; it is Dom. Berchelai
hernesse.
Berkhamsted. 1066 O.E. Chron. Beorhhamstede; 1155 Berk-
hamstede, a. 1200 chart. Berhamstead; 1501 Will Gret Berke-
hamstede. Prob. O.E. beorh-hdm-sted, ' sheltered-home-place,'
or fortified farm. Perh, 'home-place of Beorht,^ a very
common O.E. name. Cf. Berstead,
Berkshire. 931 chart. Be(a)rruc-scire; 1011 O.E. Chron. Bearruc-
scir; Dom. Berrochescire, Berchesira; 1297 Barcssire; c. 1325
Barkschyre (which is still the pron,). 'Box-tree-shire,' O.E.
bearroc ; though some, without sure evidence, would derive fr.
the tribe Bibroci, Caesar B.G. v. 21 ; or even say it is ' bare oak
BEEKSWELL 142 BERSHAM
shire ' ! Bearruc is a dimin. of hearu, which means simply ' a
wood, a grove ' ; the meaning ' box-tree ' is a later and perhaps
mistaken idea.
Bekkswell (Coventry). Dom. Berchewelle; a. 1400 Bercleswelle.
It seems 'well of BeorJit or Beret,'' but form a. 1400 points to
an earlier Begrcol, 4 in Onom.
Bermondsey (London). ? a. 715 Vermundsei, ' isle of Fcermund or
Pharamond.' But Dom. Bermundesye ; c, 1180 Ben. Peterh.
Bermundsheia. ' Bermund's ' or ' Bermond^^ isle.' Cf. ' Bear-
modes lea.' Worcestersh. in Grant, c. 802; and see -ey.
Berney Arms (Yarmouth). ? fr. the Fr. Bemay near Evreux.
Villages called after public - houses are common all over
England, and not less so in Wales.
Bernwood Forest (Bucks). 921 O.E. Chron. Bymewudu —
i.e., O.E for ' Beom's ' or ' Byrne's wood.' O.N. hjorn means
' a bear.'
Berriew (Montgomery). =Aber-Rhiw, ' confluence of the R.
Rhiw ' with the Severn. In W. rhiw is ' a break out ' ; also ' a
slope.' Of. Barmouth.
Berrington (Tenbury and Shrewsbury and Glostrsh.). Te. and
Sh. B. Dom. Beritune. Te. B. 1275 Beriton. Gl. B. 1273
Byrton. Possibly =BT7RT0]sr; quite as likely, 'town of BcBra,'
-an, now become Berry. Cf. Barren gton and Burbxjry; and
see -ing.
Bbrrow (Bumham and Ledbury). Var. of Barrow.
Berry Brow (Huddersfield). Berry, like the above, is perh. a
variant of Barrow, ' a hill, a mound/ M.E. herghe, herie.
But Berry or Btjuy Hill, Stone, is a 1300 Leburi; see -bury.
Brow, O.E. bru, is found used for ' brow or edge of a hill ' as early
as c. 1435. In North, dial, it commonly means ' a slope, an
ascent,' as in Everton Brow and Shaw's Bro\*-, two steep
streets in Liverpool. Cf. Dom. Warwk. and Wore, ' Beri-
cote.' The Yorks Dom. Berg has now become Baragh and
Barugh.
Berrymead Priory (Acton, Middlesex). ' Mead or meadow with
the mound or hillock.' See Berry Brow and Barrow.
BerrynIrbor (Dfracombe). Old forms needed. Not in Dom.,
and all is doubtful. The first part is prob. O.E. biorn, beam,
4^5 beryn, ' a hero, a warrior.' As to -arbor, it might quite
possibly be for harbour, the M.E. herberg, in 6 harbor, which
means orig. ' any kind of place of shelter or sojourn.' Not so
likely fr. arbour, which is fr. Fr. and first in Eng. c. 1300
herber.
Bersham (Wrexham). Old forms needed, cf. Dom. Sffk., Barsha;
but prob. ' home of Ber,' a man named in Chesh. Dom,
BERSTED 143 BETTISFIELD
Beested (Sussex). 680 chart. Beorganstede, O.E, for ' Beorgd's
place ' ; 2 Beorgas in Onom.
Berwick (on Tweed, etc.). 700-15 chart. Wihtred Bereueg (Kent);
1060 chart. Uppwude cum Ravelaga berewico suo ' ; Ber. on Tw.
1097 Berwick, a. 1150 Berewic, Berwich, 1187 Suthberwyc (as
contrasted with North Berwick, Sc). Shrewsbury B. Dom.
Berewic. O.E. berewic ' a demesne farm,' fr. here, ' barley,' and
wic, ' dwelling, village.' Cf. Barton, also Berwick St. James
and St. John, Salisbury.
Berwyn (Llangollen) and Bbrwyn Mtn. W. aher gwyn, ' clear,
bright confluence.' For loss of a- cf. Abergavenny and Berriew.
Beryan (Cornwall). Sic 1536. Called after Buriena, pretty
daughter of Aengus, K. of Munster, time of St. Patrick.
Besoar Lane (Southport). Old forms needed. Not in Wyld and
Hirst. Possibly it is = Bess agar, Cantley, Yorks, 1202 Besacre,
which, though it might be ' Bead's acre ' or ' field,' is prob.
' Besa'a rock,' Anglian O.E. carr. But Bes- may represent
many things. See below.
Bescot (Walsall) . Dom. Bresmundes cot, a. 1300 Ber (e)mundescote,
Bermondscote, Bermonscot, a. 1400 Berkmondescote, Berkes-
cote. This is an extraordinarily contracted form, fr. O.E.
Beorhtmundes cot.
Besthorpb (Attleborough and Newark). At. B. Dom. Besethorp,
Ne. B. Bestorp. * Bead's village.' Cf. Beeston and Bescar,
and see -thorpe. Bessingby, Yorks, was Dom. Basingebi.
Beswick (Manchester and Beverley). Man. B. 1327 Bexwyk,
' jBecc's dwelling.' But Bev. B. is Dom. Basewic, which is prob.
' Bassa^e dwelling.' Cf. Baschurch and Bastwell. See
-wick.
Betchley (Tiddenham). Old Bettisley, 'lea of Betti.^ Cf.
BeacbCley, Batchworth, and Betchworth, Surrey (? fr. Becca).
Bethania (B1. Festiniog), BetbCel (Carnarvon), BetSbsda (Bangor),
and Beulab: (Brecon) are all Bible names for villages called
after Nonconformist chapels. Cf. Berea.
BethInal Green (London), a. 1600 Bednall Green. Said to be
' Bathon's hall,' fr. the famOy Bathon, who had lands in Stepney,
temp. Edw. I. But Bednal is Bedanhedl or ' Bede's nook or
haU.' See -hall.
Betley (Crewe). Dom. Betelege, a. 1200 Betteleg. 'Veto's
lea or meadow.' O.E, bete also means 'beet root'; but this
would give Beetley. Cf. Bitton.
Bettisfield (Whitchurch). Dom. Beddesfeld. 'Field of Beta^
Betti, or Bettu,' all names found in Onom. Cf. Dom. Bucks,
Betesdene
BETTWS 144 BEXLEY
Bettws (8 in P.G.). W. hettws, ' a place of shelter and comfort,'
' a (prayer) house.' Common in Wales, and there are two in
England, B. Y Cbwwyn (O.W. crewyn, ' pen, sty, hovel '), S.W.
Salop, and B. Newydd (' new '), Newport, Mon. It seems now
agreed that W. hettws phonetically and actually represents Eng.
head-house, c. 1160 hed hus, ' prayer-house, almshouse.' Bettws
is said to have been first applied to a W. parish church in 1292,
Taxat. of Benefices. But how is it that Wales has so many
' bead-houses ' among her place-names, and England none ?
Bettws Cedewen (Montgomery). Cedewen is prob. Gedwyn, a
Welsh sixth cny. saint.
Bettws Gabmon (Caernarvon). ' House of St. Oarmon^ or Oermanus,
twice a visitor of Britain, and perh. the man who sent St. Patrick
to Ireland. Of. Capel Garmon and Llanarmon.
Bettws-Gwebftjl-Goch (Corwen). ' House of Red Gwerfid' who
must have been a W. saint. Cf. Ffynon gwerfil, ' Gwerfil's well,'
a farm, Cardigansh.
Bettws-y-Coed (N. Wales). W. ' house in the wood.'
Bevere(ge) (island in Severn). Chart. Beverege, a. llOOBeverie.
O.E. heofer-ige, ' beavef-isle.' The beaver was not extinct in
England till c. 1100. Ige as an ending in Eng. names has usually
become -ey, q.v.
Beverley. Dom. Bevreli, Beurelie; c. 1180 Bened. Peterh. Bever-
lacum; 1387 Trevisa, ' Beverlay . . . the place or lake of bevers.'
O.E. heofer or hyfere-leah, ' beaver- meadow ' ; though both Bened.
and Trevisa seem to think the ending may be O.E. lac, ' pool.'
Cf. FtLEY. Beverley is also the name of a brook at Wimbledon,
693 chart. Beferith, where rith is ' stream.' Cf. above.
Beverstone (Tetbury), 1048 O.E. Chron. Beofres stan. — i.e., ' the
beaver's rock,' Dom. Beurestone.
Bewcastle (Carlisle). O.Fr. heau castel, ' fine castle.' Cf. Beau-
lietj pron. Bewley, and next.
Bewdley (Eadderminster). 1304 Beaulieu, c. 1440 Bewdeley.
Fr. heau lieu, ' beautiful spot,' as in Beaulieu. Hants, pron.
Bewly. Also cf. Bewsboro', Kent, 1228 Close R. Beausbergh.
BewSolme (Hull). Dom. Begun, 1202 Beighum. Prob. ' Begha's
ham,'' or ' home.' The endings -ham and -holme, ' meadow,'
q.v., often interchange. Possibly hegun may be loc. of O.E. heg,
' at the rings.' This loc. is common in Yorks. See -ham.
Bexhell (Hastings). Dom. has only Bexelei. ' Becca's hill.' Cf.
next, B.C. 8. 309 Beccanford, and Dom. Bucks, Bechesdene.
Bexley (Kent). Dom. Bix; a. 1200 Text. Roff. Bixle; later Bekes-
ley; also cf. Dom. Hants, Bexeslei. ' Bica's, Biccd's, or Becca's
lea or meadow.' All these names are found in Onom. Cf.
Bexhill and Bix.
BEYTON 145 BICKLEIOH
Bbyton (Bury St. Edmund's). Dom. Begatona, 1288 Beyton.
' Begha's town.' Cf. Bay worth.
BiBURY (Fairford, Glostr.). c. 740 chart. Beagan byrig, Dom.
Beche-, Begeberie. This must be as above, ' burgh, fortified
town of Begha.' See -bury.
Bicester (Oxon). Dom. 1307 Berneoestre, ? 1149 Burcetur,
1216 Bumecestr', 1414-31 Burcestre, 1495 Bysseter, 1612 Bisceter,
1634 Bister, the present pron. ' Camp of Beorn,' in N. Biom.
A fine study in the disappearance of liquids ! See -cester.
BiokenHill (Birmingham). Dom. Bichehelle a. 1200 Bychen hulle,
Bigen-, Biken hull, O.E. Bicanhyll, ' hill of Bica: 3 in Onom.
Of. BiCKMARSH, Alcester, 967 chart. At Bicanmersce. It is
just possible it is ' beacon-hiU,' O.E. becen, hecun, Wyclii
bikene, S.W. dial, bick'n. This is not confirmed by BiokmarsA,
Honeyboume, Dom. Bichemerse, 1608 Bickemershe.
Bicker (Boston). Dom. Bichere. Doubtful. Prob. not M.E. biker
(1297 R. Glouc), origin unknown, ' a bicker, a skirmish'; nor
O.N. bikarr, ' a beaker, an open cup or goblet,' used here to
describe the shape of the site ; but prob. var. of O.N. bekk-r,
' a brook.' Also cf. next.
BiOKERSTAFFE (Ormskirk). c. 1200 Bikerstat, 1230 Bykstat,
c. 1260 Berkerstat, c. 1280 Bekirstat, 1292 Bykerstath. 1267
Bikerstaff. The Bicker- is a little uncertain. The Eng. bicker,
' a quarrel,' is of unknown origin, and not found till 1297, so is
unlikely here. The o\d forms seem to waver between 0.1J5,
hekkjar, ' of the brook,' cf. Beckermet, and bjarkar, gen. of
O.N. bjork, 'birch.' The ending is curious; it also wavers
between O.N. sta^-r, ' place,' and O.E. stcB]>, ' shore, river-bank ' ;
this is still preserved in the personal name Bickersteth. Cf.
Bickershaw, Wigan, and Bycardyke, 1189 Bikeresdic, Notts.
BiCKBRTON (Wetherby and Cheshire). Weth. B.Do?n. Bickretone,
Bichreton. Ches. B. Dom. Bicretone. As bicker is not found in
Eng. till 1297, prob. ' brook-town.' See above and Bickerstafee.
BiCKERY (Glastonbury). 971 chart. ' In insulis ' {i.e., the low
lands often forming islands in flood-time) . . . Beheria, which is
called ' parva Ybernia,' or 'little Ireland'; fr. O.Ir. bee Eriu,
' little Erin,' Erinn being gen. of Eriu. Off Wexford is Beggary-
island, really the same name; M'Clure, p. 205.
BiCKiNGTON (Barnstaple and Newton Abbot). Dom. Bichentone.
' Town, village of Bic{c)a,' gen. -an. See above. Cf. Bexley,
and 1167-8 Pipe Devon, Bichingbrige. See -ing.
BiCKLEiGH (Tiverton) and Bickley (Kent). Both in Dom. Bichelei.
' Bicca's ' or ' Bica's meadow.' Cf. Bickford, Penkridge, Dom.
Bigeford, 1334 Bikeford, prob. fr. Bica too; also Dom. Chesh.
Bichelei, and Devon Bicheford.
BICKNACRE 146 BIGGIN
BiOKNACEE (Chelmsford). ' Field of Bica,'' -an. Acre is O.E. cecer,
acer, 'a plain, open country'; L. ag&r, 'a field.' Gf. BiCken-
HliLL, and next.
BiCKNOLLEB (Taunton). Dom. has only Bichehalle. ' Bicd's
alder'; or else perh. 'Beacon-alder-tree/ O.E. alor, aler, air,
olr, ' an alder.' See above and Bickenhill. Bicknok. on
Wye, Dom. Bicanofre, 1298 Bykenore, is clearly ' Bica' 8 bank.'
See -or, -over.
BiOKTON Heath (Shrewsbury). Dom. Biqhetone, also ib. Biche-
done (Bucks). [Cf. 1298, 'Thomas de Bikebury.] ' Bicca's
town or village.' Of. Bexley and Bickleigh.
BiDDENDEN (Staplehurst) and Biddenham (Bedford). Old Biden-,
Bedenham. ' Biddd's ' or ' Byda'a wooded valley ' and ' home.'
Cf. Beedon, and Bidboro', Tunbridge Wells; and see -den and
-ham.
BiDDESTONE (Qhippenham) . Dom. Bedestone, ' Bedda's' or
' Bidda's stone' or 'town.' See -ton; and cf. Bidston, Dom.
Chesh,. Bedesfeld, and above.
BiDDLE R. (Congleton). Doubtful, as so many Eng. river names
are. ? W. bedw-dol, ' birch-tree meadow.'
BrDDULPH (Congleton). Dom. and later Bidolf. This is an O.E.
personal name, Beadulf or Beaduwulf. Such are very rarely
applied to places without a suffix; but cf. Cbantock, Snitter,
Northbld., Tydd, etc.
BrD]s;roBD. Dom. Bedeford, a. 1300 Bydyford, Budeford. The
form ' Bythef ord ' is also found early ; but this is mere ' popular
etymology.' The name is ' ford of Bede, Buda,' or ' Byda.'
Cf. BiDDESTONE and next. Possibly -ford may be for fjord, as
in Haverfordwest, Waterford, Wexford, etc. The Norsemen
came all round the Bristol Channel.
Bidford (Stratford-on-Avon). 710 cTiart. Budiforde, Dom. Bede-
ford, a. 1600 Bidford. ' Ford of Buda,' 3 in Onom., wjiich has
also 2 Bydas. Cf. above, and Bidfield, For. of Dean, old Bude-
field.
Bidston (Birkenhead), and Biel. See Biddestone and Beal.
BiERTON (Aylesbury). Dom. Bertone. Prob. ' bear ' or ' barley
-town.' O.E. here, 6-8 beer. Hardly fr. O.E. beer, ber, ' a bier
for carrying a corpse.' North Bierley (Yorks), Dom. Birle, looks
as if Eng. -ley h,ad been attached to O.N. by-r, ' house, hut, byre.'
BiGBTJRY (Kiugsbridge). Dom. Bicheberie. Notfr. ' big,' adj., which
is unknown in Eng. till c. 1300, but ' Bica's or Biga's burgh,'
or ' fort.' Cf. BiGSWEiB on Wye, 1322 Bikiswere. See -bury.
Biggest (Coventry and Rugby) and Biggest Hill (Westerham, Kent).
The only old form we have met is Cov. B. 1 327 Buggiuge. Biggin
is North, word for ' building, house,' O.N. byggja, ' to dwell, to
BIGGLESWADE 147 BILLINGTON
build,' already found in 1153 Newbigginghe, Oxnam, Roxbgh.;
but prob. it only filtered late South into Warwick. In Kent it
seems most unlikely; there biggin may be Fr. heguin, 'a
child's cap,' found in Eng. fr. 1530, whose shape might easily
be thought like that of the hill; or else fr. a man Biga, -an.
Biggleswade (Beds). Dom. and 1132 Bicheleswade, -da., 'Ford,'
lit. ' wading-place of Bichel' or ' Beccel.^ Perh. he who was
servant of St. Guthlac of Croyland; -wade is O.E. weed, M.E.
wath, ' a ford.'
BiGHTON (Alresford). Dom. Bighetone. ' Bigha's, Biga's, or
Begha'8 town or village.'
BiGN ALL End (Staff ordsh.). Not in Duignan. Prob. ' J5^Va's' or
' Bigo's nook ' or ' hall.' Cf. Beadnell and Bednal. The n is
the sign of the gen. See -hall.
BiGRiGG (Carnforth). Possibly 'Big ridge'; see -rigg. Big is an
adj. of unknown origin, and does not come into Eng. imtil
Havelock, a. 1300, The hig may also be O.N. hygg, 'barley,'
found in Eng, and Sc. fr. c. 1450.
BiLBEOUGH (York). Ini)om.Mileburg(?fr.amanlf^7o). 'Burgh,
fortified town of Billa,^ as in Bilham and Bilton also in Yorks,
Dom. Bileham and Bil(l)etone. Cf. BilsborougH, Bilborough,
Notts, Dom. Bileburg(h), and Dom. Essex, Bilichangra, ' steep
slope of Bila.' See -burgh.
Billesdon (Leicester). ' Billa's dune' or 'hill,' or 'fort.' Cf.
BiLBOROTJGH, and BiLLESLEY (Warwk.), 704 chart. Billes Iseh,
Dom. Billeslei, 1157 Pipe Bileslega; and see -don.
Billing (Wigan). Patronymic. There are two Billings in Onom.
It may mean ' descendant of Belin.^ On ' bhssful King Belyn '
see c. 1205 Layamon, 4290 seq. Cf. Billiagford, Dereham, Bil-
lingham, Stockton, and next; also Bealengs,
Billinghay (Lincoln). 1285 ' Waltero de Billingeye' (found in
Norfolk). See above; -hay is O.E, haga, Icel. hagi, ' an enclosed
field,' same root as hedge.
BiLLiNGLEY (Yorks). Dom. Bilingeleia, 1178-80 Pipe Billingslea,
and BiLLiNGSLEY (Bridgnorth). Perh. 1055 O.E. Chron.
Bylgesleg. ' Billing's meadow.' Cf. a. 1100 ' Belnesthorpe,'
Lines. See -ley.
Billingsgate (London) and BtLLiNGSfiuRST (Sussex). 1250 Laya-
mon, Belynes jat. See Billing, and -hurst, ' a wood ' ; also cf
1155 Pipe Bilingete, Hants.
Billington (Stafford), Dom. Belintone, and Billington Langho
(Whalley). Sim. Dur. ann. 798 Billmgahoth. 'Town of the
Billings,' see Billing. The -both in Sim. Dur. may represent
the -ho in Langho. Hoe, as in Plymouth Hoe, is O.E. hoh, ho,
' a hill, high ground.'
BILNEY 148 BINSTEAD
BiLNEY, East (Dereham). Dom. Bilenei, 1298 Bilneie. 'Isle of
BiUl)a' Cf. BiNLEY, and see -ey.
BiLSBOBOUGH (Preston), and Belsby (Alford). Dom. Billesbi.
=Bilbe.oxjgh:. ' Billa'a burgh or fort,' and ' dwelling.' See
-borough and -by.
BiLSTON. 994 Bilsetnatun, -netun, Dom. Billestune, a. 1300 Biles-
tun, -tone. ' Billd's town' or 'village.' See Bilbbough and
BiLLESDON. In 994 -setna is gen. pi. of scstan, ' a settler,
dweller in.' Cf. Dorset, Somerset, etc.
BiLTON (Knaresboro' and Rugby). Knar, B. Dom. Billetone, Bile-
ton. 'Billa'a town.' See BilbbougS. But Rug. B. is Dom.
Beltone, 1236 Belton, 1327 Beultone. Duignan says this is
O.E. Beolantun, ' town of Beola,' only one in Onom.
BmBBOOK (Market Rasen). Dom. Binnebroc. Prob. ' within the
brook.' O.E. binnan, M.E. byn, ' within, inside.' Cf. Ben well,
BiNFiELD, etc. But Binneford (Stockleigh, English) is 739 chnrt.
Beonnanford, ' food of Beonna' perh. he who was father of St.
Sativola of Exeter.
BmcHESTEB (Bp. Auckland), c. 380 Anton. Itin. Vinonia. Here
the Bin- or Vin- prob. represents W. gwyn ,' white, clear'; in
1183 Boldon Bk. it is Byn cestre, -chestre, 1197 Bincestr'. Cf.
Benwell. See -Chester, ' camp.'
BiNEGAB {Shepton Mallet). Old forms needed. Not in Dom.
Perh. corrup. of bin acre, ' within the field.' O.E. cecer, acer,
L. ager, a' field.' Cf. Bicknacbe, Binfield, and Bessaoab.
BiNFiELD (Bracknell). 1316 Benefeld; but earlier Benetfeld, Bent-
feld. This is ' field of bent or bennet ' — i.e., a coarse grass,
O.E. beonet. Cf. Bentley. But by temp. Hen. VIII. it had
become Bynfeld, which by analogy should mean ' within the
field.' Cf. Benwell, Binbeook, etc.
Bingham (Notts). Dom. Bingheha, Bingehamhou Wap., 1230
Close R. Bingeham. It seems hardly to be fr. O.N. bing-r,
* a heap,' found in Eng. c. 1325 as ' bing,' and though there
seems no name in the Onom. which suits, form 1209 in next
suggests a man Binge or Binga. Cf. Bengewoeth. Mutsch-
mann derives fr. Benning ; see Bennington.
Bn^^GLEY (Keighley). Dom. Bingheleia, Bingelei, 1209 Bingelege.
Doubtful. See above; -ley is O.E. ledh, ' meadow,' and Binge- is
prob. some man's name.
BiNLEY (Coventry). Dom. Bilnei, Bilueie, 1251 Bilney. Prob.
O.E. Billan ige, ' isle of Bil{l)a.' See -ey. Cf. Bilney. Change
fr. In to nl is uncommon.
BiNNEFOBD. See Binbeook.
Binstead (Ryde and Sussex), and Binsted (Alton, Hants). Suss.
B. 1280 Close B. Benested. Ryde B. Dom. Benestede, which
BINTON 149 BIEKDALE
may either be ' bean place ' or, less likely, ' prayer place,' fr.
O.E. bean, 3-6 hen, 4-6 bene, ' a bean,' or ben, 2-4 bene, ' a prayer,
petition, boon ' ; and stede, ' farm-yard, steading.' Cf. home-
stead. Not fr. bin or binne, O.E. binnan, ' within.' This never
seems spelt with a central e.
Benton (Stratford, Wwk.). 710 chart. Bunintone, Dom. Benintone,
Benitone, a. 1200 Buvintone, 1325 Bunynton. 'Town of
Buna,^ 3 in Onom.; but the form Bynna is much commoner.
Dom. Yorks, Binneton, is now Binnington.
BmCHAM (King's Lynn). Dom. Brec^am, 1489 Brytcham. Cf.
Dom. ' Bercham,' Warwick. Prob. ' house, home built of birch.'
O.E. beorc, berc, byrce, birce ; though the first part may be the
name of a man Beorht or Berh, as in Dom. Yorks, Berceworde,
now Ingbirchworth.
BmCHANGER (Bp's. Stortford). ' Birch-slope.' O.E. hangra, angra,
once said to be ' a meadow ' ; but M'ClurS thinks ' the slope of
a hill,' and Duignan, more exactly, ' a wood growing on a hill-
side.' Cf. CiiAYHANGER, Aldcrhanger (Worcestersh.), Hunger-
roBD, and Rishangles.
BmcHiLLS (Walsall), a. 1600 Birche leses, Burchelles, Byrchylles,
Byrchells. ' Birch hills.' O.E. berc, beorc, 5-6 byrche.
BniCHOVEK (Matlock). Dom. Barcoure. ' Birch brink or bank,'
O.E. ofr, obr, ' brink.' See Bercham, and -over.
BiBDfiAM (Chichester). Dom. Brideha, and Birdholme (Chester-
field). ' Bird home ' and ' bird meadow.' See -holme. Bird
may be a man's name, cf. next. Bird ia O.E. is brid, Northumb.
bird ; and Brid is a name in Onom. Cf. Bebdsall.
BiEDiNGBUiiY (Rugby). Pron. Birbury. 1043 chart. Burtingbury;
K.C.D. 916 Birtingabyrig juxta Aven, Dom. Berdingberie,
Derbingerie (blunder) a. 1300 Burdingbury. ' Burgh, fort of
the sons of Beorht,^ or ' Birht." Patronymic. See -bury.
Berdlip (Gloucester). Not in Dom., 1221 Bridelepe, 1262 Brudelep.
Prob. 'bird's leap,' O.E. hlyf{e), 3 leef, Up, 4-6 lepe. Cf.
HiNDLiP and Islip. Here, again, Bird may be a man's name.
W. H. Stevenson points out, hlyp must sometimes mean not
' a leap,' but ' an enclosed space.' Cf. Lypiatt (Stroud), old
Lypgate, Lupeyate, ' gate into the enclosure.'
BiEDSALL (York). Dom. Briteshale, Brideshala, 1208 Brideshale.
' Nook of Brid, Briht, or Beorht,' all names on record, and prob.
all the same name too. Change of r is common, as in board
and broad, etc. Cf. Bdrkby and Bebtley, and see -hall.
Bebkby (Co. Durham and Huddersfield). Dom. Yorks, and 1197
R. Bretebi, Durham. ' Dwelling of Beorc ' or ' Beorht,' of
which Bret {t) is a later form. Cf. Bebdsall; and see -by.
BiRKDALE (Southport). Birk is N. Eng. and Sc. for birch, O.E.
beorc, byrce, birce, berc. Cf. Birkacre (' field '), Chorley.
BIRKENHEAD 150 BISHOP AUCKLAND
Birkenhead. Sic 1282, but a. 1100 Byrkhed. ' Head, promon-
tory covered with birch,' O.E. beorc, here, byrce, birce. The adj.
birchen, JiioTth.. birken, is not given in the Oxf. Diet. a. 1440; so
that this name, in 1282, seems the earUest known instance of it.
BiRKENSHAW (Leeds) . ' Birch wood,' O.E. scaga, a wood ; see above.
Now a personal name in this district.
BiRKiN (Normanton), Dom. Berchinge, Berchine. A patronymic.
' Place of the descendants of Beorht.' Cf. Barking ; and see
-ing.
BiRLiNG (Maidstone) and Biblingham (Pershore). 972 Byrling-
hamme, Dom. BerHngeham, 1275 Byrlyngham. ' Place of the
descendants of the cup-bearer or butler,' O.E. byr{e)le. The
-ham, q.v., in this case means ' enclosure.' Cf. Burlingham.
Birmingham. Dom. Bermingeha', 1168 Brimigham, 1166 Breminge-
ham, 1255 Burmingeham, 1333 Burmyncham, c. 1413 Bry-
mecham, c. 1463 Bermjmgham, 1538 Bermigham, also Bro-
mieham. ' Home of the Beormingas/ or ' sons of Beom.'
Duignan makes the original family Breme, ' illustrious,' and
connects with Bromsgrove; see his full art, s.v. For the mod.
pron. Brummajem cf. Whittingham, pron. Whittinjem, and
' Nottingham ' is also heard.
BiRSTALL (Leeds). Dom. thrice Beristade (? -ade, error for -ale)
Berist- seems to be for ' Beorhtsige's' or ' Byrcsige's,' a very
common O.E. name; and -ale is 'nook,' see -haU. Close by is
BiRSTWiTH, fr. O.N. vith-r, 0. Dan. wede, Dan. ved, ' a wood.'
Cf. AsKWiTH, etc.
BiRTLET (Herefordsh., Chester-le-Street, and Wark.). Ch. B. 1183
Britleia, Birdeia, ' Meadow of Brid/ or ' Bird/ or ' of the birds.'
Transposition of r is common ; cf. Birds all and Birtwistle (see
TwiZEL). BiRTS Morton, Glostersh., is a. 1350 Morton Brut,
1407 Bruttes, -tis, fr. Walter le Bret, known as living here, 1275,
or some one earlier. The name means ' the Breton.'
BiscovEY (Par.) Not in Dom. Might be Eng., ' Biso's cave ' ;
the names Besa, Besi, Bisi, and Biso are all found in Onom. ;
whilst the O.E. for ' cove or inlet ' is cofa. But Bis- looks like
Corn, bes, bis, bys, ' a finger.' Cf. Bissoe.
BiSHAM (Marlow). Dom. Bistesham; 1199 Bistlesham; later Bes-
tlesham, Bustleham. ' Home of Bestel,' cf. B.C.S., i. 108,
ii. 206, Bestlesford, Bsestlsesford, near Bradfield, also Basiuden.
BiSHAMPTON (Pershore). Dom. Bisantune, a. 1100 Bishamtone.
' The home-town or village of Bisa,' see Biscovey. The mod.
-hampton may here be a corrup. of -antune.
Bishop Auckland, also North and West Auckland (Co. Durham).
1183 Boldon Bk. North Alcland and Aclet, West Aclet, Alclet-
shire, v.r. Aukelandschire, 1305 Auke-, Aucland. Auckland is
BISHOP BURTON 151 BISHOPSTON
O.E. dc land, 'oak land'; but the form Alclet is puzzling.
M'Clure thinks it is O.E. hah clet, ' haugh, river-meadow rock';
but klett-r, ' a rock/ is O.N., not O.E. at all, nor even English,
save late in Scotland. The -let may be a var. of O.E. hlith,
' a slope/ c/. Yarlett, and so the name be ' river-meadow slope.'
But this is doubtful. The Bishop is, of course, the Bishop of
Durham. Also c/. Atjckley.
Bishop Burton (Beverley). Dom. Santriburtone, ' Bishop's burgh-
town,' or ' fortified village ' ; ? fr. St. John of Beverley, Bishop of
Hexham and York. The Santri- in Dom, must be a corrup. of
sanctuary, O.Fr. saintuarie, spelt in Eng. in 6 santuary ; but not
given in Oxf. Diet, as Eng. till a. 1340.
Bishop Monkton (Ripon). Dom. Monuchetone. O.E. monuc,
munuc, munec, fr. L. monachus, ' a monk.' Cf. Monkton.
Bishop's Canntng (Devizes), Sim. Dur. ann. 1010 Canninga merse
{cf. Mersey). Canning is a patronjrmic, fr. Cana or Cano, in
Onom.
Bishop's Caundle or Caundle Bishop (Sherborne). Dom. Candel,
-dele, -delle. Caundle is O.E. cendel, 1-4 condel, ' a candle.'
Of., too, Fhrio, 1611, ' Fungo . . . that firy roimd in a burning
candle called the Bishop.'
Bishop's Cleeve (Cheltenham). Bede and c. 780 cJiart. CHfe,
Dom. CUve. Cleeve is M.E. cleve, var. of cliff, O.E. clif. Cf.
Cleveland. It is called ' Bishop's' to distinguish it fr. Prior's
Cleeve.
Bishop's Fonthill (Salisbury). Dom. Fontel; but chart. Funt-
geall; O.E. font, fant, (L. fons, -tis), O.Fris. and in Eng. 2-6
funt, 'a font, a fountain'; but in Diets, gealla has only the
meaning of ' bile ' or ' a gall in the skin,' so it may be an error
in the charter, perh. for heal, ' hall.' Cf. Fontley, Fareham.
Bishop's Hull (Taunton). Hull is west midl. for ' hill.' See
ASPULL.
Bishop's Itchington (Learning-ton). 1043 chart. Ichenton, 1111 ib.
Yceantune, Dom. Icetone. ' Town on the R. Itchen.' It
belonged formerly to the Bps. of Lichfield and Coventry.
Bishop's Lydeard (Taunton). See Lydiard.
Bishop's Nympton (S. Molton). Dom. Nimetone, 'Town of
Nima.' Onom. has only Numa and Nunna. On the common
intrusion of jp, cf. Bampton.
Bishopstoke (Southampton). 'Bishop' (of Winchester's) 'place/
See Stoke.
BiSHOPSTON (Stratford, Warwick, and Glam.), also Bishopstone
(5 in P.G.) . Str. B. 1016 chart. Biscopesdun— i.e., ' bishop's hill '
— but c. 1327 Bisshopeston. See -don and -ton.
BISHOP'S STOETFORD 152 BLABY
Bishop's Stortford. Dom. Storteford. Skeat thinks the R. Start
may mean ' pourer/ Cf. Dan. styrte, ' to rush, to spring/ cognate
with start.
Bishop's Waltham (Hants). 1001 O.E. Chron. Wealtham. The
Bp. of Winchester's ' home in the weald or forest.' See
Waltham.
BiSHOPSwoRTH, contracted Bishport (Bristol). 'Bishop's farm.'
See -worth.
BiSHTON (Rugeley, Tidenham, Newport, Mon.). Ru. B. Dom.
Bispestone, a. 1300 Bissopestune, Ti. B. 956 chart. Bispestune.
' Village of the bishop ' of Lichfield or Llandaff, O.E. biscop,
though possibly fr. a man Bisp, found a. 1200. Cf. Bishport
and Bispham.
BiSLEY (Stroud, Coventry, Woking). St. B. 896 chart, (late MS.)
Bislege, Dom. Biselege, 1156 Bisselega. Co. B. a. 1200 Bisselei.
Skeat thought there must have been an O.E. bisse, 'a bush';
cf. Bushwood (Stratford, Wwk.), a. 1300 Byssewode, 1404 Bis-
wode. But this is prob. ' mead of Bisi ' or ' Biso,' both in
Onom. Cf. Dom. Wore, Biselege, and Bisham. See -ley.
Bispham (Preston). Dom. and c. 1141 Biscopham— ;4.e., 'bishop's
home.' Cf. Bishport. '
BissoE (Perranwell, Cornwall). Doubtful. Dom. has a ' Be veshoe,'
which may be this, and may stand for ' how, hollow of Beffa,*
2 in Onom. It may be fr. a man Bissa. Cf. Biscovey and
Bengeo.
Bitterne (Southampton). Perh. c. 380 Anton. Itin. Clausentum.
' Bitta's or Bitto's house,' O.E. erne, ' a house.' Cf. next, and
Whithorn (Sc).
Bitteswell (Lutterworth). ? Dom. Betmeswelle, [Cf. c. 1200
Gervase ' Bittesdene,' Northants.] ? ' Bitta's well.' Cf. above.
BiTTON (Kingswood, Glos.). Dom. Betone, 1158-59 Pipe Bettune.
Prob. ' town, village of Beta/ 2 in Onom., or ' of Betti/ also
2 in Onom. Cf. Betley.
Bix (Henley). Dom. Bixa, 1216-1307 Bixe, -a, 1300 Buxe Jelwyni
(fr. the Gelwyn family). Doubtful. Alexander compares Box,
Herts, not an exact parallel, and derives fr. O.E. bixen, byxen,
' (place) of the box-tree ' ; this is far from certain. The form
bixen is very rare, and for the 56. there seems only 60a;. Nor
does there seem any good analogy. Bexley (Kent) is also Bix
in Dom., and seems to mean ' Beca's ' or ' Bica's lea.' As likely
as not Bix is bi Ex, ' by the river.' Cf. Beeford, Beal, etc.,
and ExE.
Blaby (Leicester). Sic 1298. O.N. bld-r bi, 'blue, blae-looking
hamlet.' Cf. Bladon, and see -by.
BLACKAWTON 163 BLAENLLECHA
Blackawton" (Dartmouth). {Dom. has Blache-berie, -grave, -pole,
etc.). Old forms needed. Perh. ' Blaca'a Haughton ■* or
' village on the haugh or river-meadow.'
Blackboys (Uckfield). Not in Dom. Old forms needed. One
may conjecture ' Blaca's boss ' or ' knoll.' Boss is found in
Eng. a. 1300 meaning ' a hump/ and in 1598 meaning ' a hump-
like hill '; whilst it is spelt in 5-6 boysis). But all this is quite
doubtful. Of. Blaehestela, Dom. Surrey.
Blackburn. Dom. Blacheburne; also chart. Blagborn. 'Black
brook/ O.E. blaec, blac, c. 1190 blache ; and see -bourne. Cf.
833 chart. ' Blakeburnham/ Kent.
Blacker (Bamsley). Old forms needed. Not in Dom. As a
rule -er is contracted fr. -over, ' bank.' Cf. Ashover, Hasler,
WooLEB, etc. ; so this is prob. ' black, dark bank.'
Blackheath (London, etc.). Lend. B. c. 1420 Lydgate, Blakeheth.
Cf. Blachefelde, Dom. Surrey.
Blackpill (Swansea). Pill here is corrup. of Eng. pool, W. pwl.
In S. Pembrokesh. 'pill is quite common for ' a little bay, a
creek.' Cf. next.
Blackpool. Modern. Cf. B.C.S. 834 Blssccanpol — i.e., ' Blacca'a
pool.'
Blackrod (Chorley). 1199 Blackeroade, 1292 Blakerode. Either
' Blaca's road,' or ' dark, black road,' O.E. rod, North. Eng. and
Sc. rodd. Cf. Blackburn.
Blackwall (London). 1377 Blakewale, 1480 'the wall called
Black Wall,' along the bank of the Thames.
Bladney (Somerset). Not in Dom. Prob. c. 712 chart. Bledenithe.
' Bleda'a ' or ' Blcedda's Hythb.' A hithe is ' a landing-rise.'
Bladon (Woodstock, both river and village). O.E. chart Blsedene,
Bladaen, Dom. Blade, 1216-1307 Bladen(e), 1272 Bladone.
Cannot be ' blae hill,' because blae or blue-looking is O.N. bid.
But it may be contr. for ' Blcedda's hill.' Cf. K. CD. 121 Blsed-
dan hlsew. See -don. Baddeley thinks that this, as a river
name, must be pre-English.
Blaenau Festiniog. W.= ' highlands of Festiniog.' Of. next.
Blaenavon (Monmouth). W. blaen afon, 'source, hill source of
the river ' — i.e., the R. Avon, Glamorgan.
Blaengarw (Glamorgan). W.= ' rough fore-part,' blaen means
both ' source ' and ' fore-part,' whilst its plur. blaenau means
' highlands.' W. garw or geirw, ' rough,' is the same as G.
garbh, so common in Sc. names; whilst in Sc. we also have
Blantyre.
Blaenllecha (Pontypridd). W. = ' projecting rocks or stones.'
Cf. Blaengarw.
11
BLAEN-Y-FFOS 164 BLAXHALL
Blaen-y-ffos (Pembroke). W.= ' source of the ditch' or 'little
brook/ W. ffos, L. fossa.
Blagdon (Bristol and Taunton). Dom. Blachedone. O.E. hlac
dun, 'dark hill'; c/. Blagborn, old form of Blackburn.
Blaisdon, Glostr., is 1200 Blechedun, prob. ' hill of BlcBcca/
which may be the origin of Blagdon too.
Blaina (Monmouth). W. blaenau, 'highlands.' Cf. Blaengarw.
Blaxedown (Kidderminster and Kenilworth) . ' Black down ' or
'hill'; O.E. blcec, blec, bloc. Duignan has no authority for
saying that black here means ' uncultivated, running wild.'
Blakenall (Walsall) and Blaelenhall (Nantwich, Wolvermptn.).
Nan. B. Dam. Blechenhale, Wo. B. c. 1300 Blakenhale,
' Blecca's or Blaca'a nook.' Cf. next and Bletchley, and see
-haU.
'"Blakeney (Newnham, Glos., and Norfolk). Not in Dom. Ne. B.
c. 1280 Blacheneia, ' Blceca's ' or ' Blaca's isle.' Blceca is the
mod. surname Blake, which may either be fr. O.E. blcec, blac,
' black, dark man,' or fr. O.N. bleik-r, in Eng. c. 1205 blake,
' pale, wan.'
Blakenham, Great (Ipswich). Sic 1298, but Dom. Blacheha.
' Blaca's or Blceca's home,' Cf. Dom. Surrey, Blachingelei, a
patronymic, and Blakesley, Towcester.
Blanchland (Corbridge). Land paid for in 'white' or silver
money, Fr. blanc, blanche, ' white.' ' Blanch farm ' or ' blench
ferme ' is a common legal term.
Blandeord. Dom. Blane-, Bleneford. Difficult to say what the
Dom. forms stand for; whilst O.E. bland is ' a mixture, a blend,'
and our adj. bla'iid is quite mod. Blandsby (Pickering), Dom.
Blandebi, must be ' dwelling of a man Bland ' ; Onom. has only
Blandmund and Blandwinus. More light needed for Blandford.
See -by.
Blankney (Lincoln). Dom. Blachene. 'Isle of Blaca,' here
nasahzed Blanca, gen. -can. See -ey.
Blatchington (Brighton). Prob. Dom. Bechingetone {I omitted
in error). The present name represents an O.E. Blceccan tun,
' Blaecca's town.' Cf. Bletchtngley.
Blatherwyck (Kingscliffe). 1166-7 Pipe Blarewic, c. 1350 chart.
Blatherwyk. ' Dwelling of Blithgcer, Blithhere, or Blithmcer.'
All these names are in Onom. For omission of th in 1166-7 cf.
' Brer Babbit ' for ' Brother R.' See -wick.
Blawith (Ulverston). O.N. bid vith-r, 'dark blue, blae-looking
wood.' Cf. ASKWITH.
Blaxhall (Tunstall). ' Blcecca's nook ' or ' hall.' Cf. Blatching-
ton ; and see -hall.
BLAYDON-ON-TYNE 166 BLEWBUEY
Blaydon-on-Tyne. Prob. ' dark blue, blae-looking dune or hill/
O.N. bid, North. Eng. and Sc. blue. Cf. next.
Bleadon (Weston-s.-m.). ? 975 chart. Bledone and a. 1100 WincTir.
Ann. Bleodona. Prob. ' coloured hill/ O.E. Bleo dun, fr. bleoh,
' hue, colour.' Cf. Blewbury, Blofield, and Dom. Bucks,
Bledone,
Blean or Blee (Canterbury) . Dom. Blehem, c. 1386 Chaucer Ble(e) .
Prob. ' Blih's home,' one Blih in Ononi. For the contraction
cf. Beal ; but it is rare to find the unstressed final syll. f aUing
quite away. See -ham.
Bleasdale (Garstang). 1228 Blesedale, 1540 Blesedale. Possibly
fr. a man, but seemingly ' dale, valley of the blaze or beacon-
fire,' O.E. blase, blcese, 3-6 North, blese.
Blea tarn (Westmld.). 1256 Assize R. Blaterne. ' Blae, bluial^
moimtain lake,' O.N. bld-r; and see Tarn.
Bleddfa (Radnor) . Perh. W. blaiddfau, ' wolf's cave.' But the old
form is Bleddfach; where the ending is doubtful. Bledd is ' a
plain,' and the latter part may be ffag, ' what unites or meets in
a point.'
Bledington (Chipping Norton). Dom. Bladintone, 1221 Bladyn-
tone. ' Town on R. Bladon.' See -ing, as river-ending.
Bledlow (Bucks). K.C.D. 721 Blaeddan hlgew; Dom. Bledela,^^
? 1297 Scot. Chancery Roll ' Johannes de Bledelawe.' ' Bkedda'fi^
or ' Bledda's hill.' Bledisloe, Awre, Dom. BUteslau, is prob.
fr. a man Blith. See -low.
Blencow (Penrith) . ? W. blaen cu, ' dear source or promontory ' ;
cf. Blaengarw and Glasgow (Sc), also 1210 Blenecam,
Cumbld., ' headland with the cairn.'
Blennerhassett (Aspatria). 1189 Pipe Blendherseta, 1354 Carlisle
will Alan de Blenerhayset, 1473 Paston Lett. Blaundrehasset
and Blenerhasset (as a personal name). This seems to be
' seat, dwelHng of Blandhere ' or ' Blender,' an unknown man.
Cf. Dorset, etc. But this leaves the -hass ill-accounted for.
Bletchingley (Red Hill), Bletchtngton (Oxford). Dom. Bleces-,
Bhcestone, 1139 Bleche-, Blachedon, 1216-1307 Blecchesdon
(see -don) ; and Bletchley. ' Meadow ' and ' village of Blecca,'
or his descendants. Cf. Blatchington; and see -ing and -ley.
Bletsoe (Bedford). Dom. Bleches-, Blachesou, a. 1199 Blacheho.
' Blecca's mound.' Cf. Thingoe; and see -how.
Blewbury (Didcot) and Blewbury Down. 944 chart. Bleobyrig.
Dom. BUtberie, a. 1450 Bleobery. One would expect this to
be fr. some man; but there is no name in Bleo- in Onom. So
the first part may be as in Bleadon, ' bright borough,' lit., as
Skeat puts it, ' show-borough.' Cf. Fairfield, etc.
BLICKLING 156 BLUNDESTON
Buckling (Norfolk). Dom. Blikelinga, 1450 Blyclyng. A patro-
nymic ; but it is not easy to give the root. Onom. gives no help.
Blldwoeth (Mansfield). Dow. Blideworde, -vorde. ' Blcedda's
farm.' Cf. Bledington; and see --^orth.
Bldstdley Heath (Red HiU). Old forms needed. Not in Dom.
? ' bhnd lea ' or ' meadow ' ; blind being here used in its meaning
of ' obscure, dark, concealed." A place ' Blindsyke ' is found
in a Dumbartonsh, charter as early as c. 1350.
Blisland (Bodmin) and Bliswobth (Northants). Dom. Blides-
worde, 1158-9 Pipe BUeswurda. ' Land ' and ' farm of Blida '
(or Blih'). See -worth. Pike o' Bhsco, Westmld., will be
' peak of BUda's or Bhh's wood ' ; -sco or -scough for Shaw, cf.
BUUSCOUGH.
Blocjkley (Moreton-Henmarsh). 855 cliart. Bloccanleah, Dom.
Blockelei. ' Blocca's lea." Cf. Bloxham .
Blobield (Norwich). Dom. Blafelda, 1157 Blafeld, 1452 Blofield.
'Leaden-coloured, bluish field.' M.E. c. 1250 bio, O.N. bid,
' Hvid,' cognate with blae and blue. Cf. Bleadon and Blowick.
Bloomsbuby (London and Birmingham). Lo. B. c. 1537 Lomes-,
Lomsbury. The history of this name is very obscure, and more
evidence is needed. Possibly the Lome- represents Leofman,
a fairly common O.E. name. See -bury.
Blobe Heath (Staffs). Dom. and later Blora. Blore is an ono-
matopoeic word meaning ' a violent gust or blast ' ; not found in
Eng. a. 1440.
Blow Gill (Helmsley). 1200 Blawathgile. O.N. bid wath, ' leaden-
coloured, bluish ford,' in the ravine. See -giU. Cf. JjAHG-
WATKBY.
Blowick (Southport) . ' Leaden-coloured, bluish dwelling.' See
Blofield and -wick, which must be Eng. here and not N., as
Blowick is inland and can have no ' bay.'
Bloxham (Banbury). Dom. Warwk., Lochesham (error), 1155
Pipe Blochesham, 1231 Blokesham. ' Home of Blocca.' Cf.
Blockley.
Bloxwich (Walsall) and Bloxwobth (Bere Regis). Dom. Bloches-
wic, a. 1300 Blockeswich, Blokeswyke. ' Blocca's dwelling '
and ' farm.' See -wich and -worth.
Blundell Sands (Liverpool). Perh. fr. Randulph de Blundevill,
Earl of Chester in 1180. Blundell has been a common Lanca-
shire name from at least the 17th cny. Cf. next and -hall,
which the -ell may represent.
Bltjndeston (Lowestoft). Not in Dom. ^ Blunda's town or
village.' The name is now Blunt, Fr. blond, Nor. Fr. blund,
* fair, flaxen.' Cf. next, and Dom. Essex, Blundeshala.
BLUNTISHAM 157 BOCKLETON
Bluntisham (Hunts). Dom. Bluntesham. 'Home of BlunW or
' Blunt/ which last is still a common surname. Cf. Dom. Wilts,
Blontesdone, K.C.D. 666 Bluntesige, and Bluntington, Wore.
Blunham, Sandy, prob. represents the same name.
Blyborotjgh (Kirton Lindsay). Dom. Bliburg. Prob., as in
Blisworth, ' burgh, fort of Blida,' but it may be ' of Blih*
Of. 1157 Pipe Norfk. BHeburc, See -borough.
Blymhtll (Shifnal). Dom. Brumhelle {r for I, one liquid confused
in sound with the other), a. 1200 and later Blumonhull. Prob.
' hill of the blooms,' or molten masses of metal, O.E. hloma,
-an, then, curiously, not found till 1600 bloom; but 1584-5
blomary, or bloomer y, a forge for making blooms. One must
have stood on this hill, which is in an iron-producing district.
Blyth(e) (Northumbld., Warwk., Notts, and Rotherham), Blythe
Bridge (Stoke-on-T.). Roth B. c. 1097 Flor. W. Blida; Notts,
B. Dom. Blide, 1146 Blida, c. 1180 Blya, 1298 Blythe. The Eng.
blithe never refers to places; so this may be connected with
W. blytlmir, ' a belching,' blythach, ' a bloated person,' and
blwth, ' a pufE, a blast.' There are two rivers in Northbld., and
one each in Staffs, Notts, and Suffk., all called Blyth(e), and
nearly all Eng. rivers are Kelt, in origin; though what that
was is now lost. On the Staff. Blythe are Blithbury, a. 1200
Blith(e)burie, and Blithfield, Dom. Blidevelt. In Northbld we
find 1208 Snoc de Bliemus — i.e., ' snout, projecting headland
of Blythmouth ' — 1423 Blythe-snuke, a. 1800 Blyth-snook,
fr. O.N. snoh-r, ' a mark stretched out,' hnuTc-r, ' a little moun-
tain, a rock ' ; cf. ' The Snewke or Conny-warren ' in Blaeu's
map of Lindisfarne.
BoARSTALL (Bucks). Popular etymology. See Borstal.
Bobber's Mill (Nottingham). Bobber in mid. dial, means 'a
chum.'
BoBBiNGTON (Stourbridge). Dom. Bubintone, a. 1200 Bobintune;
cf. 798 chart. ' Bobing-saeta,' Kent. ' Town, village of Bobba '
(or his descendants), mentioned in a Worcester chart, of 759.
BocKHAMPTON (Lamboum and Dorchester). Both a. 1300 Boc-
hamton. 'Beech-built Hampton,' or 'home-farm'; O.E. boc,
O.N. bok, ' a beech.' Cf. Btjckland and Great Bookham;
also Dom. Norfk., Bocthorp.
BocKCNG (Braintree). Dom. Bochinges. Patronymic, 'place of
the sons of Bocca '; cf. 806 Bokenhale, ? near Croyland. Onom.
gives only Bacca and Bacco. See -ing.
BocKLETON (Tenbury and Salop). Te. B. Dom. Boclintun, 1275
Boclinton, a. 1400 Bocklington, Bokehnton. Sa. B. 1321
Bochtone (an error), 1534 Bucculton. ' Town of Boccel.' Onom.
gives only one Beoccel.
BODEDERN 158 BOLLINGTON
BoDEDERN (Anglesea). W. bod edyrn, 'residence of sovereignty/
or ' royal house ' ; but T. Morgan says, ' abode of Edern/ son of
Nudd, warrior and poet.
BoDELWYDDAN (Flintsh.). W. hod-el-gwyddan, 'residence of the
wood-spirit ' or ' satyr/
BoDENHAM (Leominster and Salisbury). Sic 1202. ' Boda'8
home.' O.E. boda, 2 bode, is ' a herald, a messenger/ one who
' bodes ' or forebodes. Dam. Wilts, has Bodeberie, and Dom.
Nfk., Bodenham. Cf. Boddington on Chelt, Dom. Botintone.
BoDFARi (Denbigh). Perh. c. 380 Ant. Itin. Varis. But now W.
bod Fari, ' house of Mary,' the m being aspirated.
BoDFFORD (Anglesea). W. bod jfordd, ' dwelUng by the road or
passage.'
BODHAM (Holt, Nfk.). Dom. has both Bodha and Bodenham.
' Home of Boda ' or ' Boddus.' See -ham.
BoDicoTT (Banbury). Dom. Bodicote, 1216-1307 Bodicot. ' Boda'&
cottage.' Cf. above.
BoDMEsr. Dom. Bodmini, Exon. Dom. Bodmine; c. 1180 Ben;-
Peterb. Bothmenia; c. 1200 Gervase Bomine; 1216 Bodminium.
1294 Bodmin. Com. bod or 6o is ' a house,' the second half is
more uncertain; it may be ' house of stones,' Com. min, myin
{cf. next), or ' on the edge,' min, or ' on the hill,' mene.
BoDVEAJsr (PwUheli). W. bod faen, 'house of stone.' Cf. cist faen,
' a stone coffin.' As houses in Wales and Cornwall usually are
of stone, the reference will prob. be to some ' Druidical ' erection.
BoGNOR. Not in Dom., but 680 chart. Bucgan ora — i.e., ' Bucga's
edge ' or ' brink ' or ' shore ' ; three Bucgas in Onom. In 1166-7
Pi^e it is Begenoura. See -or.
BoLDON (Jarrow). 1183 Boldona. Prob. O.E. botl-dun, ' hill,
dune with the dwelling on it.' Cf. Bolton and Bole.
Bole (Gainsborough). Sic 1316, but Dom. Bolxm. [Dom. Lines has
Bolebi, ' dwelling of Bola.') This may be O.N. bol, ' house, dwell-
ing ' (with -un an old loc), if not bol-r, ' bole, trunk of a tree.' Cf.
BoLroBD, Kendal, Dom. Bodelforde, 'ford at the house '; see
Bolton. Also cf. next, and Dom. Salop and 1157 Pipe, Northbld.,
Bolebec. 1160-1 Pi'pe, Sussex, Bulebech, may not be the same.
Bole Hill (Wirksworth) . Oxf. Diet, bole s6*, ' a place where miners
smelted their lead.' Not found a. 1670, and origin unknown.
Bolingey (Truro). Prob. * isle of the Bolings,' or ' descendants of
Bola,' a name in Onom. We have ' Bulluigbrooke ' already in
the time of Wm. the Conqueror, 1166-7 Pipe, Billingeburc and
Bull-, 1233 Bulingbroc, Lines, hence the name Bolingbroke.
BoLLiNGTON (Macclesfield and Altrincham). ' Town, village on the
Er. Bollin,' which may be connected with same root as W. bol,
boly, ' the belly,' and so ' swollen river.' See -ing as river-ending.
BOLNEY 159 BONCHURCH
BoLNEY (Hayward's Heath) and Bolnhtjest (St. Neot's). Not in
Dom. ' Isle ' and ' wood of Bola,' -an. Of. Dom. Bucks,
Bolebech (= bach, ' brook '), Devon, Bolewis, Yorks, Bolesford;
also Bollesdon (Newent), old Bolesdone, Bullesdone, whilst
Dom. Yorks, Bolebi is now Boulby. See -ey and -hurst.
BoLsovER (Chesterfield). Dom. Belesovre, 1166-67 Pipe Bolle-
shoura, 1173-74 ih. Castella de Pech et de Bolesoura, c. 1180
Bened. Peterb. Boleshoveres. ' Sola's bank or brink"; O.E.
ofer, obr ; M.E. overe, ' border, bank of a river/ Cf. Ashover,
and see Bolney, etc.
Bolsterstone (Sheffield). Not in Dom. Not likely to be fr. Eng.
and O.E. bolster, but prob. a tautology, fr. O.N. bol-sta^r,
' dwelling-place ' or ' farm ' ; so common in Sc. names as -bister,
-buster, and -bster ; Scrabster, Ulbster, etc. Bolster will have
been taken for a proper name, and -ton added; for the final e
cf. Johnston and Johnstone, both meaning ' John's town.'
BoLTBY (Thirsk). Dom. Boltebi, 1209 Bolteby. 'Dwelling of
Bolt,' a name not in Onom. Hardly fr. bolt sb^ ; but perh. a
tautology, fr. O.E. bold, 'house, dwelling,' and -by.
Bolton (nine in P.G.). Dom. Boletone, 1208 Bollton (on Swale).
Other B's in Dom. Yorks and Lanes are Bodeltone. We get
an interesting set of forms for the Sc. Bolton (Haddingtonsh.),
c. 1200 Botheltune, Boteltune, Boweltun, 1250 Boulton, 1297
Boltone. O.E. botl-tun, ' dwelling-enclosure, collection of houses,
village'; influenced by O.N. bol, 'a house, a dwelling-place.'
It is according to its rule for Dom. to spell Both- or Bot- as Bod-.
Cf. BOOTLE.
Bomer(e) Heath (Shrewsbury). Earlier Bolemere. *Mere or
lake,' O.E. mere, ' of the bull/ not in O.E., but O.N. bole, boli ;
in Eng. c. 1200 bule, 3-5 bole. Cf. Dom. (Yorks) Bolemere,
1166-67 Pipe Bulema, now Bulmer; also The Bolmers, Castle
Bromwich, and the Bullmoors (Shenstone), and Boll Bridge
(Tamworth), 1313 Bollebrigge.
BoKBY (Hull) . Either a man ' Bonda or Bondo's dwelling,' or ' dwell-
ing of the peasant ' ; O.E. bonda ; O.N. bonde; d readily disappears.
But Dom. (Yorks) Bonnebi (twice) is now Gunby. See -by.
BoNCATH (Pembroke). W. boncath means 'a buzzard'; but bon
cath is ' tree stump of the cat.'
BoNCHURCH (Ventnor). Dom. Bonecerce. Bone- must be O.N.
bon, ' a prayer, a boon ' ; in Eng. 2-7 bone, 3-4 bon. Cf. Bunwell.
There is no man named Bona or Bonna, in Onom. The O.E. for
a prayer is ben, so that, curiously, this must be a Norse name,
the indication of a forgotten early N. settlement here. This is
confirmed by Dom.'s ending -cerce, the hard c's having quite
a N. look. Dom. nearly always has -cherche, chirche, ' Alvieve-
cherche,' ' Bascherche,' etc. Dom.'s form is also our earhest
Eng. example of boon ; the earhest in Oxf. Diet, is c. 1175 bone.
BONINGTON 160 BOEOUGHBRIDGE
BoioNGTON (Notts and Kent). Sic 1297-98, but Dom. Bonintone
(Kent), Bonnitone (Notts), 1296 Bonigtone (? where). Doubtful.
It should mean ' Bona'8 town," but there is no such name in
Onom. Cf. BONNINGTON (Sc).
BoNSALL (Derby). Perh. Dom. Bunteshale. Prob. 'nook, corner
of Bunda or Bonda/ both in Onom. But cf. Dom. (Bucks)
Bonestov, ? ' place of Bone/ stiU a surname. Cf. Bunny, and
see -hall.
BoNTDDtr (Dolgelly). W. pont du, 'black bridge.'
BoNTNEWYDD (Caernarvon). W. ' new bridge '; W. pont.
BoNviLSTON (Cardiff). Bonville, Fr. for 'good town,"" as well as
Melville, ' bad town,' occurs as a surname in Britain. In W. it
is Tresimwn, ' house of Simon Bonville,' chief steward of the
Norm. Sir Robt. Fitzhamon. There is a Hutton Bonville
(Yorks). We find -ville common in the Channel Isles.
BoosBECK (Yorks). NotinjDom. Prob. ' brook with the cow-stall
beside it '; O.N. bass ; M.E. boose, ' a cow-stall.' See -beck.
Boot (Ravenglass). O.N. but) ; Dan. and Sw. bod, ' a hut, a dwel-
ling.' Cf. G. both or bot, ' a house.'
BooTHBY (Grantham). 1298 Bothebi. Prob. ' dwelling of Botha
or Bota.' Booth is still a common surname. Cf. Bootham
(York). See -by.
BooTHROYD Lane (Dewsbury). Called after a man Boothroyd,
where -royd is prob. fr. rod 56,^ 6 roid, ' a path, a way.'
BooTLB (Liverpool, Cumbld.). Li. B. a. 1540 Bothul. Demi, for
N. Lanes, has Bodele and Fordbodele (now washed away).
O.E. botl, ' a dwelUng, a house.' Of. Bolton andNEWBATTLE (Sc).
BoKDEN (Sittingbourne). Not in Dom. 'Boar's den'; O.E. bar,
3-7 bor. The wild boar was not extinct in England till at least
the 17th century.
BoRDESLEY (Birmingham). 1156 Bordeslega, 1158 -lea, in 1275
also Bordeshale. ' Borda's lea ' or ' meadow.' Cf., too, B.C.S.
739 Bordeles tun. See -ley.
BoREHAM (four in P.O.). Dom. (Surrey) Borham. 'Boar's
home.' See Borden. Boar may here be a proper name. Cf.
Borley Green (Sudbury). But Borley House (Upton-on-
Severn) is Dom. Burgeleye, or ' fortified place in the meadow.'
See next, and Btjrley. Borefleet is the old name of Bright-
lingsea Creek, earlier found as Bordfliet, Berfliet, and Balfleet;
prob. Fleet or 'river of the boar'; O.E. bar, 3 ber, 4-7 bore.
Dr. Diekin postulates an O.E. bord, ' border,' which does not
exist; and bore, ' tidal wave,'. is not found till 1601.
Borougkbridge (York). 1380 Ponteburg. ' Fort -bridge ' or
' fortified bridge,' fr. O.E.- burh, ' a fort, castle, or burgh.' Cf.
Pontefract, 'or broken bridge,' and Borough Green (Cambs).
BOKKODAIL 161 ' BOSTON
BoRRODAiL (Cumberland) . N. borg-dal-r, ' dale, valley with a fort
in it/ Cf. next and Borrowstonness or Bo'ness (Sc).
Borrow ASH (Derby). Not in Dom. ' Burgh ash-tree/ Cf. above
and next.
BoRROWBY (several in Yorks). All in Dom. Berg(h)ebi. ' Fortified
dwelling-place/ fr. O.N. borg or O.E. borh, borg, burh, ' fort,
burgh." Cf. Barrowby, Borwick, and Borrodail; and see -by.
Borstal or Bostal (Rochester) . Dom. Borcstele, Borchetelle ;
a. 1200 Text. Bqff. Borestella, Borgestealla. O.E. beorh-steall,
'seat, place, stall on the hillside.' Or Bor- may be O.E. borh,
borg, burh, *fort, burgh.' Cf. Pipe 1157 Burchestala, prob. in Beds.
BoRTH (Cardigan). W. bordd, burdd, ' a board or table.'
BoRWiCK (Carnf orth) . Dom. Borch and Bereuuic (second e an error) .
O.E. borh-wic, ' fort-dwelling, fortified house.' Cf. Borrowby.
BosAHAJsr (Falmouth). Pron. Bow-sane. Corn, bod, bos, bo, ' house,
dwelling,' G. both, common in Com. names, as in Boscawen,
' house beside the elder -tree,' scawen, Boslowick, Bosistow, etc.
The latter half is often now uncertain, but Bosahan may be fr.
sawan, ' a hole in a cHfE beside the sea.' None of these in Dom.
BosBURY (Ledbury). Flar. Wore, and Sim. Dur. re ann. 1056.
Bosanbyrig, ' Burgh, castle of Bosa.'
BoscASTLE (Cornwall). Prob. ' Bosa's or Boso's castle '; names in
Onom. But Corn. 60s also means ' moor.' Cf. Bosahan.
BoscoMBE (Bournemouth and Sahsbury). Sal. B. Dom. Boscumbe.
' Bosa's valley.' See above and -combe.
BosHAM (Chichester). Bede Bosanham, 1048 O.E. Chron. Bosen-
ham, 1167-68 Pipe Boseham. ' Bosa'a home.' Cf. Bosbury.
BosHERSTON (Pembroke). Modem. Bosher is an English surname,
prob. fr. Fr. boucher, 'a butcher.'
BosLEY (Macclesfield). Dom. Boselega. 'Bosa'a lea or meadow.'
Cf. Bosh AM.
Boston. Not in Dom. 1090 chart. Ecclesia sancti Botulphi,
a. 1200 Hoveden Sti Botulphi, c. 1250 Dame Siriz Botolfston in
Lincolneschire, Leland Botolphstowne, and Boston. Linking
forms seem curiously lacking. The copious Hist, of Boston,
1856, by Thompson, mentions none; but the name was, St.
Botolph's in Eng. or in Latin, rather than Boston, till after
1400. We have found ' Boston ' first in 1391, Earl Derby's
Exp. (Camden), 23. Of the origin there can be no doubt, as
O.E. Chron. ann. 654 says, the hermit Botwulf (L. Botulphus)
built the minster at Icanho, the earlier name of Boston. A
similar contraction is perh. seen in Boss all (Yorks), whose
church is also dedicated to St Botolph. But here Dom.'s forms
are puzzling — Boscele and Bosciale. The ending is certainly
BOTHAMSALL 162 BOURTON
-hall, q.v. ; but Bosc- does not suggest Botulph. The only name
near it in Onom. is one Bascic. Cf. Dom. (Hunts) Botulves-
brige.
BoTHAMSALL (Newark). Dom. Bodmescel(d) , 1180 Bodemeskil,
1278 Bodmeshill, 1302 Bothemeshull, 1428 Bothomsell. Now
'Bothelm's nook' or 'hall/ Cf. Bonsall, etc., and see -hall.
But the orig. ending was either late O.E. cell, ' a small monastery
or nunnery/ Med. L. cella ; or, more prob., O.N. kelda, ' a spring,
a well.'
BoTLEY (Hants and Henley -in- Arden) . Han. B. Dom. Botelei.
Hen. B. Dugdale Botle. Prob. ' Botta's ' or ' Bottoms lea or
meadow.' Possibly O.E. botl-Uah, 'meadow with the hut or
house on it.' Cf. Botlob (Dymock), Dom. Botelav (see -low) ;
also Dom. (Cambs) Botestoch (O.E. stoc, ' a place ').
BoTTiSHAM (Cambridge). Dom. Bodichesham, 1210 Bodekesham,
1372 Bodkesham, 1400 Botkesham, 1428 Bottesham. ' Home
of Bodeca.' See -ham.
BoTTLESFORD (Pewsey, Wilts). Not in Dom. [c. 1190 chart.
' Botlesford,' Notts.]. ? 'Ford of Botvmlf or ' Botweald.'
Only, in 796 chart. (Wilts), we have a Butlesleye, which must
represent a name Butela, or the like.
BoTUSFLEMiNG (Cornwall). Corn. = ' parish of the Flemings' or
men from Flanders. Cf. Flushing opposite Falmouth. Botus
may be=W. bettws, corrup. of Eng. bead-house, 'house of
prayer ' ; but this is uncertain, c. 1175 Lambeth Hom. has bode,
beode, for bede, ' prayer, petition.' Cf. Bacchus (Glostrsh.),
1304 Bakkehuse, ' the back house.'
SouGHTON (nine in P.G.). Dom. (Notts, Nfk., Northants) Buche-
tone, -tuna. 1179-80 Pipe (Yorks) Bouton. Some conceivably
might be ' town at the bend,' M.E. bought, same root as bight,
' a bay.' But B., Notts, 1225 Buketon, is fr. a man Bucca.
Boughton (Wore.) is 1038 chart. Bocctun, 1275 Boctone,
which is certainly ' town of the beech-trees, O.E. boc' The
phonetics here are as in Broughton.
Boughto(u)n-tjndeb-Blee (Canterbury). Sic Chaucer, c.^1386.
See above and Blee.
Bourne (Cambs and Lincoln) . Cam. B. Dom. Brune, 1171 Brunne,
1210 Bume . B . Line . c . 1 200 Gervase Brunne . .N . brunn-r, ' a
brook ' ; O.E. burn{a), ' a spring, a well, a stream,' the Sc. ' bum.'
Bournemouth. Perh. c. 1150 Gaimar, re ann. 1066 Brunemue.
See above.
BouBTON (seven in P.G.). Glos. B. 949 chart. Burgtune, Dom.
Bortune. Rugby B. Dom. Bortone. Bath B. c. 1160 Burton;
also B.C.S. i. 506 Burgton (Berks). -Burton, 'fortified
town.' See -bury and -ton.
BOVERTON 163 BRACEBOROUGH
BovERTON (Cowbridge). Prob. O.E. bi-ofer-tun, ' town, village, by
the brink or edge/ Cf. ' Bovreford ' (Hants) in Dom.; also
Beefobd, Bolsover, etc.
BovEY Tracey (S. Devon). Pron. Buvvey. Dom. Bovi. Prob.
' Bofa's isle ' ; see next, and -ey. On Tracey cf. Wollacombe
Tracy.
BoviNGTON (Hemel Hampstead). 1298 Bovyngton. 'Bofa's
town/ or else ' Botwine's town/ This last is a common name
in Onom. Cf. Dom. Bouinton, 1205 Buvintone (in YorkS), now
Boynton; and Dom. (Wilts) Boientone. Boving may be a
patronymic. See -ing.
Bow (London). Early often called ' De Arcubus,' fr. a bridge
arched or ' bowed,' built here in the time of Q. Maud, the first
in England.
Bowes Castle (Yorksh.). c. 1188 Gir. Gamb. Beoves. Prob. fr. a
man Bofa or Beofa ; several Bof as in Onom. The s will be the gen.
BowNESS (Cumberland), c, 1200 Bowenes. 'Ness or naze (O.N.
and O.E. nces, ' cape, nose ') at the bow or bend ' ; O.E. boga.
BowNHiLL (Stroud). Not in Dom. Some think this is Bede's
Mons Badonicus. But old forms are needed; meantime doubt-
ful. Baddeley can throw no Hght.
BowTHORPE (Menthorpe, Yorks). Dom. and 1199 Boletorp. ' Vil-
lage of Bola/ two in Onom. Cf. Bolney; and see -thorpe.
BoxFOBD (Newbury and Colchester). New. B.B.C.S.i. 506 Boxora,
Dom. Bovsore, Bochesome. The present -form seems quite
mod. Box-ora is O.E. for ' edge, river -bank lined with box-
trees.' Cf. Windsor, etc. Box Hill (Surrey) was early famed
for its box-trees. Close by is Box Hurst or ' box wood.'
BoxLEY (Maidstone) . ? Dom. Bogelei, 1155 Pipe BoxeF, c. 1188 Gir,
Gamb. Boxletha, 1289 Boxleya. Prob. O.E. box-ledh, ' box-tree
meadow.' There are no names in Onom. like Boc or Bocca; but
cf. next. The -letha might be for O.E. hlv^, c. 1200 li^e, ' a slope.'
BoxwoRTH (Cambridge). Dom. Bochesuuorde, 1228 Bukeswrth,
1256 Bokesworth. ' Farm of the he-goats.' Icel. bokk-r, Sw.
bock ; also O.E. buc, ' a buck, a he-deer,' fr. which comes form
1228. Cf. BoxwELL (Charfield), Dom. Boxewelle, 1316 Bockes-
weUe.
BoYNTON (BridUngton). See Bovington".
BoYTON (Launceston) . Dom. Boye-, Boietone. ' Boia's town
or village.' Several of this name in Onom. Cf. Boythorp
(Yorks), Dom. Buitorp.
Brabourne (Kent). Dom. Bradeburne. O.E. brad burna, ' broad
stream.' See -l3ourne.
Braceborough (Stamford). Dom. Braseborg, and Bracebridgb
(Lincoln), Dom. Brachebrige, 1298 Bracebrigge. Prob. ' burgh.
BRACKLEY 164 BRADSHAW
fort/ and ' bridge of Bracca, or Breca, or Brece.' But as to the
latter note also 1483 Caihol. Angl. ' A brace of a bryge or of a
vawte, sinus, arcus,'= ' span/ Cf. next, and Bracewell
(W. Riding), JDom. Braisuelle.
Brackley (Northampton), c. 1188 Gir. Cambr. Brakelega,
Bracheleia. ' Bracca's lea or meadow/ Cf. Brackenthwaite
(Cockermouth), 1202 Brakinthweit ; see -ley and -thwaite.
Bracknell (Winkfield). 942 chart. Braccan heal. There can be
little doubt this means ' nook of Bracca.' There is no word like
the mod. bracken in O.E., and in any case ' bracken nook ' is
not the Hkely meaning according to analogy, though it is sup-
ported by Skeat. See above and -hall. There is also a Bracken
(Yorks), Dom. Brachen, which must be ' Bracca's place.' Cf.
Beedon, Coven, etc.
Bradbury (Durham), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Brydbyrig. Broad,
O.E. brad, never takes the form bryd or brid, so this is prob.
'Burgh or castle of the bride'; O.E. bryd, 3-4 bryd. See
-bury.
Bradden (Towcester). 1221 Braden is 'Broad valley.' See
Bradon, and -den. But for Braddn see Vraddan (Lizard).
Bradenham (Thetford and High Wycombe) . B.C.S. 877 Bradan-
ham. [Cf. c. 672 Grant ' Bradanfeld ' (Berks), and 1298 ' Thomas
de Bradenston.'] ' Brada's home.' The name is common in
Onom. But Skeat holds that Bradanfeld, now Bradfield, is
a weak dative fr. O.E. brad, ' broad.'
Bradeston (Norfolk). {Dom. has only Bradeha.) 1298 Braden-
ston, 1422 Breydeston, 1450 Brayston, 1451 Braydeston.
' Brada's town.' Cf. Bradenham. Form 1298 will then show
a double gen.
Bradford, Dom. Bradeford; and Bradford -on-A von (Wilts).
O.E. Chron. 652 Mt Bradanforda be Afne. ' Broad ford.' Cf.
Bretford, and Dom. (Yorks) Bradfortun, Bratfortone, now
Bralferton.
Brading (I. of Wight). Dom. Berarding. This must be 'place
of the descendants of Beorhtweard,' later Beorhward, Berard.
See -ing.
Bradley (Keighley, and 7). Dom. (Yorks) several, Bradeleia;
Bilston B. Z)om. Bradeley; Stafford B. Dom. Bradeleia. 778
chart. Bradan lea3e (? which), ' Broad lea or meadow,' or pos-
sibly ' Brada's meadow.' Cf. Bradeston,
Bradon (a district W. of Swindon). Sic O.E. Chron. 904. O.E.
brad dun, ' broad hill.' Cf., too, ' Bradene,' Dom. Somerset —
i.e., ' broad dean ' or ' valley.'
Bradshaw (Bolton and Halifax). Not in Dom. Bol. B. 1313
Bradeshagh. O.E. brad scaga, ' broad wood.'
BR AD WELL 165 BRAMHAM
Bradwell (5 in P.G.). Dom. Bradeuuelle (Bucks)., Braintree B.
a. 1300 Bradwall — i.e., ' broad well or spring/ Cf. 1160 Pijpe
Bradew'h, in the same region. But Dom. Bradewell (Yorks), is
Braithwell (Doncaster).
Bradyair (Cumberland), c. 1141 Bradjere. O.E. brad '^eard,
' broad yard.'
Brapferton. See Bradford.
Br AFIELD (Northampton). Dom. Bragefelde. a. 1130 Brau-
field. ? ' Field on the brae or brow or hill slope/ O.N. bra,
O.E. brdew, breaw; lit. 'the eyeUd.' But Dom. suggests
' field of ' an unrecorded ' Braga.' Onom. has only Broga.
Brailes (Banbury). Sic in Dom. and 1248. A unique and puzzling
name. Prob. some man ' Brail's ' (village), as in Brailsford
(Derby). The name is otherwise unknown; it might be contr.
fr. Breguweald, 2 in Onom, We have similar names, only with
O.E. gen., in Beadon, Coven, etc.
Braintree (Essex). Dom. Branchtreu; later Branktry, Brantry.
This must be ' tree of Branc,' the same name as in Branksome
(Bournemouth), Branxton (Coldstream), and Branxholm
(Hawick); a. 1400 Brancheshelm. The ch in Dom. and in this
last are due to the habitual softening of Norman scribes. Cf.
Oswestry.
Braithwaite (Keswick). 1183 Boldon Bk. Braitewat, Braithe-
wath, perh. in Durham. ' Brae-place.' See Brafield and
-thwaite. But Braithwell (Doncaster) is Dom. Bradewell.
See Bradwell.
Bramber (Shoreham). ? Dom. Branbertei, which suggests an un-
recorded ' Brandbeorht's isle.' See -ey. Old Brymmburg ; also
cf. Grant of 672 Brember wudu (Salisbury). The first part is
doubtful. It may be O.E. brom, ' the broom,' cf. next, or
brime, 3-6 brem, ' famous.' The -ber seems to be for burh, cf.
Bamber, and see -bury. Cf. Eark Bramwith (Doncaster),
1201 Bramwith, where the ending is O.N. vith-r, ' a wood.'
Bramcote (Nottingham and Nuneaton). Not. B. Dom. Bron-,
Brunecote, c. 1200 Brancote. Nun. B. Dom. Brancote, a. 1300
Brom(p)cote, a. 1400 Bramkote. Duignan says ' cot in the
broom ' or ' gorse,' O.E. brom. Mutschmann thinks of brand
cote, ' cot on the place cleared by burning.' Neither is certain.
Cf. the other names in Bram-; also Castle Bromwioh.
Bramham (Tadcaster); sic 1202, and Bramham (S. Yorks). Dom.
Bramha, Brameha. See above and next. The Bram- here is
doubtful. Bramshall (Uttoxeter) is Dom. Branselle, a. 1200
Brumeshel, a. 1300 Bromsholf, -sulf. Both look certainly as
if fr. a man Bram, Brom, or Brum. The Onom. has Brand,
Bron, Brum, and Brun, the last common. For the present
ending see -hall; but -sholf, and -sulf point to O.E. scylfe, 'a
shelf, a shelving piece of land.'
BRAMPTON 166 BRAWDY
Brampton (7 in P.G.). Nfk. and SufEk. B. Dom. Brantuna. Hants
B. 1121 O.E. Chron. Bramtun, 1149 Brantona; 1238 Close R.
Brampton, ? which. Prob. 'town of Brand or Brant.' Brand
is common in Onom. Cf. B.C.S. 712 Brantes wyrth. But
Branton Green (Aldborough) is 1202 Brankstona. Cf.
Bampton for common intrusion of p.
Brancaster (N.W.Norfolk), a. 4:50 Notitia BT&nsdnnnm. 'Castle,
camp of Bran.' Ir. and O.G. bran, 'a raven'; in Breton 'a
crow.' A chief Bran is found in Bk. of Taliessin, while Nant
Bran, vale of Glam., is c. 1130 Lib. Land. Nant Baraen.
Brandeston (Wickham Market). Dom. Brantestuna. 'Town of
Brand ' (common in Onom.), or ' Branti.' Cf. Bransburton,
(Yorks), Dom. Brantisburtune, and Branston.
Brandon (Hereford and Durham, Coventry, Salop, and on Little
Ouse). May be same name as Eav. Geogr. Branogenium.
Gov. B. Dom. Brandune, 1227 Brandon, 1273 Braundon.
Another, a. 1200 Brandune. ' Hill of Brand,' a common O.E.
name. See -don. Brancot (Stafford), is often Bromcote in
the 14th cny — i.e., ' cot among the broom.' See Brampton
and Brancaster.
Branscombe (Axminster). Chart. Brancescumb. Dom. Branches-
come. ' Branca' s valley.' Cf. Brantin Green (Aldborough),
1202 Brankstona, and next. See -combe.
Branston (Burton, Grantham, Lincoln). Bur. B. 771 chart.
Brantistun, 978 Brantestun, Dom. and later Brantestone.
' Town, village of Brant or Brand ' ; the names are the same.
Cf. Brandeston. Bran(d)sby (N. Riding), has been identified
with 910 0.^. C^ron. Bremesbyrig. This cannot be. See rather
Bromsberrow. This is Dom. Branzbi, 'dwelhng of 5raw<.' See -by.
Brant Fell and Brant How (Bownegs). O.E. brant, bront, ' high,
steep, sheer'; while How is O.N. haug-r, 'mound, cairn.' Cf.
Great How, and Maeshow (Sc). See -fell.
Brantin GHAM (Brough, Yorks). Dom. Brentingeha', Brentingham,
Brendingham. c. 1180 Ben. Peterb. Brentingeham. ' Home of
the Brentings,' or descendants of Brent. Branting, Breniing,
and Brant are all in Onom. Cf. E,. Brent.
Branton (Alnwick). Cf. 1157 Pipe Brantona (Devon). ' Town of
Brant.' See above.
Braunston (Oakham and Rugby). Not in Dom. 1298 Brauntes-
ton. Cf. B.C.S. 712 Branteswyrth. ' Town of Brant or Brand.'
Cf. above and Branston.
Brawby (Malton). Dom. Bragebi. 'Dwelling of ?' See -by.
Brawdy (Pembroke), c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Breudi. Prob. W.
brwyd, ' full of holes.' T. Morgan conjectures O.W. brawd dy,
' judgment house ' or ' court.'
BRAY 167 BRENT R.
Bray (Maidenhead). Dom. Brai; later Braie, Broy, Bray. Perh.
= Sc. brae. See Brafield. Skeat agrees with this, and
connects with O.E. brdw; Mercian breg, ' an eyebrow/
Brayton (Carlisle and Selby). Sel. B. Dom. Bretone, Brettan.
Perh. ' Brae-town.' See Bray.
Breage with Germoe (Helston). Fr. St. Breaca and her com-
panion who landed forcibly, as missionaries from Ireland, at
the mouth of the Hayle R., c. 500.
Brean Down (Weston-s.-M.). Tautology. W. bre, ' a hill, a brae ';
pi. 'breon. The R. Breamish, Northbld., prob. contains this
root, or else bryn, a' slope ' ; w. so easily changes into m, and will
mean ' slope, brae, with the stream ' or ' water.' Cf. G. uisge,
pron. iishge, ' water.' There is also The Bream, For. of Dean,
old Le Breme. Eng. Dial. Diet, gives for bream ' an elevated
place exposed to wind,' which quite suits breon.
Brecknock or Brecon. 916 O.E. Chron. Brecenanmere, 1094
Brut y Ty. Brecheniauc, a. 1100 Brechennium, c. 1188 Gir.
Camb. Brecheniauc, Brekenniauc, c. 1540 Leland Brekenock,
Brecknock. These last are just Eng. spellings of the orig.
W. name as seen in 1094. The name comes fr. Brychan, son
of Anlac — i.e., ' the speckled ' or ' tartan-clad.' He was an
Ir. prince who conquered all this region c. 430. The town is
called both Brecknock and Brecon in 1606; but the town's
W. name now is Aberhonddu, being at the confluence of Honddu
and Usk. One of K. Arthur's battles in c. 800 Nennius was
Cat Bregion, near the mountain Breguoin. Some hold that these
are the same names as the above. The -ock prob. represents a
W. dimin.
Bredon (Tewkesbury) and Bredon Forest (Wilts) . Bede Briudun,
781 Breodune, Dom. Breodun, c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Briodun.
Tautology, W. bre, and O.E. dun, ' hill.' But B. Forest is
905 O.E. Chron. Bradon, Braeden; which may mean ' hill with
the brow or brae or cUfif.' See Brafield.
Bredwardine (Hereford). 'Farm of Brid,' 2 in Onom. See
-war dine.
Breedon-on-the-Hell (Ashby-de-la-Z.) . a. 1100 Bredun. A triple
tautology, for W. bre, O.E. dun, and Eng. hill all mean the
same.
Bremhill (Calne) . 940 chart. Brembelwerna must have been quite
near here, fr. O.E. bremel, brembel, ' the bramble or blackberry,'
and Bremhill might be corrup. of this. Only it is prob. Dom.
Breme, for which see Bramber.
Brent R. (Middlesex) and Brentford. 705 Lett. Bp. Waldhere,
Breguntford ; 918 O.E. Chron. Braegent forda ; 1016 ib.
Brent forda. This first half is W. bre, a ' hill,' a ' brae '; the
second may be gwyn, gwen, 'clear, bright'; but perh. more
BRENT KNOLL 168 BRIDSTON
prob. fr. W. gwantu, ' to sever/ or gwant, ' a butt, a mark/
The name of the tribe Brigantes, who dwelt N. of Humber,
looks Hke the same name.
Brent Knoll (Axbridge). c. 708 Grant K. Ine Mons qui dicitur
Brente. O.E. brant, hront, 'high, steep, sheer'; and cnol,
' knoll, knowe, hill/ Not the same as next. But Brand or
Brent Ditch (Cambs), is the same word. Rhys inclines to
connect the Brents with O.W. hreni, ' a prow.'
Brentwood (Chelmsford). Not in Dom. Prob. 'burnt wood,'
fr. burn vb, 4-6 brenne. Of. Brandwood (Rossendale), c. 1200
Brendewod, and Burntwood.
Brepper (Cornwall). See Barripper.
Brereton (Rugeley and Sandbach). a. 1300 Breredon. 'Brier,
bramble hill,' O.E. brer, brcer, 3-9 brere. See -don.
Bretford (Coventry). Sic 1180, and Breteorton (Honeybourne) .
709 chart. Bretferton, 714 Brotfortun, 860 Bradferdtun, Dom.
Bratfortune, 1275 Bretforton. A little doubtful; it may be
= Bradford -ton. But quite Ukely ' Ford of Bret ' or ' Briht.'
Brett is still a common, personal name. (7/. Brettell, sic 1614,
Kingswinford. It ma^ simply mean ' Briton.' C/. Brapferton
and Britford.
Brettenham (Suffolk). Dom. Bretenhame, and Bretton (Wake-
field). Wa. B. Dom. Brettone. 'Home' and 'town of the
Briton,' O.E. Bret. Cf. Britain.
Brewood (Stafford). Dom. Brevde, a. 1200 Breo-, Brewude,
' a. 1300 Brewode. Hybrid: W. bre, 'a hill,' and -wood. The
Sc. brae is fr. O.N. bra ' (eye) brow.'
Bridgenorth. 912 O.E. Chron. Bricge, c. 1120 Hen. Hunt.
Bruge; a. 1145 Orderic Brugia, all meaning 'bridge.' North
prob. added c. 1090 by Robert of Bellesne, to distmguish this
place from his father's castle at Quatbridge, 3 miles to S.
We have c. 1350 chart. Brugenorth.
Bridgertjle (Bude) . Not in Dom. Old Lan Bridget, or ' church of
St. Bridget, or Brigida, or Bride,' of Kildare, a.d. 453-523. It
was granted at the Conquest to one Raoul. Cf. Abbotrule, (Sc.)
Bridlington. Dom. Bretlinton (4 times); Sim. Dur. contin. ann.
1143 Brellintun; 1200 Bridlinton. Prob. named fr. a man,
but his name is doubtful. Prob. O.E. Bretelan tun, ' town of
Bretel,' one such in Onom. See -ton.
Bridport. 1156 Bridep't. ' Harbour on the R. Brit,' which is
prob. W. brith, 'spotted, parti-coloured.' Connexion with
Britain is imcertain. We get the root again in Little Bredy,
near by. Dom. Litelbride.
Bridston (Herefordsh.). Not in Dom. 'Town, village of St.
Bridget.' See Bridgertjle.
BEIGfG 169 BRIMPSPIELD
Brigg (Lincolnsh.). Not in Dom., but ' Bruge ' (Cheshire). O.E.
brycg, So. brig, ' a bridge.' Cf. Briggate (Leeds and Knares-
boro').
Brigham (Cockermth. and E. Eiding). E. Rid. B. Dom. Bringeha*.
Prob. ' home of Brine.' Cf. Bbiningham.
Brightlingsea (Colchester). Local pron. Bricklesey. 1223
Patent R. Brichtlingese ; 1521 Bryghtlyngsey. 'Isle of Beorht-
ling,' not in Onom., where we have only noted B.C.S., 1282
Brihtulfing tun; whilst Dom. has Brictriceseia, fr. the common
Beorhtric. The r here has changed into its kindred liquid I, and
the patronymic -ing has been added, after Dom. No less than
193 variants of the name are said to have been enumerated.
See -ea.
Brighton and Brighthampton (Oxon) and Brigkhampton
(Gloster). All three practically the same name ! Brighton is
Dom. Brichelmestone, Bristelmeston (on the st see p. 26),
' Stone of Brihtelm/ var. of the common Beorhthelm. There was
a Brithelm, Bp. of Chichester, in 956. Called Brighthelmstone
as late as 1834, and Brighton as early as 1660. B. Oxon is
old Brighthelmstone, and B. Gloster is c. 1230 Brithelmetim.
But Breighton, (E. Riding) is Dom. Bricstune Briston, fr.
Bricsi or Beorhtsige, cf. Brixton. See -ton which often inter-,
changes with -stone.
Brightw ALTON (Lamboum). 939 chart. Beorhtwaldingtune ; 1086
Bristwoldintona ; Dom. Bristoldestone ; also Brictewalton. 'Town
of the descendants of Beorhiweald,' very common in Onom.
Brisiwoldv^, is known var. of Beorhtweald. Cf. next. Dom.
regularly writes st for a guttural.
Brightwell (WaUingford and Oxon). Ox. B. 947 chart. Beorhtan
wille; also seb Berhtanwellan, which chart, translates ' declara-
tam fontem ' — i.e., ' clear, bright weU.' O.E. beorht, berht,
' bright.' Wa. B. Dom. Bristowelle {Dom. always avoids
gutturals and usually has st for gh). Later Brictewell.
Brigstock (Thrapston) . 1160 Pi^e Brichestoc. ' Place of Brica ' ;
one in Onom. Cf. Brixworth, and Dom. (Bucks) Bricstoch;
and see -stock.
Brell (Thame). . 1155-57 Pipe Bruhella, -bulla; 1231 Brehull.
' Hill,' or else ' nook' (see -hall) 'on the brow or brae '; lit. the
eyelid, O.E. brdew, breaw. Cf. 1158-59 Pipe Northbld. Brie-
helle, Dom. Essex, Bruheleia, and Beal.
Brimham Rooks (Harrogate). 'Brim's home.' Cf. B.C.S. 64
Brimes die. Locally, brim means ' a high place exposed to
weather,' cognate with Eng. brim, first found c. 1205 brimme;
origin doubtful. Cf. next.
Brimpsfield (Glostrsh.) and Bremscombe (Stroud). Dowi. Brimes-
felde. Old Brimmescombe. ' Field ' and ' valley of Brim.'
12
BEIMPTQN 170 BRINSCALL
Cf. a. 1000 chart. Brimhirst (Leicestersh.), Brimstage (Chesh.),
BooMSBEREOW, and above. The man's name is a little uncertain.
See -combe.
Brimpton (Reading). 944 chart. Bryningtune, Dom. Brintone,
a. 1300 Brimpton. ' Town of the sons of Brini.' Cf. Brington.
For interchange of n and m-p cf. Bampton.
Brindle (Chorley) . 1227 Brimhill, 1228 BurnehuU, 1254 Brunhull,
1356 Burnhull, 1584 Brindle. The d is thus quite late, and the
name is ' hill of the bum ' or ' brook/ 0. E. bryn, var. of burna.
Cf. -bourne. There is also a Brindle Heath (Salford). Brine-
ton (Shiffnal) is Dom. Brunitone; a. 1300 Bruneton, which is
prob. ' town of Brun ' or ' Brown.' Mom. Yorks, Brinitun and
Brinnistun is now Burniston.
Brington (Hunts). Dom. Breninctun. 'Town of the sons of
Brini ' or ' Brine,' Cf. Brempton and next ; and see -ing.
Briningham (Norfk.). Dom. Bruningaha. 'Home of Bruning *
or ' of the sons of Brun'; both names common in Onom., which
also has Brine, and Brin as var. of Beorn. Cf. Brigham ; and
see -ing.
Brinkburn (on R. Coquet) and Brinkworth (Chippenham).
1150 Brink(e)burne, 1183Brenkbuma; 1065 chart. Brinkewrtha.
' Brook ' and ' farm/ at the edge ' or ' brink/ a N. word. See
Oxf. Diet. s.v. The above are the earHest instances of it in
Eng. There is no name hke Brink in Onom., though there is a
Brica, -an. But Brink is a Du. quasi- personal name, as in the
well-known Prof. Ten Brink; brink in Du. has the same meaning
and root as the Eng. word. Thus the above names might mean
' brook ' and ' farm of Brink.' However, the 1183 form Brenk-
leans towards O.N. brekka, ' hillside, slope/ Dan. brink,
' steepness, precipice, dechvity.' See -bourne and -worth.
Brinklow (RrUgby). Cf. above, a. 1200 Brinchelau, 1251 Brinck-
lawe; also thought to be the ' Bridelawe,' c. 1188 in Gir. Camb.
If so the form will be corrupt, and also nasahzed since that time.
Brink is Norse, and means, ' edge, border of a steep place ' ; here
a huge tumulus or burial-mound, O.^.hlcBW. See -low, and above.
Brestscall (Chorley), Brinscar (Lanes), 1228 Brunesgare, Brins-
EORD (Wolvermptn. and Lutterworth); Wol. B. 994 Bruns-,
Brenesford; 1227 Bruneford; 1381 Bruynesford. Lut. B. old
Brunesford; Brinsley (Notts); Dom. Bruneslei, and Brins-
WORTH (Rotherham), 1202 Brinesford. Prob. all fr. men
named Brun or ' Brown,' a common O.E. name. One Brun
was Dom. tenant of Brownsover ('bank'), Rugby. Brins-
caU's ending, without old forms, is uncertain, but -car is
O.N. kjarr, ' copsewood, brushwood '; or N. kjcerr, kjerr, ' marsh,
wet copse.' Wyld and Hirst omit both Brinscall and Brinscar,
but give Brindle in the same district. For the other endings
see -ford, -hall, and -worth ('farm').
BRISTNALL 171 BROCKLESBY
Beistnall (Smethwick). a. 1300 Brussenhulle, which is prob.
' bursten ' or ' broken hill/ O.E. berstan, '.;to burst,' past tense
4-6 briste, brust, pa. pple., 4-5 brusten, brosten; dial, brossen.
Cf. BuRSTwiCK. See also -hall.
Bristol. 1052 O.E. Chron. (Wore.) Brycgstow, Dom. Bristou.
a. 1142 Wm. Malmesb. Bristow, c. 1160 Gest. Steph. Bristoa;
c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Bristollum. Brycgstow is O.E. for ' bridge-
place.^ It is interesting to see the -ow change into the liquid -ol.
Britain. 345 b.c. Aristotle at (SpeTaviKol {v. r. IIpeT-) vrja-oi, 55 e.g.
J. Gcesar Britannia, c. 50 B.C. Diod. Sic. BpiTxavla, a.d. 43.
Lett, of Claudius Kara Bperavvwv. O.E. Ghron. ann. 495 Bretene,
ann. 755 Bryttisc (= British). W. inis Prydain, ' isle of Britain.'
Prydain is the Brythonic form of Ir. Cruithni, usual Ir. name of
the Picts; but whether this is really connected with the name
Britain, and what that name means, is doubtful.
Britford (Salisbury). 1065 O.E. Chron. Brytforda, Brytan
forda; a. 1100 Brethevorde. 'Ford of the Briton '; the th in
the latest form cited is a common Norm, softening. Cf. Bret-
ford.
Brixton. K.C.D. 940, Brihtricestan, ? which. Surrey, is Dom. B
Brici-, Brixistan, ' stone of Beorhtsige/ a common name, found
also as Byrcsige, Brehtsig, Bryxie, and Brixius. Plymouth
B. Dom. Brictricestone, Bedricestone. ' Stone of Beorhiric,'
another common name, found also as Brychtrich, Brihtrig, and
Bricxtric. The endings -stone and -ton, q.v., often interchange.
Brixton Deverill (Warminster), is not in Dom., but see
Deverill. Cf. Dom. Bricsteuuelle, near Wallingford, ' Beorht-
sige's well.' In Dom. we regularly have st for guttural h or ch.
Dom. Yorks Brix5stune, Briston, is now Breighton.
Brixworth (Northampton). Dom. Briclesworde. This is prob.
' farm oiBeorhtel ' or Berhtel, or else Beorhtgils, all found in Onom.
1160 Pipe Northants has Brichestoc. Cf. Brigstock; and
see -worth.
Broadwas (Worcester). 779 chart. Bradeuuesse, -wasse, K.C.D.
iii. 386 Bradewasan, 1218 Bradewas. O.E. for ' broad, stagnant
pool.' O.E. wase, mod. ooze. Cf. Alrewas.
Broadwater (Sussex). Dom. Bradewatre. O.E. brad, 'broad.'
Broadway. (Wore, and Ilminster). Wore. B. 972 chart. Bradwege
and Bradanwege (a dat.). Dom. Bradeweia. It is on the road
between London and Worcester.
Brochurst (Warwksh.) and Brockenhurst (Hants). War. B.
1327 Brochurst, Han. B. 1157 Pipe Brocheherst. ' Wood of
the badger.' O.E. broc. Cf. next; and see -hurst.
Brockxesby (Lines). Dom. Brochesbi, ' dwelling of Brocwulf.*
Dom. is very careless of the Hquids. Cf. Broxted ; and see -by.
BROCKLEY HILL 172 BRONDESBUET
Brookley Hill (Edgeware). O.E. Broc- leak, ' badger meadow/
Cf. 674 grant Brocces broc and Broxburn (Sc). Similar is
Brockton, Much Wenlock, Dom. Broctune, Brochetune, and
three Broctons (Staffs), all Dom. Broctone. In all 3 Duignan
prefers O.E. broc, ' a brook/ Only the o here is long. Cf.
Brockhill Dingle, Alvechurch, 1275 Brochole, Brockhampton
(Glostrsh.), old Brochamtone, Brechampton (see Hampton), and
Brockworth, ib. Dom. Brocowardinge, Brockwordin; see
-worth and -wardine, ' farm/
Brokenborotjgh (Malmesbury). [737 chart. To brocenan beor^e.]
1298 Broukenbmy, 1324 Brokeneberwe. 'Broken' — i.e., pre
sumably 'rugged hill.' O.E. beorg. Cf. Barrow.
Bromfield (Wigton and Salop). Wig. B. c. 1215 chart. Brunefeld;
1610 Brumfield. Fr. O.E. brom, ' broom, gorse,' rather than
brun, ' brown.' Cf. next; m and n freely interchange.
Bromley (Kent, Stafford, etc.) . 862 chart. Bromlea3 (near Langley) .
Staf. B. 1004 chart, and c. 1097 Flor. Wore, Bromleage, -lege.
Dom. Brunlege. Kent B. Dom. Brunlei, Bronlei. As above,
' broom meadow ' and not ' brown meadow/ There is also
King's Bromley (Lichfield), 942 chart. Bromlege, Bromli,
Dom. Bromelei.
Brompton (London and Northallerton). Lon. B. a. 1016 Ordi-
nance Ethelred I. Bromdun. Nor. B. a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Bromtun.
' Broom, gorse village,' or else ' hill.' For intrusion of p cf.
Bampton and Hampton. See -don and -ton.
Bromsberrow (Ledbury). 910 O.E. Chron. Bremesbyrig; Dom.
Brunmeberge; c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Brimesbirih; v.r. Brunes-
birih, Brismesbirith ; 1284 Brommesberewe. Confusion here
in both halves. The man's name in the first may either be
Brunman, a fairly common name, or Brem{e) ; also in Onom .
The ending is either what is now -bury — i.e. ' (fortified) town,'
or O.E. beorg, ' hill,' now represented by -berrow or Barrow;
Cf. Berry Brow and Bromsgrove. Brom's Ash (S. Herefd.)
is 1228 Close R. Bromes heff, where heff is ' accustomed pasture-
ground of sheep,' same root as heft. See Oxf. Diet. s.v. heaf,
where the earhest quot. is c. 1525.
Bromsgrove. 830 chart. Bremes grafa, 1156 Bremes-, Brimes-
graua, 1166 Bromesgrava. ' Br em's grove/ O.E. grdf. Cf.
above and Birmingham.
Bromwich. See Castle Bromwich.
Bromyard (Worcester). Chart. Bromgeard, O.E. for ' field
covered with broom.'
Brondesbury (London) . 1766 Entick Bromesbury . Prob. ' burgh,
castle of Brom or Brem.' Cf. Bromsgrove. M and n often
interchange. Cf. Dum- and Dunbarton, etc.; and d often
intrudes.
BRONGWYN 173 BROYLE
Beongwyn (Caermarthen) . W. for ' fair, clear breast/ or ' breast-
like hill.' Cf. W. hron goch, ' Robin redbreast/ The W. for
' hill ' is bryn, but both hron and hryn are used in Cornwall.
Beook (Ashford and Godalming). c. 1290 8. Eng. Legend Robert
de Brok. O.E. broc, 'a rivulet.' Brookwood (Woking).
1289 contin. Gervase Brokwode.
Beoomfield (Bridgwater, Salop, etc.). Sal. B. a. 1196 Gir. Camb.
Brumfeld, Brid. B. 1297 R. Glouc. Brumefeld, 'broom-clad
field/ Cf. 909 chart. Brombricge, which will be called after a
man Brom. or Brem. Cf. Bromsgrove.
Broseley (Salop). Not in Dom. Old ' Burhweard's lea,' still seen
in full in Burwardsley (Chester). Cf. Burslem.
Brotherton (Ferrybridge, Yorks). Not in Dom.; but cf. Dom.
(Norfk.) Brodercros, ' town of Broder or Brother/ ' brother '
being used as a surname.
Brotton (Yorks). Sic 1179-80; but Dom. Brotune. Prob. O.E.
broc-tun, ' badger village.' Cf. Dom. Bucks Brotone.
Brougham Castle (Appleby). Thought to be c. 380 Ant. Itin.
Brocavo or Brovonacae. But more old forms are needed. Prob.
like Brough (Yorks), Dom. Burg, tr.O.lS.borg; O.^.burh, 'castle,
fort, ' a broch,' with the common transposition of the r, and so
= ' castle home. Cf. Brough Ferry (Elloughton), 1202 Burgum.
Broughton (14 in P.G.). Broughton Hacket (Pershore), 972 and
Dom. Broctune. Edinburgh B. 1128 Broctuna. Prob. aU
like that in Warwk., 1285 Brocton, ' badger town.' O.E. broc
is ' badger,' broc is ' brook.' Duignan seems certainly wrong in
deriving from brook, a word never used in Sc, though we have
two Sc. Broughtons as well as Broxburn and Broxmouth.
Broctune occurs 14 times in Dom. Yorks, and represents several
Broughtons. Of course Broc may be a man's name, now
Brock. However, Broughton (Eccleshall) is Dom. Hereborge-
stone, plainly a contraction fr. ^ Hereburh's (gen. -burge's)
town.' Cf. K.C.D. 710 and 1298 Hereburgebyrig.
Brown Willy (Camelford) . Said to be Corn, bron geled, ' con-
spicuous hill.' Cf. Brongwyn. Perh. WiUie is for Corn, gelli
or celli, ' a grove.' Yet another guess is ' hill of shackles,'
W. huel or hual. Names in Brown — like Brownshill (Stroud,
Glouc), and Brownsover (Rugby), pron. Brownsor; see -over)
— will all come fr. a man Brun. Cf. Brinsford.
Broxted (Bunmow) and Broxstowe (Notts). No. B. Dom.
Brocholvestou, Brochelestou, 1457 Brocholwestouwa, also
Broweston. Both prob. ' place (Stead and Stow both mean
that) of Brocwulf.' Cf. Brocklbsby.
Broyle, Forest of the (W. Sussex). 1399 laBroile. O.Fr. bruill,
broil ; Mod. Fr. breuil, ' an enclosed piece of brushwood or matted
underwood.'
BKUE K. 174 BTJCKNELL
Brtte R. (Somerset). ? Cognate with W. bru, 'womb, belly"; as
likely fr. a similar root to G. bruith, ' to boil/ Cf. Bruar (Sc).
For old forms see Bruton.
Bruen Stapleford (Tarvin, Cheshire). Prob. Dom. Brunhala, or
' Brun's nook/ or ' hall/ See -hall. But said to be called after
the Le Brun family, settled here in 1230. There is a ' Brunhelle '
in Dom. Bucks.
Brundall (Norfolk). Dom. Brundala, 1460 Brundehale.
? ' Brand's ' or ' Brond's nook.' See -hall. But cf. Dom.
Cheshire, Brunford, prob. 'ford over the bourne or burn,'
and Brundala may be ' dale with the bourne ' — O.N. brunn-r
dal-r. Horsfall Turner seems to identify all the numerous
Brxhsttons or Brunetonas in Dom. Yorks with Bromptons.
But one Brunton (Yorks) is 1166-67 Pi^e Birunton, 'town of
Birun ' oi' Byron.' The Buruns, or Biruns, held lands in Notts,
Derby, and Lanes as early as Dom.
Brtjton (Somerset). Dom. Breuutona, 1471 Brewton. 'Town
on the R. Brue.'
Bryncoch (Neath). W. = ' red hill.' W. bryn, O.G. brun. Com.
bron, bryn, ' a hill.' Cf. Brongwyn, and Brynmor, ' hill slope
by the sea.'
Bubbenhall (Kenilworth). Dom. Bubenhalle. 'Hall of Buba'
or ' Bubba.' See -hall.
Buckerell (Honiton). Not in Dom. 1166-67 Pipe Bucherel.
More old forms needed, Perh. ' nook of Bucard,' one in Onom.
The -el could be fr. hale or -hall, q.v.
Buckingham. 915 O.E. Chron. Buccingaham, 1154-61 chart.
Buchingham, 1297 Bukingham. ' Home of the Buccings.'
Patronymic, fr. Bucca or Bucco, both in Onom. Cf. 1179-80 Pipe
Parva et Magna Bukesbi (Yorks).
BucKLAND (9 in P.O.). Faringdon B. B.C.S. iii. 205 Boc land,
1292 Bokeland. Devon B. Dom. Bochelanda. Betchworth B.
Dom. Bochelant; also Dom. Glostr. and Bucks, Bocheland.
O.E. boc-land, ' book land,' land granted by a ' book ' or written
charter to a private owner. Cf. Bockhampton.
BucKLEBURY (Reading). Dom. Borgedeberie, 1316 Burghldeburg,
' burgh of Burghild'; perh. daughter of Cenwulf, King of Mercia,
796-819. The old Icknield St., between Saintsbury and New-
comb, and also N. of Bidford, is called now Buckle Street,
709 chart. Buggildstret, 860 ib. Buggan stret, ' road of Burg-
hild.'
Bucknell (Oxford and Salop). Ox. B. Do7n. Buchehelle, 1149
Buckenhull (=hill), 1216-1307 Bikehell, Buckehull. Sal. B,
Dom. Buche -hale, -halle. O.E. Buccan hale, ' nook, corner of
Bucca ' — i.e., the He -goat. Cf. Buckingham. Bucknall cum
BUDE HAVEN 175 BUNGAY
Bagnall (Staffs) is not 949 chart. Badecanwell, as Birch says,
but Dom. Buchenhole, a. 1300 Bukenhale, Bokenhowe, a. 1400
Buchenhole, and so the same as above. Only here the ending
varies between -hale (see -hall) and -hole, softened into -howe.
O.E. hoi, holh, ' a hollow/
BuDE HAVEiiT (N. Cornwall). Not Budecaleeh (see Butleigh).
Prob. same root as W. bwth, ' a hut/ G. both, ' a house '; Eng.
booth, first found c. 1200 as bode.
Btjdleigh Salterton (Devonsh.). Dom. Bodehe, ^ Boda'B lea*
or ' meadow/ See -leigh. Cf., too, 693 Grant Budinhaam, prob.
in Essex, Budbrook (Warwick), Dom. Budebroc, and Dom
Essex, Budcerca. Btjdby (Notts), Dom. Butebi, and 1166-67
Pipe Butebroc (Essex) are fr. a man Butti, a N. name.
BuDOCK (Falmouth). Sic 1536. Prob. a Keltic dimin. =' little
hut.' Cf. BuDE.
BuGSWORTH (Stockport). ' Bugga's farm.' Bugga is said to be a
pet contraction of St. Eadburga. Of. Bugthorp (E, Riding),
Dom. Bughetorp, 1166-67 Pipe Buit-, Buttorp, also Bugbrooke
(Weedon). See -thorpe and -worth.
BuiLTH (Llandrindod) . a. 1000 Buelt, c. 1100 Ir. Ninnius Boguelt,
a. 1196 Gir. Camb. Bueld, a. 1600 ByeUt. In W. Llanfair Ym
Muallt. W. buw-allt, ' steep place, chff (L. altus, ' high ') of
the cattle.' The Nennius form will be fr. W. gallt= allt. Buelt
was that part of Powys between Wye and Severn. Of. BuHiD-
WAS (O.W. gwas, ' a servant '), Abbey, Wroxeter. This abbey
dates fr. 1135.
BuLEXNGTON (Nuucatou). Dom. Bochintone, 1232 Bulkintone.
Doubtful ; but prob. ' town of Bulca.' Cf. B.C.S. 225 Bulcan pyt.
BtTLL Gap (Derbysh.), Thought to be a tautology. Bull= W.
bwlch (G. bealach), ' a gap, a pass, a broken cut.' Gap is an
O.N. word, not recorded in Eng. till c. 1380, which makes the
idea of a tautology decidedly doubtftd. Bull How (Westmld.)
is thought to be fr. a Norseman, Bol—i.e., 'The Bull'; O.N.
bole, boli. How is ' mound, hill.' See -how.
BuLLiNGDON (Oxford and Hants). Ox. B. ? c. 1097 Flor. Wore.
ann. 1053 Bulendun, 1216-1307 Bulen, -Buhngden, Bolinden.
Han. B. ? Dom. Bolende. ' HiU of Bula.' Cf 1233 Close
E. Buleworthy (Devon) and Bulley (Glostrsh.), Dom. Bule-
leye. See -ing and -worthy.
Btjlmer (York and Suffk.). See Bomere.
Bungay (Suffk.). Not in Dom. 1460 Bowunggey. Prob. Skeat
is right in deriving fr. Icel. bunga, ' a round hill, a bing,' and
ey, ' island, peninsula.' The site supports this. Certainly it
is not Fr. bon gue, ' good ford.' 1460 might suggest derivation
fr. some unknown man, perh. a nasaHzed form of Buga. Of.
Dom. Sussex, Bongetune. See -ay.
BUNHILL 176 BURLEY
BuNHiLL (London). Old Bonhill. Doubtful. Cf. Bonchubch,
- BoNSALL, and BowiraiLL.
BuKNY (Nottingham). Dom. Bonei, 1228 Close R. Boneya, 1284
Boneye. Might be O.N. ftdw-ey, ' prayer isle.' • Cf. next. But
perh. fr. O.E. bune, ' a reed, the stem of the cow-parsnip' ; it
is only once given with an o, in 1388. See bun sb^. However,
we have 1166-67 Pipe Boueneia (Oxon), which must be ' isle
of Bofa,' gen. -an, a fairly common name. See -ey.
Btjnwell (Norfolk). Not in Dom. 1444 Bonewell, 1477 Bonwell.
' Prayer-weir ; O.E. ben, O.N. bon, 'a prayer'; in Eng. 2-7
bone, 3-4 bon. Cf. Bonchurch and above.
BuBBAGE (Buxton, Hinckley, and Marlboro'). Hin. B. Dom.
Burbece (also in Dom. Sussex). Mar. B. 961 chart. Burhbece;
O.E. for 'burgh, castle on the beck' or 'brook'; Dom. Bur-
betce. The more regular form would be Burbeck, still a surname ;
but Oxf. Diet, gives beck as a name found only in those parts of
England once in Danish or Norse occupation. See -bach, -beck.
BxJBBUBY Hill (Swindon). O.E. Chron. ann. 556 Beranburh or
-byrig (see Baebuby Hill), which is perh. meant. May be fr.
a man, Beorga or Berga, or Boera. But Bxjbcote (Bromsgrove)
is Dom. Bericote, 1275 Byrcote. Prob. O.E. bere-cote, ' cot
for storing here or barley.' Cf. Bebwick.
BuBDEN (Durham), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Byrdene, 1197 Bireden.
' Dean, (woody) valley,' O.E. denu, ' with the house,' O.E.
bur, the mod. Eng. bower, and Sc. byre.
BuBEOBD (Oxford). O.E. Chron. ann. 752 Beor-, Beorgford; chart.
Bergford; c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Bereford, 1231 Bureford. O.E.
burg, burh, O.N. borg, 'a shelter-place, fort, burgh'; fr. O.E.
beorgan, ' to protect.' See -burgh.
BuBGH (Lincoln, Westmld., etc.). Lin. B. Dom. Burg. West B.
c. 1175 Fantosme Burc, c. 1180 Bened. Peterb. Burgus. ' Castle,
fortified dwelling.' , See above. Cf. Dom. Surrey Berge,
? ' the Borough '; and ib. Essex, Burghstede.
BuBGH Castle (Gt. Yarmouth). Bede Cnobheresburg id est,
' Cnobher's Town.' See Bitbfobd.
Btjbghclebe (N. Hants). B.C.8. 674 Clere, and Dom. often Clere.
These may represent this place, or Highclere or Kingsclere near
by. The Eng. adj. clear is fr. Fr., and is not found till 1297.
This must be W. clegr, clegyr, ' a rock.'
Bubgh-on-Sands (CarUsle). c. 1175 Burc; 1356 Scalacronica
Burch sure le Sabloun (Fr. sablon, ' sand '). Now pron. BrufE.
Thought to be Sim. Dur. ann. 792 Aynburg. Cf. Aintbee.
Brough (Yorks) is Dom. Burg.
BuBLEY (Leeds, Oakham, Hereford, Ringwood). Le. B. Dom.
Burghelai. He. B. Dom. Burlei. 'Meadow with the burgh or
castle.' See above and -ley.
BURLINGHAM 177 BURSTON
BuRLiNGHAM (Norwich). Dom. B'lingaha, 1452 Byrhyngham, 1454
Suth birlyngham. ' Home of the jBirZmgrs/ SeeBiBLiNGand-ham.
BuRMiNGTON (Shipston-on-Stour) . Dom. Burdintone, 1413 Bur-
mynton. Doubtful. Duignan thinks ' Burhman's town.' A
burh- or burgman was one who lived in a burgh or town.
BuRNHAM (Chiltern). Sic c. 1018 chart., Dom. Burne-, Berneha.
Prob. O.E. burna-hdm, ' house, home beside the spring, well/
or ' stream.' See -bourne.
BuRNTWOOD (Lichfield), a. 1600 Brend-, Brandwood. Brand,
brent, etc., are M.E. pa. tense of burn. Cf. Brentwood and
Barnhurst. In 1262, says Duignan, a Forest jury find ' a
certain heath was burnt by the vills of Hammerwich (Burnt-
wood's parish), to the injury of the King's game.'
BuRRAGB Town (Plumstead). 1355 'Bartholomew de Burghest,'
1370 Burwash; also Burrish, Borage. The first syll. is prob.
O.E. burh, 'fort, burgh'; but the ending is quite uncertain.
Earlier forms are needed.
BuRRiNGHAM (Doucastcr) and Burrington (Bristol and Chum-
leigh). Old forms needed. Chu. B. Dom. Buretone. Done.
B. (not in Dom.) might be fr. Ralph de Burun (now Byron),
who had lands in Notts in Dom. In Onom. we also find the
names Burwine or Beornwine, and Burro, which are all possible
origins; so is Burga, gen. -an. See -ham and -ton.
BuRROUQH (Melton Mow.). Dom. Burgo. Prob. burgh-hoe, or
' castle hill.' See -burgh and Hoe. Burrow (N. Lanes) is
Dom. Borch= Barrow.
BuRRY Port (Carmthn.). Possibly the Eng. burgh or -bury, q.v.
But it might easily be W. bur gwy, ' wild, frothy water ' ; whilst
W. bur is var. of bar, ' top, summit.' Indeed, it is close to
Penbre, ' head of the hill.'
BuRSCOFGH (Ormskirk). Sic. c. 1200, but 1189-96 Burscogh, 1292
Burskew, 1306 Burscow. ' Wood of the burh ' or ' fort ' ; O.N.
shog-r, Dan. sJcov, ' a wood.' See Shaw. For ending -scough
cf. Swinscoe (Ashbourne), a. 1300 Swyneskow, -eschoch. See
-burgh.
BuRSLEM. Dom. BarcardesHm (scribe's error), a. 1300 Bur-, Bore-
wardeslyme, a. 1400 Tunstall R. Borewaslym. O.E. Burh-
weardes hlimme, 'Burward's stream.' Cf. Bxjrwardsley and
Lyme.
BuRSTALL (Ipswich). Cf. 1157 Pipe Burchestala (? Beds.). ' Place
of the burgh ' or ' castle '; O.E. steall, steel, ' place, stall.' See
-bury. BuRSTON (Diss), Dom. Burstuna, has presumably a
similar origin. Or it may be fr. a man, Burh or Burg.
BuRSTON (Stone and Diss). St. B. a. 1200 Burweston, a. 1300 Bur-
ceston, Buregeston, Bureweston, a. 1400 Bureston. Dom. h
BUESTWICK 178 BUTLEY
Burouestone, almost certainly this place, though in the wrong
Hundred. It must mean ' town of Burga,' one in Onom. ; or
Burege-, Burwe-, may be a contraction of Burgweard, or some
other of the many names in Burg-. Old forms needed for the
Diss name.
BuRSTWicK (Hull). Dom. Brostewic, Brocstewic. 'Burst or
broken dwelling." See Beistnall and -wick.
Burton (23 in P.G.) Warwk. B. Dom. Bortone, Salop. B. Dom.
Burtune. Pembroke B. c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Bertune. There
are 29 instances in Dom. Yorks, all Burtone, or -tun. Also
Btjrton-on-Trent. c. 1180 Bened. Peterb. Burtona; monas-
tery founded here, 1004. They are all O.E. burh-tun,
' fortified dwelUng-place." Cf. Bo'ness (Sc.) and Btjrgh.
Burton Agnes (Yorks) is 1281 Close E. Anneys-burton.
However, Burton, Bamboro', is originally Bumulfeston.
BuRWARDSLEY (Chester) . 1280 Close R. Borewardesleye, ' Meadow
of Burhweard.' Cf. Bueslem and Burwarton (Bridgnorth);
and see -ley.
BuRWELL (Cambridge). Dom. Burewelle, 1346 Burgewelle, 1521
Bury Wells Berwill. Prob. 'burgh well'; with form 1521
cf. Bertune, old form of Burton. It prob. stands where K.
Stephen afterwards built a castle; burge is gen. of O.E. burh.
Bury, also Bury St. Edmunds. 1066 O.E. Chron. Byrtune
(= Burton). Dom. ' In Beccles villa abbatis sanctiEdmundi,'
also, ' burgo ht abb. sci edmundi '; 1450 Bury Seynt Edmond,
1480 Bury Wills Bury. Bury is O.E. burh, ' castle, burgh.'
St. Edmund is Edmund the Martyr, K. of the East Angles, slain
at Hoxne by the Danes in 870. Cf. Brougham.
BuscoT (Lechlade). Dom. Boroardescote, c. 1540 Burwa,rdscott.
' Cot, cottage of Burgweard.'
BusHBURY (Wolverhmptn) . 994 Biscopesbry, Dom. Biscopesberie,
(Warwk.), c. 1300 Bishbiri, Bischbury, ' Bishop's burgh,' a
curious corruption. It is still pron. Bishbiry. See -bury.
BusHEY (Middlesex). Dom. Bissei. ' Byssa's isle ' or ' peninsula.'
Both Byssa and Bisi are found in Onom. See -ey.
BuTCOMBE (Wrington, Somerset). Not in Dom. 1298 Buten-
cumbe, which is O.E. for ' without the valley.' O.E. butan,
M.E. buten, bute, ' without.' Cf. Binbrook. No But{t)a in
Onom. See -combe.
BuTLEiGH (Glastonbury), c. 725 chart, and c. 1130 Wm. Malmes.
Budecalech, 801 Bodecanleighe, Dom. Bodech-, -uchelie, Exon.
Dom. Bodecaleia. ' Bodeca'a lea or meadow.' See -leigh.
BuTLEY (Tunstall, Suffk.). Dom. Butelea. This may be ' outside
the meadow.' Cf. Butelege, Dom. Cheshire, and Butcombe.
BUTTERBY 179 BWLCH
BuTTERBY (Durham). Butterknowlb (Co. Durham, O.E. cnoll-
' hill-top, hillock, knoll,' 7-9 knowle), Buttermere (Cocker,
mouth), BuTTERSHAW (Bradford). We have grouped the
names in Butter- in two sets, and give first those which almost
certainly have nothing to do with butter sb., but come fr. some
Danish or N. settler. Butter or Buthar {Onom. gives only one
Buterus); he may even have been sometimes a Saxon, as we
have already in 931 chart and in Dom. a Butermere (Wilts).
Or some of these names, if late, may come fr. M.E. bitoure, O.Fr.
butor, the bird bittern, in Sc. butter, as in Butterdean (E.
Berwicksh.). Buttergask (Dunkeld), however, is G. bothar
gasc, ' causeway-hollow ' ; whilst Butterstone near by is plainly
fr. a man. Butterton, there are 2 in StafEs, stands in de-
batable ground. It is a. 1200 Buter-, Boterton, Buterdon,
1200 Buter-, Boterdon, 1223 Butterdon, Buterden, a. 1300
Botredon, a. 1400 Butterton. The endings -don and -ton often
interchange, but it is more than likely that -don is the original
here. If so, a hill would jnuch more prob. be caUed after a man
than after butter. See -by and -shaw.
BuTTERLEiGH (Cullompton), Butterley (Derby), Butterwick
(Boston, Penrith, etc.) ; also Butterton. See previous article.
Boston B. Dom. Butruic, 1216 Butterwyck, 1274 Boterwyke,
c. 1275 Boturwyk, 1410 Boterwick. Dom. Yorks Butruic, 1183
Buterwyk (Co. Durham). There is also a Bijtterworth
(Rochdale). These aU prob., though not certainly, mean
' meadow, dweUing, farm or village where they made butter.'
O.E. butere, 3 buttere, 4 boter{e), botter, 5 buttyr, botyr, 4 -butter.
See -ley, -ton, -wick, -worth, and above. With Butterwick
c/. Chiswick, and with Butterworth c/. Cheswardine.
Buttington Tump (Montgomery). 893 O.E. Chron. Buttingtiin.
c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Budingtun. Cf. K.G.D. 746 Bottanige. Prob.
patronymic ; ' town of the descendants of Botta or Butta.'
Tump is W. turnip, ' mound, barrow.'
BuxHALL (Stowmarket) . Dom. Bukessalla, a. 1200 chart. Bucysheal.
Cf. Dgm. Buchehalle (Salop) and Bucknall. ' Buca's nook.'
See -hall.
Buxton. 1572 Buckstones. Enc. Brit, says prob. Dom. Bee-
tune (3 times); if so. Bee- must be error for Buc-. The
Enc. also gives as old forms Buestanes (where again Bue-
must be error for Buc-) and Bawdestanes, a form which
cannot represent Buxton. Prob. ' stone of the buck,' O.E.
buc, bucca; and see -ton for -stone. But more evidence is
needed.
BwLCH (Breconsh.). W. for 'pass, gap,' G. bealach or Balloch.
BwLCH GwYNT (Pembk.) is ' pass of the winds,' in old charter
Windy yete, where yet or gate also means ' pass, gap.' Bwlch-y-
ITRIDD (Newtown) is ' gap in the forest.'
BYFLEET 180 CAEELEON-ON-USK
Byfleet (Weybridge). 727 chart. Byflete, O.E. for ' by the river/
Cf. Beeford and Fleet.
Byland with Wass (Coxwold, Yorks) . Dom. Begeland, 1156 Pi-pe
Beland, 1199 Beilande, 122^ Close R. Begheland, 1242 ibid. Bey-
land. ' Land of Bcega'; cf. Bayton, etc. Wass is O.E. wdse,
' a marsh, a fen.' Cf. Albewas.
Byley-cxjm-Yatehguse (Middlewich). Old Biveley. Doubtful.
Perh. ' meadow of Beoba,' 3 in Onom. Cf. Bevington, Alcester,
1316 Byvinton, a. 1400 Beovynton. Bive- suggests connexion
with O.E. bifian, O.N. bifa, M.E. bive, 'to shake, to tremble.'
See -ley. Yate- is Gate-. Cf. Yetholm (Sc).
Bytham Parva (Lines). Dom. Bitham, 1228 Close R. Bi-, By-
hamel, 1292 Parva By ham. Prob. ' by the home/ O.E.
7idm. Cf. Byfleet, Beeford, etc.; also Attewell = ' at the
well.' Parva is L. for ' little.'
^ Cad AIR Idris (mtn., Central Wales) . W. = * seat of Idris/ a Welsh
hero and a great astronomer. W. cader, cadair, is ' a chair/
but in O.W. and Com. 'a cradle, a framework.' The c has
become g in Llyn-y-Gader hard by.
Cadbury (Crediton and Wincanton). Cr. C. Dom. Cadebirie, c.
1540 Cadburi. Win. C. Dom. Cadeberie. ' Fort, burgh of Cada,
Cadda, or Ceadda'; several so named in Onom. Cf. Dom.
Cadenho V (Essex) and Cadnam (Hants) . See -bury.
Cadney (Brigg). O.E. Chron. 675 Cedenac (late MS.), ' Isle of
Ceadda/ gen. -an, or ' Chad.' See -ey.
Cae Athraw (Caernarvon) . W. = ' Field of the master or doctor ' ;
cae, ' a field, an enclosure.' Cf. Caeglas, and the curious Cae
Llwyn Grydd, Carnarvon, which is ' field of the bush of the
red wall,' y gaer rudd, referring to an old castle now in ruins.
Caerau (Bridgend, S. Wales). PI. of W. caer, ' fort, castle '; O.W.
also gaer, Bret, ker, G. cathair, ' a fort.' Cf. Caerleon and
Carew.
Caergwrle (Flintsh.). An old castle here, and perh. once a Rom.
station. Said to be W. caer gwr lie, ' castle, fort at the boundary
place ' ; cwr or gwr, ' a boundary ' ; but the ending is decidedly
doubtful.
Caerleon-on-Usk, pron. Karleen; in W. Caer Llion ar Wysc. c.
800 Nennius, ' city of Leogis ' or ' Cair Lion,' Dom. Carleion'
Castell; prob. c. 1145 Geoffr. Mon. Civitas Legionum, 1167-68
Pipe Carliun, c. 1205 Layamon Kair-luine and Kair Uske, in
edit. c. 1275 Ceyr-lyon, 1241 Karlyim. From early times
thought to be W. caer lleon, ' camp of the (Roman) legions ';
and the second legion, the Augusta, is said to have been stationed
here. But the true ' city of legions ' is Chester, which Nennius
CAEE-, CAKMAETHEN 181 CALDECOTT
calls Cair ligion. So this name is 'fort on the streams'; W.
lli, pi. llion, ' a flood, a stream/ There is also a Caer Leon, St.
David's. The present surname Carlyon is pron. Kar-lion. Cf.
Caerdon (Sc).
Caek-, Caemarthen". In W. Caerfyrddin, c. 150 Ptolemy MaptSvvov,
c. 800 Nennius Cair merdin, 1158-59 Pipe Cairmerdin, c. 1188
Girald Kairmardhin, -merdhin, c. 1205 Layam. Kair MerSin,
1240 Close R. Calverdin, 1242 ih. Kaermerdin, c. 1330 R.
Brunne Kermerdyn. In W. II has the soft ih sound; hence the
idea which arose early that the name is ' fort of Merlin,' the
famous wizard at K. Arthur's Court. The L. form Merlinus
is found as early as 1148; the Mod. W. is Myrddin. The orig.
name of Merhn's Bridge, S. of Haverford W., was Mawdlen's
or Magdalen's Br. It is doubtful what this name meant in
Ptol.'s day; perh. ' castle by the sea.' The dun is certainly =
caer, and mari may be Kelt, for ' sea '; in W. mor, but in G.
muir', gen. mara.
Caernarvon or Car-. Also in Cumberland, Beckermet, with the
same meaning. In W. Caernarfon, a. 1196 Gir. Camb. Kair-,
Kaerarvon; in his Itin. Camb. ' Dicitur Arvon, provinicia contra
Mon ' (or, Monia insula) ; 1307 Carnaruan, a. 1340 Kaernervan,
Llywelyn's Survey Caer yn Arvon. W. caer 'n arfon, 'fort
opposite Mona ' or ' Anglesea ' ; but in the Cumbld. case the
Mona is the I. of Man.
Caer Rhun (Camar vonsh.) . W. = ' fort of Rhun,' son of Maelgwyn
Gwynedd, a prince of the 6th cny.
Caerwent (Chepstow), c. 380 Ant. Itin. Venta Silurum. The
-went may be W. gwant, ' a butt, a mark.'
Caistor (Norwich and Lincoln). Dom., both, Castre, also Castra.
Li. C. c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Castrum apud Lindeseiam. The root
is, of course, L. castra, neut. pi., ' a camp.' But this in Bede is
always caestir, and in Mercian cester. Mr. Anscombe has shown
this impUes origin rather fr. late L. castra, fem. sing; the
Wessex ceaster, the Merc, cester, and Northumb. caestir all
coming normally from the inflected form castrae through an
unrecorded caestri.
Calbournb (I. of Wight). Pron. Kaalboum. 826 chart. Cawle-
burne, Dom. Cauborne. O.E. for ' burn, brook of the fish-
baskets or creels'; O.E. cawel, cawl, 'a basket'; still used in
Cornwall as cawell or cowel. Cf. Porthcawl. See -bourne.
Caldecott (Cambs) and Caldicot(e) (Newport, Mon., and 2 in
Wrwksh.). Dom. Cambs., Bucks, Wrwk., and Chesh., Calde-
cote, which is O.E. for ' cold cot ' or ' dwelling.' Skeat
says Calde- is a remnant of the dat. of O.E. cald, ceald.
Dom. Yorks Caldecotes is now Coldcotes. Cf. Cauldoots (Sc),
and Dom. Norfk. Caldanchota.
CALDER R. 182 CAMBERWELL
Cald.br R. (Chimbld. and Lanes). Prob. O.N. kald-r, ' cool, cold/
Cf. CAiiDBEBGH (N. Yorks), Dom. Caldeber; see Barrow.
Caldy (Tenby). In W. Ynys Pyr. 884 Wrmonoc Insula Pyrus.
c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Caldei; also a. 1196 ih. Enis Pir, Insula
Pirri. This Pir must be some man. Cf. Manorbieb. But
Cald-ei is Norse or M.E. for ' cold island.' See -ey. There, is
also a Caldy in Cheshire, which may be Dom. Calders, which
may be connected with Calder.
Calf Heath (Cannock.). 994 chart. CaKre heie, O.E. for ' Calves'
hedge.' Caldon, (Cheadle) in the same shire, is 1004 Celfdun,
' calf hiU.' Cf. 940 chart. Chealfa dune (Wilts.).
Callington (Cornwall), c. 988 chart. Csellwic, Dom. Calwetone.
Ex. Dom. Caluuitona. 'Town of ? The nearest names in
Onom. are Caldewine and Calwinus. The charter form seems
to mean ' dwelHng of Codl.' Callebton (Nhbld.) is 1073
Calverdon, 1242 Cauveredon. See Calverton and -don.
Calltngwood (Burton-on-T.) is an unique word. c. 1280 Calynge-
wode, Chalengwode ; in L. deeds Boscum calumpniatum ; a.
1600 Challengewood. O.Fr. calenge, chalenge, -onge (fr. L.
calumnia), 'a reproach, an accusation, then a challenge.' In
Eng. a. 1300 Cursor Mundi, ' chalange.' Cf. Threepwood (Sc.)
and in Northumbld. and Cheshire, fr. threap, 'a (scolding) contest.'
Callow Hill (Blithfield, Staffs, Chippenham, etc.). Bli. C. a 1300
Calu-, KalewhuU, a. 1400 KalughuUe. O.E. calu, calwe, L.
calvus, ' bald, bare.' Cf. Caludon, Coventry, 1327 Calwedone.
There are also 3 places called Callow (Wirksworth, Hereford,
and Worcestrsh. (more than one).
Calne. c. 996 Cahia, 1387 Cahie. Doubtful. Possibly fr. W.
calen, ' a lump, a whetstone ' ; or even calon, ' heart, centre/
Colne (Lanes) is the same. Cf. Caunton,
Calsthorpe (Louth). Dom. Caletorp, 1233 Kaltorp. 'Farm,
place of a man Calla or Ceolla,' the latter a common name.
See -thorpe.
Calverton (Nottingham and Stony Stratford). Dom. Notts and
Bucks, Calvertone. ' Town, village of Ceolweard.' But Mutseh-
mann prefers O.E. calfre tun, 'calves' town.' See -ton. But
'' Calverley (W. Riding) is Dom. Caverleia, -lei ; it may, how-
ever, be fr. the same name ; or else f r. what ? Cf. Callerton,
and 1160-61 Pipe Nhbld. Calualea. See -ley.
Camallan R. (Bodmin). Corn, for ' crooked Allan '; the Allan
and Camallan unite to form the Hayle. Cam is ' crooked ' in
W., Com., and G. ; in W. the fem. is gam. But R. Cam is quite
different. See Cambridge.
Camberwell (London). Dom. Ca'brewelle; thereafter 6 is rare till
17th cny ; 1 199 Camwell ; Camerwell, Cambwell, and Kamwell are
CAM R. 183 CAMEL R.
also found. Doubtful ; camber, ' slightly arched/ is impossible.
See Oxf. Diet. W. cam her, 'crooked pike or spit/ might be
possible, if Kelt, names were not so very rare hereabouts.
Prob. it is ' well of Coenbeorht,' a common O.E. name; and this
is phonetically quite admissible. Cf. Alberbuey fr. Eald-
beorht.
Cam R. and Cambridge. Possibly c. ^SO Ant. Itin. Ca,mboxico;
prob. 0. Kelt, camb or, 'crooked river' {cf. Cameo and Orr,
Sc), with ic- adjectival. No doubt this Rom. name influenced
scholars long after to fix the name as it now is — Cambridge.
But orig. they had no connexion, c. 700 Felix Growland
Gronta flumen, Bede Grantacastir (the mod. Grantchester is
2| miles fr. Cambridge) ; prob. a. 810 Nennius Caer Grauth (for
Grant), O.E. Chron. 875 Grantebrycge, 1011 ib. Granta-
brycgscir, a. 1145 Orderic Gruntebruga, 1142 Cantebruggescir,
a. 1153 Hist. Eli. Cantebrigia, 1150-61 Cantabrigia, 1436 Can-
brigge, 1449 Kawmbrege, 1462 Cambryge, 1586 Camden Camus.
Granta is the old name for the stream now called Cam. The
two names have gradually become assimilated, Gr having orig.
become G through Norm, mispronunciation. Granta may be
cognate with G. grdnda, 'ugly.' Cf. Allt Grand (Sc), also
Grantown (Sc.) ; or it may perh. be connected with W. grwnan,
' to hum, to drone.' Cf. Grantley There is also a little
R. Cam, trib. of Severn, Dursley (Glostr.), 1177 Camme, 1221
Kaumne, which is Keltic cam, ' crooked ' ; and on it there is a
Cambridge, too.
Cambo (Morpeth). 1298 Cambhou, Camou. Cf. Cambo (Sc), 1327.
Cambou. Keltic camb ou, ' crooked stream ' ; the ou is same
root as in L. Awe (Sc), and in Eu (Normandy), c. 1110 Owe.
Cf. next.
Cambois (Blyth), pron. Kamis. 1183 Boldon Bk. Camboise, -bous,
Camhus, Cammus; later Commes. This is not Fr., but G.
camus, ' a bay,' as in Cambus (Sc). fr. G. cam, O.G. camb
' crooked.' Cf. above and Aldcambus, (Cockburnspath) 1212
Aldchambos, Aldecambus (ald=G. allt, 'bum').
Camborne. Sic. 1536. Prob. Corn, cam bron, ' crooked hill.'
Transposition of r is a common phenomenon.
Camden Town (N. London). Called, after 1791, fr. Baron Camden
of Camden Place, Chiselhurst (Kent), where Wm. Camden,
b. 1551, author of Britannia, resided. The name may be Keltic,
cam din, ' crooked hill ' ; but where was the original Camden ?
Perh. Staffs, to which W. Camden's father belonged.
Camel R. (Cornwall, and name of village, Somerset.) and Camel-
roRD (N. Cornwall), c. 1145 Geoffrey Hon. Cambula, c. 1205
Layamon Camelforde. Camel is perh. Kelt, for ' crooked
stream,' in G. cam allt. Cf. Cambo, and Gamescleuch (Sc).
But prob. fr. a Kelt, god, C amnios, a deity found both in Gaul
CAMERTON 184 CANNOCK CHASE
and Britain, and giving name to Camulodunum, or Colchestee.
Keltic rivers are much associated with deities. Cambula,
' crooked river/ suggests a quite possible origin for the much-
disputed name Campbell. Cf. Campbeltown (Sc). With
CameLford cf. Galford. Near the Som. C. lay Camelot, c.
1440 Lancelot Kamalot. Here the final syll. is perh. W. Hoed,
' a place.' It seems first mentioned c. 1170, in Chretien de
Troyes' Chevalier de la Charrette. Cf. next.
Cameeton (Bath). Dom. Camelerton, 'town on the R. Camelar'
{sic in 961 chart). See Camel. The -ar is quite uncertain.
But the first part is almost certainly the god Camulos.
Campden (Glostr.). Dom. Campdene. 'Wooded vale with the
battle site.'' Camp is an early loan fr. L. campus, ' a plain.'
Cf. Eynsham Cart. ' To Campsetena gemsera.' See -den.
Camrose (Pembksh.). 1324 Kameros. W. cam rhos, ' crooked
moor.'
Candover (Hants). Prob. 707 chart. {K.C.D. v. 40) Cendefer,
1238 Close R. Candevre. W. cefn dwfr, ' ridge by the stream.'
Cf. Cenarth and Condover.
Can^wdon (hiU, S. Essex). 1240 Close R. Canewedon' (and
Calewedon), but Dom. Carendun, which Freeman thinks must
be an error. The name is prob. ' Canute' & hill ' or dun. It Hes
close to the site of K. Canute's or Cnut's victory at Assandun,
1016.
Canklow (Rotherham) and Cank Thorn (Cannock). 1595 Canck
Thorne, Cannock Thorne. The Cank- in both cases must be
the same, one would think, as Cannock. If so, Canklow (not
in Dom.) is a tautology; Kelt, and Eng.= ' hiUock ' or ' mound.'
See -low. In Midi. dial, cank means 'gabble or cackle,' as of
geese.
Cannington (Bridgewater). Dom. Candetona. Prob. named fr.
some man, but both his name and the present name must be
much corrputed. There is nothing in Onom. nearer than
Coenheard.
Canninq Town (Plaistow). So named from the former principal
employer of labour there.
Cannock Chase (Staffs). Dom. Chenet, 1130 Chnoc, a. 1200 Canot,
Chenot, Chnot, Cnot, 1238 Canoe, a. 1300 Canok, Kannock,
a. 1500 Cank. Dom. regularly spells O.E. en as chen; and in all
old MS. c and t are constantly confused. So this must be that
rarity a Goidelic Eng. place-name, G. and Ir. cnoc, gen. cnuic,
* a hill, a knoll,' so common in Sc. and Ir. names. Eng. and
W. place-names in Knock- are very rare, perh. only Knockin.
There are also Knock and Knucklas, but they are fr. W. cnuc
rather than G. cnoc. There is no trace of u in all the many old
forms of Cannock. Cf. Canklow x Qhase 'm Q.^r, chace^
CANTERBURY 185 CARDIFF
'chasing, hunting, a hunting-ground, wild park-land/ not
found in Eng. in this sense till 1440. Of. Chevy Chase.
Canterbury. [In Bede iv. 5 Rochester is also called Castellum
Cantuariorum, O.E. versn. Cantwaraburhge.] a. 810 Nennius
Cair Ceint [also Cantguaraland] ; O.E. Ghron. 754 Cantwareburh,
ib. 1011 Cantwaraburh ; Dom. Cantorberia, c. 1100 Anselm
Cantuarberia, 1258 Kant'bur', c. 1330 B. Brunne Canterbirie,
' Kent men's burgh/ wara meaning ' dweller in.' C/. Lindiswara,
Mersewara (dweUers in Romney Marsh) and Wihtwara. See
-bury. In Rom. days it was called Durovernum (W. dwr gwern,
' river with the alders ').
Canwell (Birmingham), a. 1200 Canewelle; later Cane-, Canwall,
Kanewall, -well. The name may be ' well of St. Cain ' or
' Keyne ' or ' Keigwin/ There was a priory and a spring
here, the latter dedicated to St. Modan; but there is no note
of any connexion with St. Cain. Cf. Keynsham. W. can, cain,
' beautiful, clear,' seems impossible here. But the first syU.
may be O.E. canne, a ' vessel for liquids, a can.' Oxf. Diet.
gives only one quot. fr. O.E., and then nothing till c. 1375,
'a vatir-cane.' The name must thus be left doubtful; prob.
it is fr. can.
Capel Curig (Bettws y coed). Chapel dedicated to Curig, son of
IHd or Juhtta; the mother shares the dedication with her son.
The form Capel, O.N.Fr. capele, ' chapel,' late L. cappella, orig.
' a Little cloak or cape,' reappears in Capel St. Maby and St.
Andrew (Suffk.). There is also a Capel (Dorking), as well as
a Dom. Herefd. Capel. In Pembk., 1603 Owen gives Capell
Castellan and C. Colman (Irish Bp. of Lindisfame, 661).
CabAdoc or Caer Caradoc (Salop) . W. caer Madoc, or else Cadoc
* fort of St. Madoc/ or ' of St. Cadoc' Either MorC must have
been lost by aspiration. Madoc or Modoc was a disciple of St.
David in Wales, and Hved 558-625. Cf. Kilmadock (Sc).
Cadoc, Cadocus, or Docus, another Keltic saint, Hved some
years in Central Scotland, and is also commemorated in Landoc
(Cornwall).
Carden (Malpas). Old Carwarden; the personal name Carwardine
is still found. ' Farm of Gar ' or ' Cari,' both in Onom. For
a similar contraction cf. Hawarden, now pron. Harrden. See
-warden.
Cardew (Dalston, Cumbld.). c. 1080 CarSen. W. Caer Dewi,
' fort of David ' ; or possibly fr. Tiw, the Northern god of war.
Cardief. 1126 Kardi, 1158-59 Pipe Cardif, a. 1150 Kardid, Cairti,
a. 1196 Gir. Camb. Kaer-, Kerdif, 1218, Kaerdif, 1298 Kerdife,
dyf, c. 1450 Cayrdife. Usually said to be ' fort on R. Taef ';
but early forms make this more than doubtful. In Mod. W.
it is Caerdydd, pron. Kaerdaeth. This suggests ' fort of
13
CARDIGAN 186 CARLISLE
Didius/ general of the Romans against the Silures, the British
tribe of this region, a.d. 50. This is confirmed by the fact that
we now know Cardiff was a Rom. fort. The form Caer Daf
(Taff) is found only in Leland, c. 1550, though Caer Dyv does
occur. However, there are 2 Cardeeths in Pembroke; and
the learned editor of Owen's Pembroke dechnes to suggest any
etymology either for these or for the plainly cognate Cardiff.
Cardigan, c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Ceredigion, Kerdigaun; Brut y
Tywsy. ann. 991 Ceredigion ; 1218 Kaerdigan, 1298 Writ
Cardygan. Said to be fr. Garedig or Ceroticus, a Welsh prince,
to whom St. Patrick wrote, denouncing him for his cruelty in
Ireland.
Caedington (Church Stretton). Dom. Cardintune. 'Town, vil-
lage of Carda.' Cf. B.C.S. 877 Cardan hleew.
Cardurnock (Bowness, Cumbld.). G. cathair, W. caer, ' fort,' and
G. dornag, ' by the pebbly place ' ; a pebble being a stone easily
held in the ' fist,' G. dom, gen. dibirn. Cf. Dornock (Annan, Sc.) .
Carew (Pembroke), c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Kaereu, Kerreu. The
same name is pron. Carey in Cornwall, because this is for
W. caerau, pi. of caer, ' castle, fort,' where the au is pron. ay.
Carham (Kelso), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Carrum, prob. O.E. loc. 'at
the carrs ' (O.E. carr) or 'rocks.' Cf. Harlow Car, Harrogate.
But see -ham.
Carisbrooke (Newport, I. of Wight). 1217 Patent R. Carebroc,
1218 Kaerbroc, 1224 Carrebroc, c. 1350 Caresbrok; but O.E.
Chron. 530 Wihtgarsesbyrg, or -garabyrg, which means ' Wight-
dweUers' burgh ' or ' castle.' It does look as if the Wiht had
been dropped, and the rest transformed into Carisbrooke ; but
this is contested by Stevenson in his Asser, and by M'Clure.
In Dom. the name seems to be Bovecombe. There is in 1199
chart, a ' Carsbrok ' near Launceston — i.e., ' brook of the fort.'
Possibly the first syll. is carr sb^, or carse, O.N. Jcjarr, ' copse-
wood ' then ' bog or fen,' and not Keltic caer, ' fort.'
Carleton (Pontefract and Skipton) and Carlton (22 in P.G.).
K.C.D. iv. 288 Carlatun, ib. 300 Carletun. Dom. Carlentune
(Cambs.), Careltune, Carentune (Notts), Cerletune (Chesh.),
Cerletone (Salop), Ceorlatona (Devon); and in Yorks, 16 times,
Carletun. a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Carltun, Stockton, 1189 Karlatun
(Cumbld.). O.N. harla, or O.E. ceorla tun, ' carls', churls', serfs'
village.' Cf. Carleton (Sc). Cearl or Ceorl is also a personal
name.
Carlisle, c. 380 Anton. Itin. Luguvallum, Bede Lugubalia, a.
810 Nennius Caer Ligualia, Taliessin Caer LHwelydd (so in W.
still), 1092 O.E. Chron. (Peterb.) Carleol, c. 1120 Hen. Hunt.
Carleol quae a populis Anglorum corrupte Luel vocatur, Sim.
Dur. ann. 1122 Lingua Britonum Caklel quae nunc Carleol
CARMEL 187 CARSWELL
Anglice appellatur, 1129 Chaerleolium, a. 1145 Order. Vit. and
Waverley Ann. Cardeol, c. 1175 Fantosme Karduil, 1330 B.
Brunne Carlele, 1617 CarlielL W. Stokes says, Luguvallum is
' wall of the god Lugus/ See Ltjgg. And Llewellyn, of which
Luel or Leol is a contraction, is prob. mod. W. for Lugu-belinos.
The same name is seen in Lugdunum or Lyons. Carlisle is, of
course, ' castle of Leol.'
Caemel (Holywell and 2 others, Wales). Presumably all W. caer
moel, 'fort on the bare, round hill." T. Morgan gives none.
1160-61 Pijpe Herefd, Cormel (o error for a) is almost certainly
the same name.
Garn or Corn Cavall (mtn., Builth). W. cam Cabal, ' cairn of
Cabal,' K. Arthur's dog.
Caenaby (Bridlington). Dom. Cherendebi. ' DwelKng oi' some
unknown person. The nearest in Onom. seems Ceolwen, a
widow; eo regularly becomes a, and liquid I easily turns into
its kindred r. Another possible name is Carthegn or Carthen.
See. -by.
Cabnforth (N. Lancashire). Dom. Chreneford. a. 1250 Kerne-
ford. Prob. ' ford of Crina ' or ' Grin/ names in Onom. See
-ford, -forth.
Carperby (N. Yorks). Dom. Chirprebi. 'Dwelling of some
Norse man unknown. His name may perh. be represented by
the mod. surname Capper, the liquid r having vanished; though
Prof. Weekley does not think so. Very Hkely the orig. name is
the common Geolheorht, which would suit phonetically. Cf.
Carnaby. See -by.
Carrington (Manchester and Nottingham). No. C. Dom. Caren-
Caretune; 1179-80 Pijpe Carenton. Seems to be ' village of Car
or Cari ' ; both forms in Onom. See -ing and -ton.
Carshalton (Mitcham). Pron. Casehalton, Casehorton. Dom.
Aultone, c. 1200 Crossalton; also Kresalton, Kersalton, Case
Horton. Orig. ' old town,' O.E. aid tun, then ' Cross old
town '; r continually gets transposed. With this case c/. Bean
cross for Bean corse or Bean carse (Falkirk). Carse (Sc), ' low-
lying land beside a river,' is found in Scotland c. 1200, but not
. in Eng. till much later, if really at all. Oarsington (Wirks-
worth) c. 1460 Karsynton, must be fr. some unrecorded man,
Carsa, or the like.
Carswell (Newent and Gower). Ne. C. Dom. Crasowel, 1221
Karswelle, 1303 Cassewalle; plainly =Crasswell, Cresswell,
'water-cress well.' Go. C. is also spelt Caswell, and is prob.
the same. Dr. G. Henderson, however, thinks this name to be
N., with the ending N. voll-r, ' field/ cf. Scatwell (Sc), and the
former part presumably= Carse (Sc). In face of the evidence
above this is doubtful. There is also Karswell (Dursley).
CARTER PELL 188 CASTLE RISING
Oaetee, Fell (Cheviots). Sic a. 1540. Contract, fr. G. cearta-
chair, ' a regulator, an adjuster/ fit name for a lofty hill, fr.
ceart, 'right, just.' Prob. also the origin of the Dhu Heartach
lighthouse, Colonsay. See -fell.
Cautmell (Ulverston). Sic a. 1130 Sim. Dur., 1224 Kertmel.
Cart is prob. connected with G. caraid, ' a pair ■* (c/. Cart, Sc.) —
because Cartmell Fell stands in the triangle between the two
streams which unite to form the R. Winster, just as the Black
and White Cart unite to form the Cart in Renfrewshire. The
-meU is Norse for a ' sand dune ' or ' sandbank.' See Mellis.
If Cart- be Norse too — O.N. kart-r, ' a cart ' — it may refer to
a sandbank found firm enough for a cart to cross. However,
Cartworth (W. Riding) is Dom. Cheterwrde, or * farm of
Kater.' Cf. Kettering, and see -worth.
Gary R. (Somersetsh.). 725 chart. Kari, c. 1160 Carith. Prob.
W. earth, ' scouring ' river, the root which Dr. M" Bain suggested
for R. Cart (Sc.) . Of. Castle Gary.
Cassop Colliery (Coxhoe, Durham). 1183 Gazehope, ' enclosed
vaUey of Casa'; one in Onom. See -hope. But Dom. Salop
Cascop will be ^Casa'a cop '; O.E. cop, copp, 'top, summit, crest
of a hill.' 1160-61 Pipe Devon has a Cassewell, ^Casa's weU.'
Casterton (Kirby Lonsdale), c. 380 Antin. Itin. Galacum; pos-
sibly Dom. here and Chesh. Castretone. Hybrid fr. L. castra,
O.E. ceaster, ' a camp.' But Casterne (Ham) is 1004 chart.
Coetes thyrne, ' Coet'a thorn.'
Castle Bromwich (Birmingham). Dom. Bromwic (under
Northants), a. 1200 Bramewic, Bromwich, a. 1400 Castel Brom
wych; O.E. brom wic, ' dwelling among the broom.' See -wich.
Castle (sic) is found in Eng. as early as 1137 O.E. Chron. (See
also p. 61.
Castle Carey (Somerset), c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Castellum de Cari,
c. 1160 Gest. Steph. 'Duo castella, Carith videHcet et Harpebren.'
The personal names Carey and Carew, prob. derived from this,
are interchangeable. In Cornwall Carew is pron. Carey; and
we find in Berks a. 1300 a Nicholas Carew or Cary. See Gary.
The Sc. Castlecary is a tautology.
Castle Carrock (CarHsle). 1222 Patent R. Castel Kayroc. Prob.
= Carrick (Sc). G. and Ir. carraig, ' a rock, a sea-cliff.'
Carrick (Ayrsh.) is in Taliessin Carrawg.
Castleford (Yorks). Prob. 948 O.E. Chron. Ceasterforda. O.E.
ceaster, L. castra, ' a camp.' Cf. Castley (Yorks), Dom. Castelai.
Castle Rising (King's Lynn). 1224 Patent E. Castra de Risingis,
1450 Rysyng. Rising sb. is not found in Oxf. Diet., with the
meaning of ' rising ground, hill-slope, hill/ until 1565. So prob.
this is a patronymic, like Barking or Reading, ' place of the
descendants of Rhys,' a well-known British name. Cf. Risby.
Its Eng. form is Rice.
CASTLETON 189 CAWSAND
Castleton (I. of Man). Manx Balla Chastal, which means the
same thing. Balla is G. and Ir. bail, baile, ' farm, village/
Caston (Attleborough) . Dom. Cas-, Kastetuna. Difficult to say
what Caste- represents, unless it be that the liquid r has dropped,
and it is -caster, q.v. This would be abnormal. No likely name
in Onom.
Castor (Peterborough). Dom. Castre, 1154-61 chart. Castra. See
Caistor.
Caterham (Croydon), c. 1210 Katerham, 'Home of Kater.' Still
found as a surname. Cf. Kettering, and Catterton (Yorks),
Dom. Cadretone.
Catshtll (Bromsgro ve and Walsall) . Br. C. 1275 CatteshuU, a. 1400
Gates-, KateshuU. Wa. G. a. 1300 Cutteslowe (see -low), a. 1500
Gatteslowe alias Gattshill; also c. 1220 Elect. Hugo. Kateshill
(Bury St. Edmunds) . ' Hill of Catt, Gatta, or Ceatta.' Cf. Cat-
Eoss (Yorks), Dom. Catefoss, ' ditch of Gatta/ ' Cattestone,' sic
c. 1200 in Norfolk, Catton and Chatham.
CA^TAii, Magna and Little (Yorks). Dom. Cathale, Cathala, Catale.
' Nook of Gatt.' See above and -hall. Magna is L. for ' Great.'
Gatterick (Yorks). c. 150 Ptolemy Katouraktonion, c. 380 Anton.
Itin. Cataractone, Bede Cataracta, L. for ' cataract, waterfall ' —
' juxta Gataractam usque hodie cognominatur ' ; a. 900 O.E.
vers. Bede Cetrehta, Dom. Catrice, 1241 Gheteriz.
Catton (Allendale and E. Riding). E.R.C. Dom. Cattune, Caton,
1179-80 Pipe Catton. ' Village of Ceatta or Gatta.' Cf. Chat-
ham, and 1238 Close R. Catteshal' (Suffolk).
Gatjnton (Newark). Dom. Calnestone, Carleton (an error), 1166-7
Pipe Calnodeston, 1241 Close R. Calnedon. Clearly, 'town of
Geolnoth/ a fairly common name. Caitston (Rugby) is Dom.
Calvestone, fr. a man Ceolf. See -don and -ton.
Cavendish (Suffk.). Dom. Kauanadisc, Kavanadis. O.'E.Ceofan,
Gafan edisc, ' park, enclosure of Gafa.' Cf. Standish.
Caversham (Reading). 1219 Gaveresham, 1238 Gavresham. From
some unknown man. Gavbrswall (Stoke) is Dom. Cavreswelle,
a. 1200 Chavereswelle, which seems clearly ' Ccefer's well.' In
O.E. we have cafer-tun, ' a hall, court, or mansion '; but this is
not likely to be the origin. Gf. Caversfield (Oxon). Dom.
Yorks, Caverlei is now GaIjVERLEy. See -ham.
Cawood (Lanes and Selby). La. C. 1230 Cawude, 1346 Kawode.
Sel. C. not in Dom. (but Dom. Notts Cauorde, ? ' Cawe's farm ').
Doubtful; but prob. either, as in Cawthorne, 'cold, cauld
wood,' or as in Gawton, Ceolf's. wood.' Gf. 1233 Close R.
'Calwodeleg' (Devon).
Cawsand (Plymouth), more correctly Cosdon. Might be 'hill
(O.E. dun) of Gasa,' the only prob. name in Onom.
CAWSTON 190 CHACOMBE
Cawston (Norwich) and Caxton (Cambridge). No.C. Dom.
Cauestuna, Caustituna, Caustuna, 1167-68 Caustona. Cam. C.
Dom. Caustone, 1238 Close R. Kaxston, 1245 Caxton. The great
printer's name is often spelt Canston. Difficult. Skeat con-
jectures, ' village of Cah,' gen. Cages. Cf. K.C.D. ii. 137 Cahing
ls9g. But the Nor. name at least surely comes fr. Caua (3),
Cawe, or Cawo, all names in Onom. See -ton.
Cawthornb (Barnsley). Dom. Caltorne, 1202 Kale-, Kaldthorn.
Prob. 'cold thorn tree'; O.E. cald, 'cold'; col, 'cool.' But
Cawton (Yorks) is Dom. Caluetun, which is prob. ' town of
Ceolf.' Cf. K.G.D. 816, Ceolfestun. It may be fr. O.E. cealf,
' a caK.'
Cefn Coch (Newtown). W.= ' red ridge.' Cefn Llys (Radnor).
1246 Patent R. Keventhles (see p. 82). W.= ' ridge with the
hall or mansion.*
Ceiriog R. (Oswestry). W.= ' abounding in trout.'
Cemais, incorrectly Cemmaes (N. Pembroke, Maehynlleth, and
Anglesea). Pe. C. 1222 Patent R. Kammeis, 1298 Kemmeys, c.
1550 Ldand Kemes, 1603 Owen ' Kemes head called Pen Kemes
pointe.' W. cemmaes is ' a circle for games, a circus,' said to
be fr. camp, ' a feat, a game ' ; and maes, ' a field.' But this whole
derivation is disputed.
Cenarth (Caermarthen). c. 1130 Lib. Land. Cenarth Maur, c. 1188
Gir. Camb. Canarth maur. O.W. can arth, ' white hill or height.'
Centtjbion's Copse (Brading). Corrup. of 'St. Urian's copse.'
Cf. POLURBIAN.
Ceri (Montgomery). 1298 Kery. W. ceri, 'medlar-trees.' For
other suggestions see T. Morgan.
Cerne Abbas (Dorchester). Sim. Dur. ann. 1102 Cemel, c. 1114
O.E. Chron. Cemel, c. 1160 Gest. Steph. Cemei, 1237 Cern'.
Cerney or Cernel is also var. of R. Churn, c. 800 chart.
Cymea, c. 1130 Cirnea. Doubtful. There is an O.Nor. Fr.
kernel, ' an embrasure in a battlement, a battlement,' which
has prob . influenced the Cernel forms. But the root of Cerne Ab .
is the R. Cerne, which is prob. W., as there is a R. Cemiog
(Montgomerysh.) which flows into the R. Camo. W. cam is
' a cairn, a heap of stones,' but this can hardly be the root here ;
perh. it is pre-Kelt.
Cerridge, The (Macclesfield). W. cerrig, 'a rocky ridge. Cf.
Carrick (Sc).
Cevnon (Cardiff), c. 1550 Leland Kevenon. W. cefn onn, 'ridge
of the ash-tree.'
Chacombe (Banbury). Sic 1373. Not in Dom. or Alexander.
Prob. ' valley of Ccec, Cec, Cecca' a fairly common O.E. name.
CHADDEETON 191 CHALLOW
C/. Checkley. See -combe. Possibly it maybe 'cMZA; combe.' The
hard O.E. c as a rule becomes the softer ch in Southern names.
Chadderton (Oldham). 1190 Chaderton, 1278 Chadreton. There
is no name in Oyiom. like C(h)ader, so this is perh. a case of a
N. gen., Chad-r, ' of St. Chad.'' Such a gen. is very rare in an
Eng. place-name, but in this case it seems confirmed by Chat-
TERLEY, which a. 1300 is both Chadderlegh and Chaddendelle
(or ' dale '). Cf. Chadkirk. However, Catterton (Yorks) is
JDom. Cadretone; so that Chader may be var. of Kater, as in
Caterham and Kettering.
Chaddleworth (Wantage). 960 chart. Ceadelanwyrth, Dom.
Cedeneord, 1291 Chadelew'rth. ' Ceadela's farm.' See -worth.
Cf. Chadshunt (Warwksh.), 1043 Chadeleshunte ; Chadbury
(Evesham) 714 chart. Chadelburi, 860 ib. Ceadweallan byrig;
also Chaddleton and Chaleont.
Chadkirk (Stockport). [Cf. Dom. Cheshire, ' Sco Cedde tenuit
Estun.'] ' Church of St. Chad,' Bp. of Lichfield (d. 672). Kirh
is the North, form of church, and is here near its South, limit.
But Chadwiok (Birmingham) is a. 1200 Chadeleswi^, while
Chadwick (Worcstrsh.) — there are two — are both a. 1300
Chadeleswick or Chadleswick; the Bromsgrove one is Dom.
Celdvic. But Chadsmoor (Cannock Chase) is fr. ' the blessed
St. Chad.' Cf. Chadderton.
Chagford (Dartmoor). Dom'. Chageforde, and still so pron.
' Geagga's ford.' Cf. B.C.S. 762 Ceaggan heal.
Chale (Ventnor). Dom. Cela. Perh. ' cold place.' Cf. O.E. cele,
' cold, coldness '; 2-4 chele, mod. ' chill '; also O.E. cald, ceald,
2-4 southern cheald, ' cold.'
Cfalfont (Slough). O.E. chart. Ceadeles funtan, D(ym. Cel-
funde, 1292 Chalfount sancti Egidii (St. Giles), 1298 Chalfhunte.
' Ceadela's font, fountain, or spring ' ; Jj.fons, -tis. Cf. Chaddle-
worth and Bedfont, and next. But Chalford (Gloucestersh.)
is 1297 Chalkforde.
Chalgrove (WaUingford). 1232 Close R. Chaugrave, 1240 ib.
Chalf grave. ' Grave/ O.E. groif, ' of Ceolf,' one in Onom. In-
mod, name endings -grove often supersedes -grave.
Chalk Farm (N. London) . Originally ' Chalcot farm ' ; and Upper
Chalcot mansion house survived near here till recently. Chalcot
is prob. chalk cot. 1746 Rocque's Map of London has ' Upper
Chalk House Lane.'
Challock (Ashford). 835 chart. Cealf-loca. ' Calf -enclosure ' or
' lock.' Cf. PORLOCK.
Challow, East and West (Wantage). Chart. Ceawan hlsewe,
1291 Westchaulawe, 1316 Estchaulo, c. 1540 Westchallow.
' Ceawa'a mound, or burial-mound.' See -low.
CHALTON 192 CHARLTON
Chalton (Homdean, Hants). Dom. Celtone, and perh. K.C.D. 722
Cealhtune, for O.E. cealc tun, ' chalk town.'
Chapel-en -le-Frith (Stockport). 'Chapel in the wood' or
' forest.' Frith is some kind of a wood. See Fbith Bane: and
Oxf. Diet., s.v.
Chapmanslade (Westbury). ' Lade ' or ' watercourse of the chap-
man/ or ' pedlar.' Gf. 1155 Pipe Hants, Chepmanneshale,
1160 -essele (see -hall), and Chepstow.
Chard (Axminster). Not in Dom. Perh. W. cardden, ' a wild
place, a thicket,' fr. cardd, ' exile.' Possibly fr. a man Carda,
one in Onom., but it is rare for a place-name to be of this pattern.
Gf. Goodrich and Tydd; also Chardstock, a little to the S.,
Dom. Cerdestoche. See Stoke.
Charford (Salisbury). O.E. Chron. 508 Cerdigesford. The Saxon
ealdorman, Gerdic or Geardic came to England in 495. But
Charford (Bromsgrove) is 1275 Cherleford, 1327 Charleford.
O.E. ceorlaford, ' ford of the churl ' or ' hind ' ; whilst Charfield
(Wotton-under-Edge), Dom. Cirvelde, c. 1250 Charfelde, Badde-
ley derives fr. O.E. ceart, ' rough, fern-growing ground.'
Charing (Ashford). 799 chart. Ciornincge, 940 ib. Cirringe, Dom.
Cheringes. This may be ' place of the sons of Georra, -an, only
likely name in Onom. Gf. Cherrington (Shipston-on-Stour), no
old forms. But the earliest form suggests a river -name, formed
with -ing, q.v., fr. a stream called Ciorn, which would be akin to
Cerne, Chtjrn, and Ciren-cester (? any such name still here.
Could it be an old name of the Len, on which Charing stands ?).
We also have 940 chart. Cyrfringhyrst (Kent). Charingworth
(Ebrington) is Dom. Chevringaurde, c. 1320 Chavelingworth,
which Baddeley thinks may be ' farm of the sons of Geafhere,' an
unrecorded name.
Charing Cross (London), c. 1290 Q.Eleanor's Executors Crucem
^ de la Char-rynge. Popular etymology says, ' Ghere reine,' K.
• Edward I.'s tribute to his Q. Eleanor; but this is absurd. Prob.
it is simply a patronymic like the above.
Charlbuby (Oxford). Die Heilige Engl. Ceorlingchmh, 1197-1208
Churlebiry, 1238 Cherlebir. ' Burgh, castle of (the descendants
of) Georl or Gearl,' a common O.E. name — i.e., ' the churl '; eo
regularly becomes a in mod. Eng. Gf. next.
Charlcombe (Bath). ' Valley of Gearl or Georl,' lit. ' of the churl,
or carl, or bondman.' See -combe.
Charlgote (Stratf ord-on-Avon) . Dom. Cerlecote; in Salop, too.
' Cot, hut of the peasant or bondman.' See above.
Charlton (15 in P.G.). O.E. chart. Ceorlatun, Dom. Cerletone
(Berks), etc. ' Village of the churls or carls.' See Charlcombe,
and cf. Chorlton. We also have a Dom. Bucks Cerleslai.
CHARMOUTH 193 CHAWTON
Chabmouth (Dorset). O.E. Chron. 833 and Hen. Hunt. Carrum.
- R. Char is perh, the same Kelt, root as in Carron (Sc), and so
either 'rough' or 'crooked' river. 1160-61 P^;pe Kent, has
a ' Charho.'
Charney Bassett (Wantage). B.C.S. i. 506 Ceornei, Dom. Cernei,
1291 Cernee. ' Island on R. Cerne.' See -ey. The Bassets
were a Norman family who owned lands hereabouts. But
Chabnes (Eccleshall) is Dom. Cervernest, a. 1200 Ohavernesse,
1227 Chaunes, a. 1300 Chavemes, Charneves, Chaunes. O.E.
ceafor, cefer, 5 chauer, ' a beetle ' ; and nest, ' nest/ or nces,
' promontory, headland, ness ' — a very curious corruption.
Charnwood Forest (Leicestersh.). Not in Dom., but it has
Cemelega. Prob. same as Carnwath (Sc), which is c. 1165
Charnewid, W. cam gwydd, ' cairn, cairnlike hill, covered with
shrubs or woods ' ; influenced, too, no doubt by the O.Dan, wede,
Dan. ved, Eng. wood. No name like Cam or Gem in Onom.
Chart Sutton (Maidstone). 838 chart. Cert. Chert, a kind of
quartz, is not found in Eng. a. 1679, so this name is doubtful.
It seems httle use to compare Chertsey. However, Chartley
(Uttoxeter) is Dom. Certehe, c. 1300 Certelea, which must be
' Certe's ' or ' Ceort's meadow.' We have in O.E. charters
Certsecer, Ceortanstapol, etc., as well as Certham, now Chartham
(Canterbury). Thus the name Certe or Ceorta, though not in
Onom., is well estabHshed.
Chatburn (Chitheroe). 1241-42 Chatteburn. Prob. 'brook of
Ceatta ' or ' Ceatt,' as in next and in Chetham, sic 1235. But
both this and Chat Moss may be fr. O.W. c{h)et, W. coed, 'a
wood,' as in Chetwode.
Chatham. O.E. chart. Ceattham, Dom. Ceteham, c. 1150 chart,
Csetham. ' Home of Ceatta,' a Jute. Cf. Catton.
Chatteris (Cambridge), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Cateriz, Catriz,
Chetriz, Dom. Cetriz, Cietriz; chart. Ceatrice, Chaterik; c. 1120
Hen. Hunt. Chateric ; a. 1153 Lib. Eli. Chateriz. The forms in Ch
and z are all Norm. Difficult. Possibly it contains the personal
name -K'afer. C/. Kettering. Skeat and Stevenson think not,
and think it may be a Kelt, river-name, which is doubtful.
Chatterley (Newcastle, Staffs), a. 1300 Chadderlegh, Chadden-
delle. This may be ' meadow ' or ' dale of St. Chad.' The -en
is the O.E. gen. -an, whilst the.er is a trace of the N. gen. in -r.
Norse influence is coramon in N. Staffs. Cf. Chadeirk. Great
and Little Chatwell in the same shire, a. 1200 Chattewelle,
are also fr. Chad. But cf. Catterton, s.v. Chadderton.
Chawton (Alton) . Not in Dom. It has a Caudevre {cf. Michel-
dever). Old forms needed. Perh.= CHAUS0N (Droitwich),
Dom. Celvestune, 1108 Chalvestone. O.E. Cealfes tun, 'town of
Calf,' or ' the calf.'
CHEADLE 194 CHliLPORD
Che ABLE (Stoke-on-Trent and Cheshire), also C. Hulme and
MosELEY (Cheshire). St. C. Dom. Celle (error for Cedle; Dom.
continually has felle for felde), 1166 Chelle (repeating Dom.'s
error), 1194 Chedele, a. 1300 Chedle, Dogge-Chedile. Ches. C.
1194(jhedle. This must beN. Jcvidal, ' f old- valley '; N. influence
is common in N. Staffs. Cf. Katewell (E. Ross-shire), in G.
Ciadail, the same name. For -dale slurring into -die, cf. Rodil
(Harris), and the ending of Marple ; whilst for N. k becoming ch,
cf. -caster and -Chester.
Hulme is O.E. holm, ' a piece of low, flat land by a river.'
Cf. Hume (Sc), 1250 Home. The origin of ' Dogge-Chedile ' is
unknown. Though Celle and Chelle are clearly errors here,
Chell (Burslem) is 1313 Ceolegh, or ' Geol's lea.' But Kiddal
(W. Riding), Dom. Chidal(e), is manifestly the same name as
Cheadle; plainer still is Chee Dale, Millersdale (Derbysh.). It
is worth adding as to the Celle forms that the sb. needle, O.E.
nidi, whilst 3-6 nedle is also 3-7 nelde.
Cheam (Sutton). 1018 (or later) chart. Cheyham. 'Home of
Ceahha,' or some such name. Cf. B.C.S. 1230 Ceahhan mere.
See -ham.
Chebsey (Eccleshall). Dom. Cebbesio (o for e), a. 1250 Chebbesey.
' Isle of Ceobba ' or ' Ceob,' 3 or 4 in Onom. Cf. Dom. Suffk.
Cebbenhala. See -ey.
Chbokley (Cheadle, Herefordsh., Essex, and S. Cheshire). Che. C.
Dom. Cedla (error), 1227 Chekkesleye, Checkele. Ches. C.
c. 1190 Boll Chekelee, later Chackleigh. He. C. 1252 Chackileg.
' Meadow of Ccec, CcBcca, Cec ' or ' Cecce,' all forms in Onom.
Cf. Checkendon (Reading), ' hiU of Cecca,' and Kekewich.
See -ley.
Cheddab (Somerset). Exon. Dom. Cetdre, Chart. Cedre, a. 1142
Wm. Malmesb. Ceddren; later Chedare. Kelt, cet der, W. coed
dwr, ' wood on the stream.' 1158-59 Pi'pe Cedresfeld (Somerset)
seems to imply a man Ceder, of whom we would have the patro-
nymic in 1160-61 Pipe Gloucstr., Chedringwurda, ' farm of Ceder 's
sons.' C/. Chetwode.
Cheddleton (Leek). Dom. Celtetone, 1200 Chetilton, 1204
Cheteleton, a. 1400 Chetelton. Prob. not ' town of Geadel ' or
' Ceadela,' as in Chaddleworth, but ' town of Cetel or Cytel,' a
. common O.E. name. Change of t to d, or vice versa, is common.
Cf. Catterton (Yorks), Dom. Cadretone, Chatterley, and
Chedworth (Gloucstrsh.), 872 chart. Ceddanwyrde, fr. Cedda,
but also 1190 Chedeleswarde, ' farm of Ceadel.' Caddel is still a
surname.
Chelford (Cheshire). Dom. Celeford, also in Bucks, Celforde.
'Fold of Ceolla' or ' Cella.' Cf. Chelsfield. Chellow
(Bradford) is fr. the same name, Dom. Celeslau, ' Cella's hill.'
See -low.
CHELLASTON 195 CHEPSTOW
Chellaston (Derby). Prob. Dom. Cellasdene. Cf. 939 chart.
Ceolan hyrst (Kent). Now 'town of Ceolla/ but the ending
seems to have been formerly -dean, q.v.
Ohelmarsh (Bridgnorth). 1179 Cheilmarsh, 1255 Cheylmerse.
Prob. contract, for ' Ceolmund'a marsh.' Cf. Chelmick in the
same shire, 1232 Chehnundewyk; but Cheylesmore (Coventry) is
a. 1300 Chisihnore, O.E. ceosel mor, ' shingly moor.*
Chelmondiston (Ipswich). Local pron. Chimston. Not in Dom.
' Village of Chelmond or Ceolmund/ a very common O.E. name.
Cf. Cholmondestone (Chesl^re), Dom. Chelmundestone ; also
Cholmondeley.
Chelmsford. Dom. Celmeresfort, 1160 Pipe Chelmesford, 1161 ib.
Nord chelmeresford. 'Ford of Ceolmcer' or 'Celmar/ 3 in
Onom. Liquid r easily disappears. The name of the river
Chelmer is thus a back formation fr. the ford.
Chelsea. O.E. Chron. 785 Cealchype, 1465 Chalchithe, a. 1600
Chellsaye. The name has changed. Orig. it was ' chalk-
hithe ' or ' landing-rise.' See Hythe. But the present form
represents O.E. ceosel-i^e, 'pebble-bank isle'; O.E. ceosel,
'pebble or shingle.' Cf. Ger. kiesel, and Cheselhanger
(Berkeley), 1368 Chisulhanger, 'shingly wooded slope.'
Chelseleld (Chiselhurst) . Possibly by dissimilation Dom. Ciresf el.,
1298 Chelesfelde, 'Field of Ceolla,' a fairly common name.
Cf. ' Chelesbergh ' in chart, of 935, near Shaftesbury, Dom.
Surrey, Celesham, and Cheleswurda, 1159-58 Pipe Wilts. But
Chelsworth (Bildeston, Suffk.) is 962 chart. Ceorlesworth,
'farm of Ceorl' — i.e., the churl or carl — common name in
Onom. See -worth.
Cheltenham. 803 chart. Celtanhom, Dom. Chinteneham, 1158-59
Chilteham. ' Enclosure on R. Chelt,' prob. a Kelt, word, pos-
sibly the same root as Celtce. The ending here is hamm, not
ham. See -ham.
Chelwood (Bristol). Old forms needed. {Dom. has only Ceol-,
Celflede, fr. Ceolf or Ceolvmlf.) May be ' Ceolla's wood,' or perh.
' cold wood,' fr. 4 cheld, cheald, South, form of cold, O.E. cald.
Chenees (Rickmansworth). ? 1131 O.E. Chron. (Laud.) Chinni,
1297 Cheyny. Prob. O.E. cine, cyne, 3 chine, 4-6 chene, chyn,
' a fissure, a crack, a chine.' Cf. Kempton. The ending is the
commonly suffixed Eng. pi. But Dom. Yorks Chenehall is now
Killinghall.
Chepstow. Li W. Casgwent {cas for castel). Dom. Estrighoiel,
1228 Close B. Striguill; also Straguil. The Dom. form looks like
' dwelling, abode, W. ystre, of the Goidel or Gael.' But the
present name is O.E. ceap-stow, ' market-place> place for bar-
gaining,' as in Cheapside.
CHEQUERBENT 196 CHESTER
Chequekbent (Bolton), c. 1574 M.8. Checkerbent. This must be
' checkered, variegated bent grass.' The vb. chequer is rare so
early in Eng., so this seems to be formed fr. chequer sb. ' chess-
board/ or ' chessboard pattern '; O.Fr. eschequier ; in Eng. 1297
chekere. See also Bentley; and cf. Chowbent (Lanes), 1641-42
Cholbent, ? ' bent of Ceol'
Cherhill (Calne). Dom. Cheurel, 1158-59 Pipe Ceriel. Doubtful;
first part prob. as in next; -el is a very rare representative of
-hill. It is conceivable that the root is O.E. ceafor, cefer, 4 chauer,
' a chafer, a beetle '; O.H.G. chevar.
Chebiton (4 in P.G.). Dom. Ciretona (Devon). Hardly fr. the
cherry, O.E. ciris, cyrs, and then not found till c. 1350, cheri,
chiry. Perh. ' village of Ceorra ' or ' Gyra' one such of each in
Onom. Cheeeington (Warwicksh.) is the same name, 1327
Chirytone. Here, and also in the case of the two Chirtons,
Duignan votes for cherry. But Cheriton (Abesford) is prob.
Dom. Cerewartone, fr. some man of doubtful name, (?) Ceorl-
weard, a name not recorded, or, by dissimilation, Ceolweard, a
fairly common name. The Kent Ch. is not in Dom. Cf.
Churston. However, Cherington (Tetbury), Dom. Cerintone,
c. 1120 Cherintone, later Chederintone, Baddeley thinks is, ' ton,
farm-enclosure of the Ceadrings ' or ' sons of (?) Ceadhere.'
Chertsey. Bede Cerotsesei, id est insula Ceroti, v.r. Ceoroti {grant
ofQ15 Cherteseye]. 1084 O.E. Chron. Ceorteseye, Dom. Certesy.
' Isle of Gerot.' See -ey.
Cherwell R. (Oxford) . 681 chart. Flumen quod appellatur Ceruelle.
864 ih. Cearwellan, 1005 Cearwylle, Cyrwylle. Possibly con-
nected with O.E. cyrran ' to turn,' but prob. pre-Keltic.
Chesham (Bucks). K.G.D. 658 Cissanham. O.E. for ' home of
Gissa.' Gf. Chessington, Keswick, and Dom. Essex, Cesse-
worda, Cishelle. The names Gis, Gisi, and Giss also occur.
Cheshunt (Waltham Cross). Dom. Cistrehunt, a. 1300 Cesferhunt,
1402 Chesthunte, ' camp's hunt ' or ' hunting-ground.' See
Chester. But Chesford (Kenilworth) is c. 1422 Chessford, of
quite uncertain origin; perh. O.E. ceosleg, ' shingly.' We get the
personal name Ghesney in Sezincote (Glouc), Dom. Che(i)snecote,
' cot of Ghaisne ' or ' Ghesney,' O.Fr. chesnaie, ' an oakwood.'
Cheslyn Hay (Walsall), a. 1300 Hay of Chistlyn, -ling, ChistHng,
Ches-, Chystlyn. Duignan takes this to be a dimin. of chest,
Sc. hist, O.E. cest, cist. Gf. Chestal (Dursley), 1374 Chystelay.
Hay is O.E. hege, ' a fenced or hedged enclosure,' here perh.
round an ancient cromlech or burial-mound.
Chessington (Surbiton). Dom. Cisendone. * Gissa' a fort'; O.E.
dun. Gf. Chichester. See -don and -ton.
Chester. Bede, ' Civitas Legionum, which by the English is called
Legacestir, but by the Britons more rightly Carlegion,' in c. 810
CHESTEKPIELD 197 CHETWODE
Nennius Cair Ligion (W. caer, 'fort, castle') and Urbs legionis,
894 O.E. Chron. Anre waestre castre, Dom. Cestrescire, c. 1097
Flor. Wore. ' Civitas quae Carlegion Britannice et Legeceaster
dicitur Saxonice.' L. castra, ' a camp ' ; O.E. ceaster, ' a fortified
place/ then often 'a town'; cf. A.S. Gospels (Luke x. 11). In
mod. W. Caerlleon Gawr, ' great fort of the legion ' (? the 20th).
Cf. Caebleon and Leicester; and see Caistor.
Chesterfield (Derbysh. and Lichfield). De. C. 955 Cesterfelda,
1162-65 Cestrefelt. Li. 0. 1262 Cestrefeud, Chestrefewde. See
Chester. Field is O.E. f eld, 3-5 feU{e) . In 1262 the liquid I has
become w, as it often does, esp. in Sc, but Oxf. Diet, gives no
examples under field.
Chester-le-Street. a. 1130 Sim. Dur.; also R. of Hexham Cuncha
Chester; 1183 Cestria. The street implies a Roman road.
Cuncha is also found in the form Cununga, which suggests Icel.
honung-r, ' king.'
Chesterton (Cambridge, Cirencester, Bicester, StafEs, and War-
wicksh.). Ci. C. c. 1100 Cestretone. War. C. 1043 cJmrt.
Cestretune, Dom. Cestretone, Cestedone, O.E. ceaster-tun, ' town
of the fort, castle-town.' See Chester and -ton. Also cf. Dom.
Bucks Cestreham.
Cheswardine (Market Drayton). Dom. Ciseworth, a. 1200 Chese-
wurda, Cheswordyn, Chesewardyn, Chesew'rthin. ' Cheese-
making farm.' O.E. cese, cyse, ' cheese,' and -worth or its var.
-wardine, q.v. Similar is Cheswick (Northumberland), c. 1100
Cheseuuic, 1631 Cheswick, lit. ' cheese-house.' See -wick. Also
cf. Butterwick and Chiswick.
Chetnole (Sherborne). {Dom. has Chenolle and Chenoltone and
CnoUe.) Hybrid. 0. Keltic chet ; W. coed, ' a wood ' ; and O.E.
cnoll, ' a rounded hillock, a knoll.' Cf. Chetwode, Ejstowle,.
and Kits Coity House, name of a cromlech, Aylesford, Kent.
Jos. Colebroke, c. 1800, says Eat was an old shepherd, who fed
his flocks here ; and Coity must be f r. coed.
Chettle (Blandford). Dom. Ceotel1(o prob. error). 1238 Close R.
Chetel. O.E. cytel, cetel ; O.N. cetel, 'a kettle,' hence a valley
shaped like a kettle, a ' corrie.' Cf. Kettle or Kingskettle
(Fife).
Chetton (Bridgnorth). ? Dom. Catinton. ' Town of Ceatta,' 2 in
Onom. Cf. Dom. Bucks, Cetendone.
Chetwode (Bucks). 949 chart. Cetwuda, Dom. Cetevde, 1248 chart.
' Forest of Chett,' 1270 ' in Bosco (wood) de Cett,' 1290 Chet-
wood. Hybrid tautology; O.W. coit ; W. coed, ' a wood.' Cf.
Chute and the personal name Chetwynd (W. coed gwyn) ; also
Dom. Cornw. Chilcoit (Corn, for ' neck of the wood '), and Bucks,
Cetedone, though this last may be fr. O.E. cete, ' cot, hut.' Cf.
Datchet. Also cf. Chetnole.
. CHEVELEY 198 CHIDDINGSTONE
Cheveley (Newmarket), c. 1080 Inquis. Camh. Cauelei, Chauelei,
Cheuelei, Dom. Chavelai, a. 1200 chart. Cheaflea, Cseafle, 1346
Chavele, 1426 Cheveley. ' Chaff -meadow ' ; O.E. ceaj, 2-4 cheue,
4 chaue, ' chaff." See -ley.
Chevenagb (Avening). Not in Dom. 1626 Chavenedge. Prob.
Cheven- is O.E. Cifan, ' Cifa's/ with the usual Norm, softening.
Cf. Chevening, Che vest gton, Chieveley, and Dom. Surrej''
Civentone. But it may be fr. Ceen. -age, q.v., is usually a late
ending, and needs old forms to interpret it.
Chevet (Barnsley) Dom. Cevet ; and Cheviot Hills, c. 1250 Montes
chiueti, a. 1300 Mons chiuioth, c. 1500 Chevet, 1596 Cheuott.
Possibly G. c{h)iabach, ' bushy place," fr. ciabh, ' hair,' which
may also be the root of Chevy Chase. For -ach becoming -iot,
cf. Elliot |Sc.). There is also Caville (Yorks), which is Dom.
Cevetle (see -ley). The name is very doubtful. Fr. chevet, ' a
pillow,' seems impossible. But the Chevin (Otley) is plainly W.
cefn, ' a hill ridge.'
Chevington (Ackhngton, Bury St. Edmunds, and Pershore). Bu.
C. Dom. Ceuentuna. Pe. C. 972 chart. Civincgtune, Dom. Civin-
tone, 1275 Kyvin-, Chyvintone. 'Town of the sons of Cifa.'
Cf. Chevenage. See -ing and -ton.
Chevy Chase (N. Northumberland). Sic c. 1650, but a. 1500 ballad.
' The hunttis of Cheuet." See Cheviot and Cannock Chase.
Chewton Mbndip (Bath) . Dom. Civetune, 1280 Close B. Chiweton,
1238 ib. Chyweton. Onom. has no Ciwa, only one Ceawa, which
may be the name here, and also in Chew Magna and Stoke
(Bristol). Dom. Chiwe. There seems no Hkelier origin, though
it is rare for a place to be called after a man alone; but cf.
Goodrich, etc. Magna is L. for ' Great.'
Chichester. 891 O.E. Chron. Cisseceaster, c. 1070 Ecclesia Ci-
cestrensis, c. 1114 Cicestre, 1167-68 Cycestr', c. 1180 Cicestria,
late chart. Chichestra, 1297 B. Glouc. Chichestre. ' Camp, fort
of Cissa/ son of Ella, d. c. 520. See Keynoe, and cf. Cissbury
Camp (Worthing).
CmcH St. Osyth (Colchester), c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Chicce, Sim.
Dur. ann. 1123 Cice, 1157 Pipe Chich. Doubtful. None of
' the words spelt chich in Oxf. Diet, yield a likely origin, and there
seems nothing helpful in O.E. C/. Dom. Devon, Cichet. So prob.
the name is Keltic, meaning some thing or place of concave or
hivelike shape. Cf. W. cychu, ' to cover, to hive.' Osyth was a
virgin martyr, of doubtful date, ? 600-800. Said to have been
granddaughter of Penda of Mercia and pupil of Abbess Mod-
wenna.
Chlddingstone (Eden Bridge). The ' chiding stone,' a sandstone
boulder fr. which fractious wives used to be ' chided,' still stands
at the rear of the village; O.E. cidan, to chide, pa. tense, chid,
CHIEVELEY 199 CHILTON
pa. pple. chidden. But for all that, this is prob. an example
of popular etymology, and the real name will be O.E. Cyddan
Stan, ' stone of Cydda ' ; there are 2 of this name in Kent men-
tioned in Onom. Cf. Kiddington (Oxon), Dom. Chidintone;
but the Kent name is not in Dom.
Chievbley (Newbury). O.E. chart. Cifan lea, 1291 Chivele. ' Lea,
meadow of Ci^a.' Not the same name as Cheveley (Cambs).
Cf. Chevington, and see -ley.
Chigwell (Ongar). O.E. chart Cingwella, later Cinghewella, Chi-
wellia. ' Bang's well," O.E. cyning, 1-2 cyng, cing. Cf. CniNGroBD.
Chiloott (Wells) and Chtloote (Ashby-DE-LA-Z.). Prob., as in
Chilton and Chilwell, ' Gilda's cot'; the adj. chill is inad-
missible in all these cases, being recent. But Dom. Comw.,
Chilcoit, will be Old Keltic, or Corn, for 'neck of the wood';
with Com. chil, cf. G. caol, ' narrow,' and caolas, ' a strait, a
kyle.' The Wells name could quite easily be Corn.; it is not in
Dom. Of. Kllcot.
Childeey (Wantage). Chart. Cillan rithe. Cilia rithe, Dom. Celrea,
a. 1300 Celrea, CeLry. Cilia is presumably a personal name.
Cf. B.C. 8. 1242 Cillan hrycg {i.e., ' ridge ') ; prob. Cille, sister of
Hean, first abbot of Abingdon. The letter d often sufl&xes
itself. Cf. Drummond (Sc). Rith is O.E. for ' stream,' cognate
with L. rivus. Cf. Shottery. But Chtlderley (Cambs) is
Cildra-ledh, ' children's ' (Sc. childer's) 'lea.'
Child's Wigkham (Broadway, Worcester). 706 chart. Childes-
wicwon, Wicwone, 972 chart. Vuiguuennan. The present name
is a corruption ; the chart, name may contain W. gwig, ' a thicket,
grove, forest,' or else the name of the tribe Huiccii. See Wor-
cester; also see Wtkttamford. Child is O.E. did, 'a child,'
not found as child till c. 1160, so that the copy of the 706 chart.
must be late. Cild is also early found as a proper name.
Chtt.t.tngham (Bedford). Sic 1595, and Chellington [Kings-
bridge (Sussex), Crewkeme and Brewood (StafEs)]. Ki. and Cr.
C. Dom. Cilletone. Br. C. Dom. Cillentone, a. 1200 Cilderton,
a. 1400 Chilinton, ' Home, village, or town of Cille.' The names
Cild, Cilia, Cille, and Cilli are all in Onom. But Sus. C. is c.
1060 chart. CiUingtun (probably), or ' village of Cilling,' prob.
patronymic fr. above. See -ham, -ing, and -ton.
Chiltern. a. 800 Chilternsaetna, Dom. Cilterne (Somerset), a. 1125
O.E. Chron. ann. 1009 Ciltem, c. 1200 Gervase Chiltre. Cf.,
too, chart Hen. I. a ' Ciltre.' Oxf. Diet, says origin unknown.
The name is also applied to a kind of soil. The -ern is prob.
O.E. erne, ' a house.'
Chilton (5 in P.O.). C. Poldon, Bridgewater, Dom. Cildetone,
Steventon C. 1015 chart. In loco ubi solicolse appellativo usu
Cilda tun nominant, Dom. Cilletone, a. 1300 Chilton, Dom,
CHILVEES COTON 200 CHIPPING NOETON
Bucks Ciltone. Cilda, 1015, prob. is a man's name, as the
proper gen. plu. of O.E. cild, ' child,' is cildra. But Skeat says
that this, like Chilford (Cambs) means ' children's/ Yet KLilton,
(Yorks), sic 1179, is Dom. Chilton, which makes Skeat's asser-
tion doubtful. Cf. next.
CtttTjVEBS Coton (Nimeaton). Dom. Celverdestoche (see -stock),
a. 1200 Chelverdcote, a. 1300 Chilverdescote, Chelverescot.
' Ceolweard's cottages,' coton being an O.E. pi. of cot.
Chilwell (Nottingham). Dom. Cilleuuelle, Cid-, Chide welle. Cf.
Dom. ' Cildewelle ' (Cheshire). Chil- prob. represents a man
Cild, Cilia, or Cille; all these forms are found in Onom. The
Eng. adj. chill is not found till 1513. See, too, above, and
cf. Chilworth (Romsey and Guildford), Dom. Leicr., Chilurda,
and 1238 Close E. Cheleworth (Cricklade), which all must be fr.
a man Cille, or the like. But some think Chil- is same root as
in Bapchtld. See -worth.
Chine (in Blackgang Chine, etc., in S. and S.W.). See Chenies.
The Oxf. Diet, gives no quot. before 1830.
Chtngeord (Walthamstow). The early forms vary much — Dom.
Chilgelford, 1242 Chingel-, also Cinge-, Cinghe-, Echingels-,
Schingelf ord. This seems to be ' Shingle - ford,' N . singl,
' water-worn gravel or pebbles,' M.E. chingle ; but plainly
confused with ' King's ford.' Cf. Chigwell, and 1160 Pipe
Chingeswuda (Eangswood, ? in Surrey).
Cheststock, E. and W. (Somerset). Dom. Cinioch. Prob. Keltic.
Possibly var. of Cannock, fr. W. cnwc, ' a hillock.' But also
cf. G. cianog, ' a small piece of arable land.'
Chinnob (Wallingf ord) . 1234 Close B. Chynhore, Chennor.
' Bank, edge of Cina ' or ' Cyna,' gen. -an. Cf. Chinley (Stock-
port) . See -or.
Chippenham (Wilts, Bp's. Cleeve, Cambs). Wi. C. 878 O.E. Chron.
Cippan hamm, c. 900 chart. C^ppenhamme, 1158-59 Chepeham,
Bp. C. c. 812 chart. Cippanhamme, Ca. C. c. 1080 Inquis. Cam.
Chipenham, Dom. Chipeham. ' Enclosure,' O.E. hamm, or
' home,' O.E. ham, ' of Cippa,' -an, a rare name; Cippan cannot
be = Chipping. Cf. Dom. Essex, Kippedana, the 2 Chipsteads,
and CHipprNGHURST (Oxon), chart. Cibbanhyrst, ' Cibba's wood.'
Chipping Norton, Ongar, Sodbuby, etc. a. 1300 Roll Norton
Mercatoria. Chipping is var. of cheaping, found c. 1200
cheping, ' a market, a market-place,' fr. O.E. ceap, * barter,'
cipan, ' to sell,' same root as cheap, cheapen, etc. Cf. Chep-
stow, and see Norton, etc. The mod. Swede has the
same sound and meaning, though not the same spelling.
He always speaks of Copenhagen as Chippenhavn, ' merchant's
haven,' though he spells it Kjobenhavn or -hamn, whilst a
name like Jonkoping, ' John's market,' he pronounces Yon-
CHIPSTEAD 201 CHOLDERTON
chipping. But Chipping (N. Lanes), Dom. Chipinden, is prob-
' vale of Cipa ' or ' Ceapa,' one in Onom (see -den), and Chip-
PiNaTON (Nthbld.) is oZd Cebbington, ' town of Ceabba/ gen. -ban,
one in Onom. See -ing.
Chtpstead (Red Hill and Sevenoaks) . Not in Dom. Prob. ' home-
stead of Cyppa.' Cf. Chippenham and Dom. Norfk. Chiptona.
Chirbury (Salop) . 913 O.E. Chron. Cyricbyrig — i.e., ' churchburgh '
or ' town.' See the interesting article Church in Oa;/. Z)ici. But
by c. 1120 Hen. Hunt.it is Cereburih, 1236 Chirebir". See -bury.
Chirk (Accrington and Oswestry). Ace. C. 1202 Chirche, or
' church '; but Osw. C. a. 1300 Ciriee, c. 1350 Chirk, which may
not represent O.E. for ' church/ as in Chirbury; but, as Chirk
is on the R. Ceiriog, it may be a corrup. of it. In W. it is
Eglwys y wsen, ' church of the moor.'
Chiselhfrst. 1160Pi^eChiselherst, c. 1380Chesilhurst. 'Woody
place on the shingle,' O.E. ceosel. See Chelsea and -hurst; and
cf. Chesil Bank, Dorset. But Chiselboroxjgh (Stoke-under-ham)
is 1236 Close B. Sidelberg, prob. ' burgh of Cecil.' The original
seat of the Cecils was in Monmouth, where the name is pron.
Seisyl; we see the same name in Isolde or Yseult of the medieval
romances and in Chisholm (Sc). See -boro'. We also have
1240 Close R. Chiselhampt'.
Chisenbury (Pewsey). Dom. Cheseberie. Cf. Dom. Surrey Cisen-
done. ' Burgh, town of Cisi,' one in Onom. Cissa is much
commoner. See -bury. Great Chishall (1597 ChishiU), R.oy-
ston, may be fr. the same name.
Chislet (Canterbury). Chart, and Dom. Gstelet. Possibly O.N.
Fr. castelet, chastelet, dimin, of chastel, mod. Er. chdtelet and
cMteau, ' a little castle.' We have castelet in Eng. c. 1320 and
chastelet in 1494; but the early change fr. a to i is scarcely
explained. Prof. Weekley is quite doubtful.
CHISWIC3K (London). Not in Dom. c. 1230 Chesewycke. O.E. cese,
cyse wic, ' dweUing, hamlet where cheese was made.' Cf.
BuTTERWicK and Cheswardine, and see -wick.
Chitterne (Wilts), a. 675 Grant Cyterene forde. ? Dom. Chetre.
Prob. ' Cyta's house,' O.E. erne. We find both a ' Cytan ford '
and a ' Cittan den ' in early charters.
Chittlehamholt (Chulmleigh) and Chittlehampton (Umberleigh),
both Devon. Dom. Citrametona (though in MS. Curametone).
The first part must be the common O.E. name Cytel, Chitel, or
Ketel ; the r in Dom. is due to the common interchange of
liquids. Dom. also has Chetelescote. Holt is O.E. and Icel. for
' a wood, a grove.' See Hampton.
Cholderton (SaUsbury). Dom. Celdre-, Celdrintone, 1287 Close
E. Childwarton. ' Town of Ceolweard,' var. ' Kilvert.'
U
CHOLLERFORD 202 CHURCHINFORD
Chollerford, and -ton (N. Tyne). c. 410 Notit. Dign. Glurno,
a. 700 Bav. Geogr. Celunno, 1232 chart. Chelreton. Cilurno
suggests W. cilwrn, 'cauldron/ fr. the cavities in the rocky
river-bed here; Sc. Rhys. But the disappearance of the n is
curious. Cf. above.
Cholmondeley (Cheshire). Pron. Chumly. Dom. Calmundelei.
' Galmund's or ' Geolmund's, meadow.' Gf. Chelmondiston.
See -ley.
Cholsey (Berks). 1005 O.E. Ghron. Ceolesige^ Dom. Celsei, Sim,
Dur. ann. 1006 Ceolesegia, c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Coleseige. ' Geola'a
isle ' ; several Ceolas are known. See -ey.
Choppington (Morpeth), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Cebbingtun. ' Geab-
ba's village.' Gf. B.G.S. 282 Ceabban sol. It may be a patro-
nymic. See -ing and -ton.
Chorleton - CUM - Hardy (Manchester). 1296-97 Chorleton=
Charlton.
Chorley (Preston). 'Meadow on the R. Ghor/ a name prob.
Keltic; ? cognate with W. cor, 'a circle, a crib.' Cf. Dom.
Worcr. ' Chure.' But Chorley (Lichfield) is sic a. 1400 and
a. 1600 Chorley alias Charley. ' Meadow of Georl,' or ' of the
carl or churl/ O.E. ceorl.
Chrishall (Royston). Not in Dom. 1298 Cristeshale — i.e.,
' Ghrist'a nook.' Gf. Dom. Worcr. Christetone, and Christen
Bank (Northumbld.).
Christchurch. 1058 O.E. Ghron. Mt Christes cyrcean, a. 1109
Mt Xrescircean, c. 1160 Gesta Steph. Cristiciria {sic).
Christian Malford (Chippenham). 940 chart. Cristemalford,
'Christ's Malford/ or 'ford of the tax or impost/ O.E. mdl,
seen in the Sc. mailing.
Chijdleigh (2 in Devon) . Not in Dom. ' Meadow of Gudd ' or
' Cudda,' names in Onom. See -leigh.
Chtjlmleigh (Devon). Dom. Calmonleuge, Exon. Dom. Chalmon-
leuge, 1242 Glose R. Cha(u)meleg'. ' Meadow of Geolmund/ a
very common name ; eo regularly becomes a, now slurred into
u; and -leuge is scribe's error for -leage, dat. of leah. See -ley.
Churohhtll (4 in P.G.). Kidderminster C. Dom. Circehille, Oxf.
C. 1295 chart. Cercelle, later CherchehuUe, Dom. Bucks Cherche-
helle, also Chirchefeld; in Dom. Surrey it is Cercefelde. Form
1295 is only an early spelhng of ' church hill.' Gf. the forms
under Christchurch. Churchdown (Gloustrsh.), now pron.
Chosen, is already in Dom. Circesdune.
Churcbinford (Honiton). Not in Dom. Perh. 935 chart. Chircel-
ford. The liquids do interchange, but I rarely becomes n. The
early spelhngs in the Oxf. Diet, do not encourage us to derive
CHURCH MINSHULL 203 CIRENCESTER
CEircel fr, circle ; but there is a Med. L. cercella, O.Fr. cercdle,
' the teal duck/ which seems possible.
Church Minshull (Middlewich). See Minshtjll Vernon.
Chxjbohoveb (Rubgy). Dom. Wara, 1257 Waur(e), a. 1300 Church
Waver, 1327 Chirche-Wavre. The -overs of Warwk., Browns-
over, Cester-Over, etc., are all fr. O.E. wafre, wcefre, ' the aspen
poplar.' See Wavertree, etc.
Churn, R. (Cirencester). Prob. found in c. 150 Ptolemy Corinion
and a. 700 Rav. Geogr. Cironium, names for Cirencester,
which stands on this river; it is sometimes called the Corin.
If the name is so old it cannot be O.E. cyrin, ' a churn,' and is
prob. pre-Keltic. There is also a Churnet, trib. of R. Dove
(Staiid.), 1284 Chirnete, which might be dimin. of O.E. cyrin,
dm ; but Duignan is prob. right in connecting it with the other
river. C/. Cerne.
Churston Ferrers (Devon). Prob. 1167-68 Pipe Chirestona,
' Town of Cire,' one Cyra in Onom. Of. Cheriton. On Ferrers,
see Beer.
Chute (Wilts) and Chute Standen (Andover). 1238 Close R.
Cett, 1241 ib. Cet, ? which. Gf. 1248 chart. ' Forest of Chett,'
1270 in Bosco de Cett. Kelt, chet, coit,W. coed, ' a wood.' See
Chetwode.
Chyandour (Penzance). Corn.= ' house on the water,' ti, chi, ' a
house.' The G. tigh, *a house,' also commonly takes the ch
sound. Cf.Ch.ysQ,\\&t&r,CoTn.chy sawstir, ' house on the Saxon
or English land,' and Chyangwail, Lelant, ' house in the field,'
gwel, gweal, rather than ' among the corn-stalks,' gwail. Also
see Tywarnhaile.
CiLSAN (on R. Towy). W. cil is 'the back,* then 'a retreat, a
place of retreat, a comer.' Gf. G. cM and cuil. The -san is
thought to be O.E. segne, L. sagina, Gk. a-ay-jvr], ' a seine (net).'
Cindery I. (BrightUngsea) . 1539 Syndry, 1674 Sinder Isle. Prob.
O.E. sunder ea, ' isle sundered or separated ' from the mainland.
Gf. Sunderland; whilst Cinderford, For. of Dean, is 1281
Sinderford. See -ey.
Cirencester. Prob. c. 150 Ptolemy Corinion, a. 700 Rav.
Geogr. Cironium, O.E. Ghron. 628 Cirenceastre, c. 893 Asser
Cirrenceastre called ' Cair ceri ' in British, which is the south part
of the Huiccii (see Worcester), 1155 Cirecestre, c. 1180 Ben.
Peterb. Cirencestria, Cirecestria, 1298 Cicestre, which last is
near the present pron.. Sister, Sizeter. In W. Caergeri, really
the same name. Usually said to be ' Ciren's camp.' There is
no Giren or Cyren in Onom., though we do find B.C. 8. 349
Cyran leah — i.e., ' meadow of Cyra.' However, the root must be
pre-Saxon, the name being ' camp on the Ciren' or ' Churn.*
See -cester.
CISSBURY 204 CLAVERDON
CissBUBY (Worthing). Not in Dom. ' Burgh, fort of Cissa.' See
Chichestee and -bury.
Claines (Worcester), a, 1100 Cleinesse, a. 1200 Claines. This is
certainly an abnormal name, but it can hardly be aught else
but O.E. clone, cldne nces, ' clear, clean headland '; the orig.
meaning of clean was ' clear." Of course, final -ness, q.v., is
usually sounded ; but it could easily be slurred.
Clandown (Radstock) and Clanfield (Hants and Oxon). Ox.
C. Dom. Clenefelde, 1216-1307 Glanfeld, 1274-79 Clanefeld.
Cf. Dom. Clanedun (Surrey) and Clandone (Bucks). AU fr.
O.E. clcBne, cldne, ' clear, clean, free from dirt or weeds.' See
-don.
Clapham (Westmld., London, and Beds). We. 0. Dom. Clapeham;
Lon. C. a. 900 chart. Cloppaham, Clappenham, Dom. Clopeham;
Bed. C. 1236 Clopham. Some think Lon. 0. is ' Home of the
Osgod Glapa/ d. 1054, where Harthacnut drank himself to
death ; but Skeat prefers to associate both the above, and also
Claphams in Yorks and Lanes, with mid. Dan. klop, 'a stub, a
stump,' prob. allied to clump : so ' house in the stumpy ground.'
Similarly Clapton (Hungerford), 1316 Clopton, and Clapton
(Glostrsh.) c. 1200 Cloptime ; whilst Dom. has a Clopcote (Berks).
Cf. Clopton. Skeat does not seem to have noted the Dom,
Westmld. form, which favours derivation fr. a man. Cf., too,
Dom. Sffk. Cleptuna.
Clarendon (Sahsbury). 1164 Hoveden Clarendonum, 1373 Claryn-
done. The adj. clear is not found in Eng. a. 1297, and there is
only one obscure Clare in Onom., so the origin of this name is
doubtful. W. clavrr, 'surface, cover,' does not seem likely;
' HiU of Clare ' is more so, O.E. dun, ' a hill, a fort.' Cf. next.
CLAiBO (Yorks). Not in Dom., though now name of a wapentake.
May be ' clear, conspicuous how ' O.N. haug-r, or moothill of its
wapentake; only, clear, 3-5 cler, is not found in Eng. a. 1297.
But there is also Clareton (Yorks), Dom. Claretone, which
favours derivation fr. a man Clare. Cf. Clarendon, Greenho
(Norfolk), and Thingoe.
Clatford (Andover). Dom. Cladford. Doubtful. No name in
Onom. like Clad. Perh. fr. O.E. elate, ' bur, burdock, cHvers.'
Claughton-on -Brock (Garstang). Dom. Clactune, 1208 Clatton,
1241 Close B. Clexton, 1288 Claghton. ' Vill&,ge of Clac,' several
in Onom., whilst Brock is O.E. broc, ' a brook.' Cf. Claxton,
Clawton, Holsworthy, and 1160-61 Pipe Clawurda (Notts and
Derby); also Dom. Yorks Clactone, now Clayton West, and
Cloctone now Cloughton.
Claverdon (Stratford, Wwk.). Dom. Clavendone, 1151 Claver-
don, 1326 Clardon. 'Clover hill'; O.E. clcefre. Cf. next, and
see -don.
CLAVE RING 206 CLEE HILLS
Clavering (Newport, Essex). Dom. both Essex and Nfk. Clave-
linga, 1241 Close B. Cluering, 1330 Claveryng. This cannot be
the same as Claverlet (Wolverhmptn.) and Claverhouse
(Sc), fr. O.E. clafre, clcefre, 4-7 claver, * clover/ It must be, by
dissunilation, fr. a man Clavel, prob. he who came over with
Wm. the Conqueror — ' place of the sons of Clavel.' See -ing.
Claxton (Stockton, Yorks, and Norfk.). St. C. sic 1344, Yo. C.
Dom. 3 times Claxtorp (see -thorpe), Nfk. C. Dom. Clakestona.
' Town of Clacc ' or ' KlaTch-r,' a N. name. Cf. Clacton and
Claughton.
Clay (Lincoln). Sice. 1180 Bened. Peterb. The earliest instance
of the form clay, O.E. clde^, in the Oxf. Did. is a. 1300.
Clayhanger (Devon, S. Somerset, Staffs, Essex). Dev. C. Dom.
Clehangre, Glostr. C. Claenhangare; St. C. 1300 Cleyhunger, later
Cleohongre; Ess. C. 1015 O.E. Chron. Clseighangra — i.e., ' clay
slope.' The prob. meaning of O.E. Jiangra is ' slope,' fr. the
ob. hang, or perh. ' wood on a slope.' See Oxf. Diet. HA]<rGER^.
Cf. Birchanger, Hungerford, etc. In Glostr. it has now
become Clinger, 1138 Cleangra.
Clayton (8 in P.O.). More than one in Yorks Dom. Claitone.
Clayton Griffith (Newcastle, Staffs) is Dom. Claitone, «.1300
Clayton Griffyn. O.E. cZceg-Mw, 'town in the clay.' But Dow.
Yorks also has a Clactone= Clayton West. See Claughton.
The Griff yns were lords of the manor in the 13th cny.
Clayworth (Retford). Dom. Clauorde. 1156 Clawurda, 1202
Clawurth. ' Clayey farm.' Cf. above and -worth. The
surname Cleworth is the same name.
Cleasby (N. Riding, Yorks). D&m. Clesbi, 1202 Clasebi, 1298
Cleseby. Prob. ' Dwelling of Clea/ or some such name, not
found in Onom. See -by. Hardly fr. O.E. cleof, later cleo, ' a
cliff, a CLEVE ' {q.v. in Oxf. Diet.). This last is the origin of
Clee and Cleobtjry.
Cleatlam (Barnard Castle), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Clethinga. Doubt-
ful. The -am will be -ham, ' home.'
Cleator (Whitehaven). Old Cletergh. O.N. klett-r, 'a, cliff, a
crag,' and ergh, N. corrup. of G. airigh, 'a shieling, a hut.'
Cf. Angles ARK.
Cleddy R. (Milford Haven). 921 Clet5e mufan, c. 1120 Hen. Hunt.
Glade mouth, c. 1130 Lib. Land. Clediv and Doncledif. Prob.
O.W. cled, 'warm'; perh. W. cladd, 'a trench.' Cf. Clwyd.
But Owen, 1603, spells it Clydagh.
Clee Hills (Salop). Dom. Clee, Cleie. O.E. cleof, later cleo, ' a
chff, a brae,' same word as Cleve-land. Cliff in O.E. is also
clif, N. klif. Cf. Dom. Lines. Cleia, and Cleethorpes
(Grimsby), not in Dom.
CLENCHWARTON 206 CLIFTON
Clenchwarton (K/s Lynn) . Not in Dom. 1234 Close R. Clenche-
wartun. Doubtful. Hardly fr. Eng. to clench O.E. clincan,
which as sb. is late. Cf. Clench Common (Marlboro'), which
may be connected with 941 chart. Clinca leage, Tisted (Hants).
Possibly Kelt., ? W. clyn, ' brake, thicket,' with 2nd syll. half
lost, as in Trunch. See Warton.
Clent Hills (Stourbridge). Sic Dom. Dan. and Sw. Jclint, Icel.
klett-r, ' a hard, flinty rock,' found in Eng. as dint a. 1300 and
as clent a. 1400. Cf. Glentworth, and Clint (Ripley, Yorks),
not in Dom. ; also Dunclent, sic in Dom., near by.
Cleobury Mortimbr (Salop). Dom. Cleberie, 1287 Cleburi
Mortimer, ? 1298 Cluburi. ' Cliff -burgh ' or 'castle.' See
Clee and -bury, and Mortimer.
Clerkenwell (London). Sic E. E.Wills 14:/^. Very likely named
' well of the clerks ' in the time of Henry I. There is a ' Clerche-
welle ' (Kent), in 1158-59 Pipe. Stow, Survey, 1598, says, the
London place ' took the name of the Parish Clerks in London
who, of old time, were accustomed there yearly to assemble and
to play some large history of Holy Scripture.'
Clevedon (Somerset). 1321 Cliveden. ' Cliff -hke, brae-Hke hill.'
See Clee, Cleveland, and and -don. Cleeve Prior (Eves-
ham) is 888 chart. Clife, Dom. Clive. 1160-61 Pipe, Northants has
a CHua. Cf. Bishop's Cleeve.
Cleveland (N. Yorks). Sim. Dur. ann. 1093 Clivelande, 1209
CHveland, 1461 Cle viand. ' CHff-land.' See Clee. Dom. has
only Chve in Yorks, but this 12 times = North and South Cliff, etc.
Clewer (Windsor and Cheddar). Win. C. Dom. Clivore, 1291
Cliwar, Clyfwere, 1316 Clyware. Prob. O.E. cKf-wara, ' home
of the cliff-dwellers.' Such cliff -men are referred to in B.C.S.
1. 318 (Kent). Dom. Somst. has only a Clovewrde, 'farm of
Clofa ' ; this can hardly be Clewer, Cheddar, but ? With it
cf. Clearwell (For. of Dean), old Clowerwall, fr. dower, ' sluice,
mill-dam,' found in 1483 clowre, and still in North dial, door,
but further S. usually clow. See Oxf. Diet. s.v.
Cliffe. Prob. that at Selby, c. 890 Alfred Baeda 772 Clife. O.E.
cUf, ' a chff.' See also s.v. Cleveland.
Clifford (4 in P.O.). Gloucester C. 922 chart. Clifforda, Dom.
CHfort. ' Cliff -ford '—i.e., ' steep ford.'
Clifton (14 in P.O.). Dom. Yorks Cliftun, 14 times,
a. 1100 Hugo Candidus a ' Cliftune,' Rugby C. Dom. Cliptone
{p an error). Clifton Camvtlle (Tamworth) is Dom. Clistone,
another error, but 1100 Cliftun. 'Cliff town.' See above.
The Camvilles were Nor. lords of the manor, who took their
name fr. Canappeville, Eure, Normandy. Their name was also
spelt Campville.
CLIPSHAM 207 COALBROOKDALE
Clipsham (Oakham) and Clipston (Mket. Harboro'). Dom. Clipe-
stone, 1317 Clipston. ' Clip's home ' or ' village ' ; one Cli'p
in Onom. Gf. Dom. CHpesbei, now Clixby (Norfk.).
Clitheroe (Lanes), Sim. Dur. contin. ann. 1138 Clitherhou,
1175-76 Cliderhous, 1230 CHderho, 1241 -erhow, 1501 CUderowe.
Fr. early dial, dithers, mod. dial, clider, for clivers, , ' goose-
grass/ and Hoe, O.E. hoh, ' a height.' \
Clive (Shrewsbury). Sic 1327. O.E. clif, 2-6 cliue, really a
dat., ' a cliff.'
Clopton (Glostrsh., Thrapston, Stratford, Wwk., Woodbridge [or
Clapton]). Gl. C. Dom. Cloptune. Thr. C. c. 1080 Inquis
Camh. Clopetuna, 1210 Cloptune. Str. C. 1016 Cloptune, Dom.
Clotone. ' Town of Glopa ' c/., Clapton, also 1179-80 Ti'pe
Clopton (Yorks). But c/. Clapham.
Closworth (Sherborne). Not in Dom. 1252 chart. Cloveswurthe,
1270 Clovesuude (i.e., ' wood '). Prob. ' farm of Ciovis or Chfa,'
or some such name. The nearest in Onom. is Clofena. Cf. a
' Closley,' 1285 in Salop, and Lowestoft; and see -worth.
Cloughton. See Claughton.
CLOviLLY (N. Devon). Dom. Clovelie. Doubtful; perh. Com.
clog (G. cloch), ' a steep rock ' and velen, ' yellow.' There is also
a Bratton Clovelly, near Okehampton.
Clun (W. Salop). Dom. Clone, Clune. Now in W. Colunwy.
[Cf. 1131 O.E. Chron. ' Prior of Clunni.] W. clyn, ' a brake, a
thicket.' But cf. Clunie (Sc), and G. cluain, ' a meadow.'
Clungunford, near by, will be W. clyn gywn, ' fair, clear thicket,'
whilst Clunbury is Dom. Climeberie. See -bury; and Clttnton
is Dom. Cluton.
Clwyd R. (Denbighsh.). Dom. Cloith, Cloit. W. clwyd, ' warm,*
also ' strong.' Cf. Clyde (Sc).
Clydach (Glam. and Abergavenny). Gl. C. 1207-08 Cleudach.
W. clwyd, ' warm, comfortable, sheltering.' Some say, ach is
' river ' ; it is more prob. a suffix of place. Cf. Clarach, Aberyst-
with.
Clyst (Exeter and Topsham). Ex. C. 1001 O.E. Chron. Glistun,
v.r. Chstun, Dom. CKstone, Glustone. Also Dow. Bucks, Wore,
and Dorset Clistone, -tune. Hybrid. W. glwys, ' a hallowed
place, a fair spot,' and -ton.
CoALBROOKDALE (Salop) and Colebrook (Plympton). Dom.
Colebroche, 1298 Colebroke. O.E. col, 'cool, cold,' does not
suit well phonetically, so it may be fr. O.E. col, 2-8 cole, ' char-
coal, coal'; — brook beside which charcoal was burned. Cf.
Dom.Chesh. Colbourne, 1157P*i3eNorthbld.Colebr'., 1107-28 Lift.
Winton. Colobrochestrel (Winchester), and Coleshill. See
-dale.
COALET 208 COCKSHOTTS
CoALEY (Frocester). Dom. Cpeleye, later Covel-, Couley. Prob.
* Cofa's mead/ See -ley.
COANWOOD (Carlisle). ' Wood of Goen or Goena/ several in Onom.
Cf. B.C.S. 313 ' Cohhanleah/ date 804.
CoATES (Peterboro', Cirencester). Pe. C. Dom. Cota, Cote. O.E.
cot, cott ; M.E. cotes, ' cots, cottages.'
CoBDEN Hill (Elstree). Old Copdene; also cf. ' Coppdene ' 1314 in
Sussex, later Cob den, now extinct. ' Hill at the head of the
(wooded) valley/ fr. O.E. cop, coppe, ' top, summit' (Oxf. Diet.
gives no spelling of the sb. cop with a 6). See -den.
CoBHAM. Surbiton C. Grant of a. 675 Chebe-, Chabbeham, Dom.
Cebeha, 1315 Cobeham. ' Home of Geabba,' one in Onom.
But Gravesend C. 939 chart. Cobba hamme, ' enclosure of Gobba.'
Gf. CoBLEY (Alvechurch), a. 1200 Cobbeslee; and see -ham.
CocKERMOUTH. c. 1310 Cokcrmue, 1317 Cokermuth. Can this
river's name come fr. O.E. cocer, M.E. koJcer, cokre, ' a quiver ' ?
If not, then fr. what ? There is also Cockebham (Garstang),
Dom. Cocreha, 1206 Cokerheim, which must be fr. a man Cocker,
a surname still found. In Eng. cocker is ' a prize-fighter, a
wrangler/ not found c. 1275, or ' a hay-worker,' 1st in 1393.
But in our place-names Cocker- is prob. the inflected form of
the N. name Kok-r. The river name must remain doubtful.
Gf. next and Coker, Somst., Dom. Cocre.
CocKEBTON (Darlington), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Cocertune, 1183
Cokirtona. ' Town of Gocker,' a name not in Onom., but see
above, and cf. Cockebsand Abbey (Lancaster), 1213-15 Cocres-
sand, 1236-'^ Kokersond; also 1225 Patent B. Cokerinton, a
patronymic.
CocKFiELD (Bury St. Edmunds and Durham) . Bury C. chart. Cochan-
feld. ' Field of Gocha ' or ' Gocca: Gf. B.G.8. 246 Coccan burh.
Old forms needed for Dur. C. Gf. 1157 Pipe CochuUa (? Gloster.),
and Dom. Wore. ' Cochesie.' In Pipe Rolls of Rich. I. we also
have ' Cokefeld ' (Oxfd.) and * Cockesfeld ' (Norfk.), which seem
to come fr. cock. See next. Gf. Coxjghton.
CocKLEY Cley (Swaffham). Not in Dom. 1451 Cokely Clay. Gf.
Dom. Cliesh. Code, and 1200 chart. Kokedale. ' Cock's
meadow '; O.E. cocc, coc, kok, ' a barnyard cock.' Gf. next and
Clay, O.E. cIost,, 4-6 cUy ; also Coxley. See -ley.
CocKNAGE (Trentham). 1194 Cokenache. Ache is not a M.E.
form of oak (see Oxf. Diet, s.v.), as Duignan thinks, but is for
hatch, O.E. hoea{c), gen. hcecce, 3-7 hacche, bacche, so this is
* hatch, half-door or wicket-gate of the cock,' O.E. coc; or, of a
man Goc or Gocca, both forms are known. Gf. Stevenage.
CocKBTJP (Glostr.), oZcZ Cocthrop, is ' Gocca's farm.' See thorpe.
CocKSHOTTS Wood (Lanes). 1377-99 Cokeshoteslace, and Cock-
SHUTT (Cakemore, Halesowen, and Ellesmere). Ca. C. 1440
CODNOR 209 COLESHILL
Kockshete. A cockshot is a broad way or glade through which
game {cochs) might sJioot, so as to be caught in nets. There are
many so named in Wore.
CoDNOR (Derby). Dom. Cotenovre. 'Bank, border of Coda' or
' Cota,' both on record. Cf. Codbakbow (Wwksh.), a. 1300
Codbarwe, ' Coda's mound/ and Dom. Kent ' Codeha.' The
n is the sign of the O.E. gen. See -or, -over.
CoDSALL (Wolverhampton), a. 1200 Coddeshal, a. 1300 Codeshale.
' Nook of Codda ' or ' Coda.' Cf. Codnor, and see -hall.
CoEDPENMAEN (Pontypridd). W. for ' wood of the rocky headland
or height.' Coed Rhath (Pembroke) 1324, Coyt rath is W.
for ' wood on the mound or hill.' Coety (? Pembroke) is old
Coetif, O.W. for ' dark wood,' W. dy.
CoGGESHALL (Essex). Dom. Cogghessala, 1298 Coggeshale, 'nook
of Coga or Cogga.' See Onom. Prob. not fr. M.E. cogge, 'a
small ship.' Cf. 1183 Boldon BJc. Cogesalle (Durham). See
-haU.
CoQYROS (Cornwall). Said to be Corn, for ' cuckoo-moor.' Lit. it
is ' cuckoo in the moor,' W. and Com. cog.
Colchester. (? 940 chart. B.C.S. 750, CoUacestr), Dom. and 1160
Pipe Colecestra. The Camulodunum of Tacitus — Camulos was
a Kelt, deity. An inscription shows that the Empr. Claudius
founded ' Colonia Victricensis ' here, and so it may have come
to be called ' Colonia castra,' O.E. chart. Colenceaster, in W.
Caercolun. So Colchester may mean ' colony camp ' or 'city.'
Only it is on E,. Colne, and so quite possibly it means only
' camp, castle on the Colne.'
Cold Aston (Glostersh.). c. 955 chart. iEsctun — i.e., 'ash-tree
town.' Dom. Escetone. Cf. Caldicot.
Cold Coniston (Craven) . Dom. Congehestone, Coningeston ; 1202
Calde Cuningeston= Cold Kingston. Cf. Conisborouqh.
Cold Harbour (Boston, Grantham, Cambs, Glostrsh., Leith Hill).
' Cold shelter,' an ironic name, says Leo of Halle, in Ger. Kalte-
herburg. On harbour, which is lit. ' a place of shelter,' see Oxf.
Diet. Cf. c. 1485 Skelton, ' some say the devil's dead and
buried in Cold Harbour.'
Colesboubne (Cheltenham), c. 800 chart. Colesburna, c. 802 ib.
Collesburna — i.e., ' bum, brook of Colle ' or ' Cola,' a common
O.E. name. Cf. Coleby (Lines), and Coseley, also Dom.
Surrey Colesdone; Nfk. Colebei. Colbotjrn (Yorks) is in Dom.
Corbume by dissimilation. There is a brook Cole (Wilts).
CoLECOMBE (Sevenhampton) is fr. R. Coln.
CoLESHiLL (Swindon, Warwksh., and FHnt). Sw.C. Dom. Coles-
eUe, 1298 Coleshulle. War. C. 799 chart. Colles hyl, Dom. Coles-
hille. Fi. C. c. 1188 Gir. Camb. KoleshuU, but said also to be
COLLINGBOURNE DUCIS 210 COMBE
old Counsylht. ' Hill of Colle ' or ' Cola.' But both the Berks
and War. places are on a R. Cole, whose origin is hard to guess.
It will not be O.E. cawel, cawl, 4 col, ' cole, cabbage '; nor does
O.E. col, 'cool,' suit well phonetically; while col, 'charcoal/
does not seem likely. Cf. Coalbrookdale.
Collin GB0T7E,NE Ducis and Kingston (Marlborough), Dom.
Cohngeburne, 1298 Colyngborn. ' Bourne, bum, or brook of
Colling,' a name in Onom., where also are Collanus and Collinc.
It is a patronymic fr. Goll{a), a fairly common name. Cf.
Dom. Yorks CoUngaworde, now Cullingworth, and Coneyswick
(Wstrsh.), Dom. Colingwic. Ducis is L. for ' of the duke.'
Collin GHAM (Newark). Dom. Cohngeham, a. 1100 Colingham.
' Home of Colling.' See above and -ing.
CoLMWOBTH (St. Neot's). Dom. Colmeworde, -borde (6 for v).
'Farm of Colm.' Cf. Dom. Colmestan (Salop). In Scotland
Colm is short for Columba. Here it may be for Colman.
See -worth.
CoLN R.. (Glostrsh.) and Colne R. (Herts). Gl. C. [c. 740 chart.
Cunugl ae, 855 ib. Cunelga, 962 ib. Cungle] old Culna, Culne,
Colum; He. C. 985 chaH. Colen, 893 O.E. Chron. Colne. Prob.
pre-Keltic. A river would not be named fr. L. colonia, and W.
collen, ' hazel, hazel-wood,' is scarcely likely. In view of the
undoubted early forms of both rivers, confirmed by a Devon
R. Coin, found so early as 670 chart. Culum, it is all but certain
that the Cunugl forms must have been applied to the Glo'ster
river through some Saxon's error. Phonetically they are hard
to identify, and Cunugl is now represented by Knoyle. Coln
St. Aldwyn's, Fairford (Glostr.), corrupt chart, form, dated 681
Enneglan, prob. = Cuneglan, is fr. the hermit monk St. Ealdwine,
prob. he who d. 1085, and was founder of Malvern Priory.
Ealdwine was a favourite name with churchmen. See Onom.
Colne (St. Ives, Hunts, and Lanes). Hu. C. is sic in Dom., and
so prob. = above. La. C. is 1230 Calna, 1241 Close R. Kaun,
1251 Caime, 1327 Cohi, so must be=CALNE. C/. Dom. Nhants.
Calme.
CoLNEY Hatch and Heath (St. Albans). O.E. chart. ColenoE
i.e., ' isle on R. Colne, q.v. and -ey. Hatch means ' a wicket-
gate.' See Aldboeough Hatch.
CoLTON (Rugeley and 6 others). Dom. Coltune, -tone, and so later.
Dom. Yorks gives Coltune, Coletun, or Colletun 15 times. Un-
certain, but prob. O.E. col tun, ' charcoal (or coal) town.' Col-
wiCH (Rugeley), 1166 Calewich, a. 1300 Cole-, Colwych, is also
' coal- village.' Coal is O.E. col, 2-8 cole, 6- coal, but Oxf. Diet.
gives no cale, and it may be an error.
Combe (Coventry and Hungerford). Cov. C. old Cumb, Combe;
Hun. C. Dom. Comba. O.E. cu7nb, ' a bowl, a valley, a coomb.'
COMBEEBACH 211 COMPTON BEAUCHAMP
Of. W. cwm, ' hollow/ and Coomlees (Sc), also Dom. Wore,
' Comble/ or ' meadow, lea, in the valley/ Combrooke, also
in Warwk., is ' brook in the valley/ Combe Martin (N. Devon)
is fr. a Martin of Tours, who received lands here fr. Wm. Rufus.
We have a pi. form in Combs (Stockport and Stowmarket),
the latter 1235 Cambes.
Comberbach (Northwich), Combereord (Tamworth), and Comber-
mere (Nantwich). a. 1200 Cumbreford. 1135 Cumbermere, 1240
Cumbremer. One is tempted to derive Comber- fr. a Keltic root
meaning ' confluence,' as in Cumbernauld (Sc.) and in Quimper
or Kemper (Brittany). Cf. W. cymmer and G. comar with this
meaning. There is a ' Roger de Combre ' in Cheshire a. 1200,
and Comber- or Combre may be O.E. cumbra, gen. pi. of cumb,
' a valley ' — at least in some cases. But Comberton and
Comberworth almost force a derivation fr. Cumbra, a man's
name, lit. ' a Welshman.' The -bach is O.E. bcec, O.Fr. bache,
Nor.Fr. bake, M.E. bache {q.v. in Oxf. Diet.), 'the vale of a
stream,' same root as beck. Cf. Batchworth, Saptdbach, and
PoNTYCYMMER. Mere is Eng. and O.E. for ' lake.'
Comberton (Pershore and Cambridge). Pe. C. 972 chart. Cum-
brincgtune, Dom. Cumbri(n)tune, 1275 Cumbrintone. Ca. C.
Dom. Cumbertone, 1210 Cumbretone. ' Town of Cumbra,' or
' the Welshman,' or their descendants. Cf. Cumberworth and
1157 Pipe Cumbremara (Staffd.); and see above and -ing.
Comberworth (Lines) and Upper Cumberworth (Huddersfd.).
1236 Close B. Comberworth. Cf. Earle Chart. 447 Cumbran
weor3, Pershore. ' Farm of Cumbra,' or ' the Welshman.' Cf.
above and Cumberland.
Combwich (Bridgwater). Dom. Comich. O.E. cww6 mc, ' valley
dwelling or hamlet ' ; wic regularly becomes wich in later Eng.
Cf. Combridge (Uttoxeter), a. 1300 Combruge.
Compton (16 in P.G.). 804 chart. Cumbden, Kent (-den and -ton
interchange), 962 ib. Cumtun (Glostr.), 990 ib. Cumtune
(? which), c. 1020 Cumtune (Guildford or Petersfield ?), Dom.
Cun-, Contone (Warwk.), Contone (Wolvermpton.), Cantune (I. of
Wight); 1298 Cumpton (? which), a. 1400 Comptone (Wolver-
hampton). O.E. cumb tun, ' valley village.' Dom. has 32
manors, always with n — Contone. Cf. Combe.
Compton Beauchamp (Berks) is named fr. Guido de Bello Campo
(in Fr. Beau Champ), Earl of Warwick, and Alicia his wife, who
held lands here 1315-16. C. Scorpion (Shipston), Dom. Con-
tone parva, 1279 Compton Scorfen, which last, thinks Duignan,
may be * track, score over the fen,' but it is quite uncertain.
Scorpion, at any rate, is popular etymology. C. Winyates,
near by, is said to show an old form of ' vineyard.' It is a. 1300
C. Wyniate, Wyndyates, c. 1540 C. Vyneyatis. ^ .
CONBELIN 212 CONaRESBURY
CoNBEUN (Wales). Thought to preserve the name of the early
British Kling Cunohellinus.
CoNDATE (Northwich). Early forms, see Cound. Old Keltic =
' confluence/ fr. con, ' together/ and dJie, ' set/ Cf. Cond6,
(France), in O.E. Chron. Cundoth, and Kind St., mod. name of
the Roman road here. Also see Watson, Place-Names Ross,
s.v. Contin. The streams Dane and Croco join here. Cf. Con-
DOVER and Cunuffe. Congreve (Penkridge) is Dom. Come-
grave, a. 1300 Cune-, Cumgrave, where the Con- is uncertain,
but it may be fr. O.E. cumb, ' valley,' so often in Dom. as Con-
tune.
CoNDERTON (Tewkesbury) . 875 chart. Cantuaretun, 1327 Conterton.
Very interesting proof of a settlement of Kent men here ; for the
name in O.E. means ' Kent -dwellers' town,' as in Canterbury.
But E.. CoKDER (Lancaster), 1228 Gondouere, is, of course =
CoNDOVER. W. and H. absurdly suggest a derivation fr. Gunn-
hildr !
CoNDicoTE (Stow-on-Wold). Dom. Condi-, Connicote, 1169 Cumdi-
cote. Hybrid; cond. O.Kelt, for 'confluence,' see Condate,
and cf. Ft. Conde; and O.E. cot, ' cottage.' Baddeley prefers to
derive fr. a man. There is no Conda, and only one Cunda in
Onom.
CoNDOVER (Shrewsbury). Dom. Conodoure, 1228 Cunedour, 1234
Cunesdour, 1238 Cone-, Cundover. O.W. for ' the joining of
the streams.' See Condate and Dover. Candover is prob.
the same name; Conder E,. certainly is.
CoNEYSTHORPE (Malton). Dom. Coningestorp. 'King's village.'
O.N. honung-r, ' king,' an interesting corrup. See Coningsby
and -thorpe. But Coneybury and Coneybtjrrow Hill
(Wore.) and Conbygar (Gloster.) are fr. cony, M.E. for ' rabbit,'
while Coneys- or Conningswick (also in Wore.) is Dom. Coling-
wic, 1275 CoUingwike, ' abode of Colling,' or ' the sons of Coll.'
Cf. CoLLTNQHAM, and see -wick. Coneygar is for cony-garth. See
Oxf. Diet. s.v.
CoNGERSTONE (Athcrstoue) . ' Stone of Congar,' not in Duignan.
But cf. Dom. Norfk. Congrethorp', and Congresbtjry ; also see
-ton.
CoNGLETON (E. Cheshire). Dom. Cogeltone. One would expect
the jBrst half to be the name of a man, but there is none likely
in Onom. There is a Conall, son of Comgal, K. of Dabriada 563,
which names might suggest an origin ; but more old forms are
needed. Cf. Coln (Glostr.), 962 Cungle; also cogill, found
c. 1400, now dial, coggle, ' a water -worn or cobble-stone.'
Congresbury (Weston-super-Mare). Exon. Dom. Cungresberia,
O.E. chart. Congaresbyrig, which is ' burgh, town of St. Con-
garus,' who is buried here. The monastery of ' Cungresbyri '
CONINGSBY 213 COOKLET
was granted by K. Alfred to Asser. Little seems known about
the saint himself. In 1155 Pipe it is Cungresbi. See -by.
CoNiNQSBY (Boston). Dom. Cuningesbi, 1298 Cunynggesby.
' DweUing of the ELing.' O.N. konung-r, Dan. konge. See -by.
Cf. CoNNiNQSBTTRGH (Sc), CoNiNGTON (Cambs.), B.C.S. ill. 630
Cunningtun, Dom. Cunitone, 1210 Conintone, 1290 Conington,
1426 Conitone, Skeat thinks, may perh. be fr. a man, Cuna,
gen. Cunan. Cf. Connington (Hunts), 1236 Close R. Conninton,
Cunyton, and Cold Coniston. Conisbuegh (Rotherham),
1240 Close R. Cunigeburg, is clearly = Coningsby. See -burgh.
CoNisBOROUGH (Rotherham). Dom. Coningesburg, -bore, c. 1145
Geqffr. Monm. ' Kaerconan, now Cunungeburg,' 1202 Kuning-
bere. ' King's burgh.' See above and -burgh.
CoNisGLiFFE (Darlington), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. CingcescUfe, 1202
Cuniggesclive super Teisam. The name represented in the first
half is perh, doubtful. It may be Cynegyth or Cynesige (Kinsige) .
Prob. it is for King. Cf. Coningsby. On cliffe, see Clee.
CoNONLEY (Keighley). Dom. Cutnelai. Doubtful. Perh. corrup.
of Cutan leak, ' Cuta's meadow.' Cuta and Cutha are both in
Onom. See -ley.
CoNSETT (Co. Durham). 1183 Boldon Bk. Conekesheued. Inter-
esting corruption. Heued is M.E. for O.E, heafod, ' head, height,'
and this must be ' the height of ' some quite unknown man.
There is one Cynech in Onom!
CoNSTANTiNE (Padstow). Fr. Constantinus, King and martyr, a
convert of St. Petrock. He died 590.
Conway (N. Wales). Prob. c. ^%Q Ant. Itin. Conovio, and a. 700
Rav. Geogr. Canubio (the river), a. 1196 Gir. Camb. Cunewe,
Aberkonewe, -coneu; 1295 Aberconewey, still the proper name
of the town. The E,. in W. is Conwi, ' chief river,' fr. Keltic
con, ' together,' and gwy, ' river,' referring to the main stream,
being joined by tributaries. Conway (Sc.) is not the same
word. ,
CooKHAM (Maidenhead), a. 971 will Coccham, Dom. Cocheham,
1238 Cokh', 1241 Cocham, also Cucham. The chief evidence
points to O.E. coc-ham, 'cook's home'; but Cocham and the
like point to O.E. cocc, ' a cock,' ' cock's home.' Cookridge
(Yorks) is Dom. Cucheric, ? ' cook's ' or ' cock's.' Cook Hill
(Inkberrow) is a. 1300 Cochulle, and Cooksey (Bromsgrove) is
Dom. Cochesei, a. 1300 Cokesey. The present phonetic evidence
is all in favour of cook. Cf. Cuxham.
CooKLEY (Eadderminster). 964 cAar^ Culnan clif, 1066 Cullecliffe,
1275 ColecHf . The charter name must be ' Culna's cliff.' The
corrup. to -ley, ' meadow,' is rare. We have it the other way
round in Trottersoliffe.
COOLING 214 COEFE
CooLESTG (Rochester). 805 c^orit. Cinges Culand, or 'King's Cow-
land/ but in other charters it is 774 Colling, 778 Oulinga, and
805 Culingas, as if a patronymic. The name has got mixed.
There are two named Coling and two named Culling in Onom.
This latter personal name still exists. Cf. Cowling.
CoPDOGK (Ipswich) . Gf. 900 in Thorpe Diplom. 145 On Sa coppedan
ac. Copdock is ' copped' — i.e., pollarded ' oak ' — O.E. ac, very
rarely found now as ock. Oxf. Diet, gives only 3-5 oJc. It also
gives only O.E. quots. for this sense of copped, which is fr. cop sb.,
O.E. cop, copp, ' head, top.' But Dam. Surrey has a Copedorne,
which is 1160-01 Pipe Coppedethorn. Cf. Copythobne and the
surname Braddock.
CoPMANTHOBPE (York). Dom. Copemantorp. 'Village of Cop-
man,' N. for 'Chapman, merchant.' One in Onom. Cf. 1242
' Close R. Copmaneford, now Coppingford (Hunts). See -thorpe.
CoPPENHALL (Stafford and W. Cheshire). Dom. both Copehale, and
later Copen-, Coppenhale. ' Nook of Coppa ' or ' Copa,' the
mod. name Cope. Cf. Copgrove (Yorks), Dom. Copegrave ; and
CoPNOE, (Portsmouth), Dom. Copenore, O.E. Copanora, ' Copa's
bank.' See -haU and -or.
CopPLESTONE (Devon). Cf. Dom. Sffk. Copletuna. Prob. ' Town '
or ' stone of Cuthbeald,' common in Onom. ; cf. the surname
Cupples. See -ton.
CoPYTHORNE (Southampton). Not in Dom., but cf. K.C.D. v. 240,
To San coppedan fome ; also Dom. Surrey Copedorne and
Copededorne, 1160-61 Pipe Coppedethorn, ' the pollarded thorn-
tree.' See Copdock. But if this name be late, it will be fr. O.Fr.
cop-, coupp-, colpeiz, ' a blow, a stroke, a copse ' ; in 5-6 copie,
copy ; but in mod. Eng. coppice, ' a wood or thicket of small
trees or underwood.' The earUest quot. in Oxf. Diet, is 1538,
but copy is found in 1486 in Nottingham Rec. iii. 254.
Coquet R. (Northumbld.). c. 800 Hist. St. Cuthb. Cocwuda, a. 1130
Sim. Dur. Coqued. Cf. c. 1250 Matt. Paris Koket insula.
Cocc-wvda is O.E. fr. ' cock's wood.'
CoBBRiDGE (Hexham), c. 380 Ant. Itin. Corstopitum, a. 1130
Sim. Dur. Corebricge, 1150 Corbrig, 1157 Corebrigge. Corstopit-
-um is prob. G. corr stobaeh, ' hill -spur full of stumps ' {stob),
with Brythonic p for b, and t common scribal error for c, G.
corr is lit. ' a snout, a bill, a horn ' ; W. cor is ' a circle, a crib.'
Corby (Carhsle, Grantham, Kettering). Car. C. 1120 Chorkeby,
1222 Korkebi— i.e., ' dwelHng by the oat-field.' N. korki. Cf.
CoRKicKLE. But Gr. C. is Dom. Corbi, and Ke. C. Carbi,
' dwelling of Cor ' or ' Car.' One in Onom. See -by.
CoRFB (Taunton) and Coree Castle (Wareham). Corfe c. 1180
Ben. Peterb. Chorf. C. Castle, 975 E.O. Chron. Corfes Geat (gate),
c. 1160 Gest. Steph. Corfli castellum, 1234 Corf, 1393 Letter
COEKICKLE 215 CORWEN
Notre Chastelle de Corf. Prob. ' a cutting ' in the Purbeck
hills, in which the castle stands, fr. O.E. ceorfan^ ' to cut/
Of. Dom. Corf an (Salop), 1160 Pipe Corfha, and Gorton.
CoBKiOKLE (Whitehaven). Prob. N. korki-keld, 'oat-field well.'
Of. Cockley Beck, also Cumbld. old Korkahth, O.N. Uith, ' a
hill-slope/ and Corby. But there is a Keekle beck near White-
haven, and this raises uncertainty.
CoRLEY (Coventry and Salop). Cov. C. Dom. ComeUe, 1327 Corn-
leye, a. 1400 Corley. Sal. C. Dom. and later Cornhe. ' Corn-
growing meadow.' See -ley. We have a reverse change in
Cornbrough (E. Riding), Dom. Corlebroc, a form of somewhat
doubtful meaning.
CoBNHiLL (London, Sunderland, on Tweed). Lo. C. 1160-61 Pi'pe
CornheUe, 1167-68 ih. Cornhille, 1234 Close R. Cornhull, where
all the endings = ' hill.' But Su. C. is 1183 CornehaU, 1322 Corn-
hale = -hall, q.v.
Cornwall. 1047 O.E. Chron. Comwalon (inflected), Dom. Com-
valge, c. 1110 Orderic Comu Britanniae, id est Cornwallia, 1189
Cornubia, c. 1205 Layam. Cornwaile, -wale. Cf. Cornouaille
{Bom. Rose Cornewaile), Brittany. Earle says, ' Place of the
Walas or strangers of Kernyw.' Cf. Wales. Others derive fr.
O.Fr. corn, L. comu, ' a horn,' fr. the shape of Cornwall.
CoRNWOOD (Ivybridge). Local pron. Kemood. Dom. Cornehude.
Looks like O.E. corn wudu, ' corn wood '; but wherefore such a
name ? No Corn or the Hke in Onom. Cf. Corn worthy, ' corn
farm ' (Totnes), and Corndean (Winchcombe), 1189 Corndene.
But, because of a Come and a Cornbrook, also in Glostrsh.,
Baddeley thinks Corn must be an old stream name, and says cf,
Abercorn. But that Sc. name is in Bede ^bbercurnig.
CoRRiNGHAM (Stanford-le-Hope and Gainsboro'). St. C. Dom,.
Coringe-, 1242 Curingeham. Ga. C. Dom. Currincham. Patro-
nymic. ' Home of the sons of "" some unrecorded Cur a or Cora.
There is one Cyra in Onom. See -ing.
Corse Lawn (Tewkesbury). 1179 Cors. W. cors, 'a fen,' and
llan, 'enclosure, then church.' Cf. Carse (Sc). There seems
no authority for Duignan's assertion that corse is a M.E. form of
causey.
Corsley (Frome) and Corston (Bristol). 941 chart. Corsantune,
Dom. Corstune, ' mead ' and ' village of Corsa. See -ley.
CoRTON Denham (Sherborne). Dom. Corfetone, 1235 Close B.
Corfton and Cortun. See Corfe. Denham is ' home in the
dean ' or ' (wooded) vale.'
CoRWEN (E. Merioneth). Possibly W. cor faen, 'circle of stone/
or, as T. Morgan says, ' stone in a circle.' But, as hkely, W. cor
gwen, ' white, beautiful circle,' or ' choir,' or ' church.' Cf.
COSELEY 216 COTTESBROOKE
Bangor. There is a ' Corf an ' in Salop Dom., but this must be
the Corf ham of 1160 Pipe Salop.
CosELEY (Bilston). 14th to 17th cny. Colse-, Couls-, Colsley, later
Cossley. Prob. ' meadow of Col ' or ' Cola.' Cf. Colesboubne,
and see -ley.
Cosgeove (Stony Stratford) . 1238 Close R. Couesgrave, ' grave/
O.E. grcBJ, ' of Cuja.' Cf. Coveney. The endings -grave and
-grove often interchange. But Cosby (Leicester), Cosford
(Rugby), and Cosham (Hants), 1241 Cosseby, a. 1200 Cosseford,
and Dom. Cose-, Cosseham, are fr. an unrecorded man, Cosa or
Cosse. See -ham.
CosHESTON (Pembroke). 1603 Owen Costeinston. 'Town of Con-
stantine.' K. Constantine is 926 O.E. Chron. Cosstantin.
CossrNGTON (Bridgwater). 1237 Close R. Cusinton. 'Village of
Cusa,' gen. -an. 3 in Onom. Cf. Cosby. See -ing.
CoTHERiDGE (Worcester). 963 c^arf.. Coddan hrycce, hrycge, Dom.
Codrie, a. 1300 Coderugge. 'Ridge,' O.E. hrycge, hrycce, 'of
Codda ' or ' Coda.' One each in Onom. In same shire is
OoTTERLDGB, 1275 Coderugge.
CoTHERSTONE (DarUngtou). a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Cuthbertestun. ' St.
Cuthbert's town,'' an interesting corrup. The great Cudberct or
Cuthbert of Mekose flourished c. 700. Cf. a. 1110 ' Cotherstoke '
(Oundle). But Cotherston (N. Yorks) is Dom. Codrestune, -ton,
' town of Codra.' Cf. B.C.S. 1282 Codranford.
CoTON (Cambridge, 2 Warwk., StafEs, Shrewsbury). Cam. C. 1211
and 1291 Cotes, 1272 Cotun, 1296 Coton. War, C. Dom. and
1287 Cotes, 1327 Cottone. Staf. C. Dom. Cote. Skeat thinks
prob. O.E. cotum, dat. pi. of cot, ' cottage.' But coton, -un, are
regular, and cotes irregular nom. plurals. Cf. Cotton and
Cotham, Notts, Dom. Cotun, Cotes.
COTSWOLD Hills. 780 chart. Monte quem nominant in colse mons
Hwicciorum, c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Montana de Codesuualt, 1231
Coteswold, 1300 Rolls Parlmt. Coteswalde, a. 1500 Cottasowlde,
a. 1553 Udall Cotssold. The present spelling may be, as Oxf.
Diet, thinks, popular etymology ; but the name prob. is ' Code's,
Cota's, or Cotta's wood.' All 3 names are in Onom. O.E. wald,
weald, ' a wood,' is the origin of both weald and wold. Cf. next
and CuTSDEAN, a yet older name.
CoTTERED (Buntingford). Dom. Chodi'ei, 1236 Close R. Codreye,
Coudr'. ' River, stream, brook of Coda,' O.E. rith, ' stream.'
Cf. Rye, Rydb, Childrey, and Cotgrave, Notts, Dom. Godegrave.
CoTTESBROOKE (Northampton). ' CoUa's or Cota's brook.' Cf.
above, ' Coteshala,' and ' Coteslai ' (Bucks) in Dom., and Cot-
TENHAM (Cambridge), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Cotenham, 1283
Cotenhame. This last might mean 'cottar's home.' Dom. Yorks
Cotesmore is now Kedmoor, so t here will be error for c, ' moor
of Coca.'
COTTINGHAM 217 COVENTRY
CoTTiNGHAM (Hull). Prob. O.E. Chron. and Sim. Dur. re ann. 800,
Cettingaham, Dom. Cotingeham, 1135 O.E. Chron. Cotingham.
Patronymic. ' Home of the descendants of Cotta or Cota.' Cf.
above, next, and also Cottingham (Market Harborough) and
Cottingley (Bingley). Cottingwith (E. Riding) is Dom. Cote-
wid, ' Cota's wood.'
Cotton (Chesh., Derby, and Stowmarket). Ch. C. Dom. Cotintone,
St. 0. 1479 Colton (a mistake), a. 1490 Cotton. Some perh.
O.E. coton, loc. plur. of cot, cota, ' a cot, a cottage.' But
Dom.'s form is ' Cota's town.' See above, and cf. Cotok.
Dom. Yorks has Cottun 5 times, representing Cottam, Crosby
Cote, etc.
CouGHTON (Alcester and Ross, Hereford). Al. C. Dom. Coctune,
a. 1200 Cocton. Either fr. a man Cocca or Coche, see Cock-
field, or fr. O.E. cocc, coc, ' a cock.' See Cockley. For oc
becoming ough, cf. Broughton, 1128 Broctuna.
CouND (Shrewsbury). Dom. Cundet, 1240 Close B. Cunitte. ' Con-
fluence,' See CoNDATE and next.
CouNDON (Bp.. Auckland and Coventry). Bp. A. C. 1183 Condona,
Coundon. Cov. C. Dom. Condone, Condelme, 1257 Cundulme,
1327 Cundholme. Cond or cound is O.Kelt, for ' confluence
of two streams.' Cf. Cond ate, Condover, and Cound. The
-don is ' hill,' whilst -elme, -ulme, etc., represent O.E. holm,
' meadow by a river.' Cf. the early forms of Durham.
Courage (Berks). O.E. chart. Cusan ricge, hricge, ' Cusa's ridge ';
Dom. Coserige; 1147 Cuserugia; 1316 Coserugge; 1428 Currygge.
The mod. form is ' a daring respelling after the Norman manner '
(Skeat). It should properly be Curridge.
Courteenhall (Nhampton.). Dom. Cortenhale, -halo; 1235 Close
B. Corten-, Curtenhal. ' Nook, corner of Curda,' the only
name in Onom., and it but once. See -hall. The abnormal
-een- seems a pure freak. Cf. 932 chart. Cyrdan heal (Meon,
Hants) .
Coveney (Ely). Chart. Coveneye, -neie, Coueneia. Skeat is sure
this is ' Isle of Cufa,' gen. Cufan. Cf. Dom. Surrey, Covenha.
Only Coven (Wolverhampton) is Dom. Cove, a. 1200 Covene,
which must be O.E. cofa, gen. cofan, 'a cove, cave, repository.'
See -ey.
CovENT Garden (London). ,The convent garden belonging from
c. 1220 to the abbots of Westminster. Convent is always spelt
covent a. 1550.
Coventry, c. 1043 chart. Cousentree, 1053 O.E. Chron. Cofantreo,
1066 ib. Couentre, Dom. Couentreu, Sim. Dur. ann. 1057
Covantreo, a. 1142 Wm. Malmes. Coventreia. Cofan treo {w) is
O.E. for ' tree by the cove, cave, or chamber,' or else ' tree of
15
COVEEDALE 218 COXLEY
Cofa,' Cf. CovENEY and Covenham (Louth). The word con-
vent, M.E. cement, is impossible here. It is not found in Eng.
a. 1225.
CovERDALB (Yorks). Sic 1202. Cf. 1203 ' Couerlee ' or Coverley.
Cover- here is difficult. The Eng. cover is fr. O.Fr., and the
word is not found in Eng. tiU c. 1275; whilst in the sense of
' covert or shelter for hunted animals ' it is not found till 1719.
There is a W. cyfair, a land measure, two-thirds of an acre,
found in Eng. in 1709 as cover. Possibly Cover- represents
some unidentified personal name, as in Covebham (N. Yorks),
Dom. Covreha'.
CowBEECH (Hailsham, Sussex). Not in Dom. This seems the
same name as Cowbach, now called Clatterbach, near Clent
(Wore), where St. Kenelm^s chapel was. ? a. 1200 Cu-bache,
c. 1305 Coubache, 1494 Cowbacch. See Oxf. Diet., s.v. bache,
which means ' the vale of a stream or rivulet.' Cf. Batchwobth
and CoMBERBACH. With the first syU. cf. Cowick (O.E. wic,
' dwelling, house '), Snaith (Yorks), 1241 Cuwic.
CowBRiDGE (Glam.). Eng. translation of W. Pontyfon, where /ow
is by assimilation for mon, O.W. for ' cow.' Said to have been
called after a cow whose horns stuck in the arch of the bridge
here so firmly that it had to be shot on the spot. It is 1645
Pontyfuwch, with the same meaning. So far T. Morgan. But
there is also a Cowbridge (Boston), c. 1280 Cubrygge, which may
be the origin of the W. place, as the same family of WiUiams,
alias Cromwell, held lands in both places in 16th cny. See
Thompson, Hist. Boston, 616. But Cowthorp (S. Yorks) is
Dom. Coletorp, ' village of Cola,' and similarly Cowsdown
(Upton Snodbury) is c. 1108 Colleduna, 1275 Coulesdon.
CowES (I. of W.). Dates only fr. 1540. It must be a pi. form of
cove, O.E. cofa, coua, ' an inner chamber,' only found with the
meaning ' cove, inlet,' after 1590. The form cowe is called Sc,
and the meaning, ' cave, den,' Sc. and North. The name then
is ' inlets.'
CowLAM (Driffield). Dom. 4 times Colnun, once Coletun. Colnun
is prob. an O.E. loc. ' at the tops or summits.' Cf. O.N. koll-r,
' top, summit,' and Howsham, a loc. too.
Cowley (Gnosall and W. Drayton). Gno. C. Dom. Covelau, a.
1200 Coule. W. Dr. C. Dom. Couelei, 'cow-meadow,' O.E.
cuu, cu, a. 1300 cou. See -ley.
Cowling (SMpton and Suffolk). Skip. C. Dom. Collinghe, 1202
Collinge. Suf. C. 1459 Cowlynge. Patronymic, like Cooling,
' place of the sons of Cola or GoU.' See -ing.
CoxLEY (Wells). Not in Dom. 1231 Cockesleg. 'Meadow of
Cocca,' in Onom., or else ' cock's meadow.' See Cockley, and
cf. Dom. Chesh. Cocheshalle. See -ley.
CRACKENTHORPE 219 CRAVEN
Crackenthorpe (Westrald.) . Old Kreiginthorpe. ' Village of ' ?
There is no name in Onom. like Greaga, but in Lib. Vit. Dunelm.
there is a Craca, gen. -can; also cf. Crayford. See -thorpe.
Cracow or -oe Hill (Craven). 1202 Craho. 'Crow how' or
'mound.' O.E. cmt^e, 'acrow.' C/. Crowthorne, and see -how.
Craddock (Cullompton). Not in Dom. Corruption of Caradoc.
Cf. Cramond (Sc).
Cradley (Stourbridge and Heref dsh.) and Cradley Heath (Staffs)
St. C. Dom. Cradeleie, a. 1200 Crad(e)lega, 1275 Cradeley. He. C.
Dom. Credleia. ' Meadow of Crada ' or ' Creda,' or ' Creoda.'
The two latter only in Onom. See -ley.
Crakehall (Bedale). Dom. Crachele. Prob. 'nook of Craca.'
One such is named in Liber Vitce Dunelm. See -haU (-ele is for
-hele or -hale). Dom. also has a Crachetorp in E. Riding, whilst
Dom. Crecala is said to be Crakehill in Topcliffe.
Cramlington (Northumbld.). c. 1141 Cranlintune. Doubtful.
Perh. O.E. cran-hlinn-tun — i.e., ' village by the torrent or Hnn
frequented by cranes.' Cf. Linton.
Cranage (Congleton). Prob. for an O.E. cranawic, 'crane's
dwelling.' Cf. Swanage, O.E. Swanawic. There is a Crans-
wick (Driffield), Dom. Cranzvic {z= ts), and a. 1241 Close B.
Crendon (Bucks).
Cranborne (Salisbury), 1241 Craneburn, and Cranbourne (V7ind-
sor). Sic 1485. ' Crane's (or heron's) bum or brook.' See
above and Bourne. The crane, now extinct, was once abun-
dant in Britain.
Cranbrook (Kent). It was a haunt of cranes. Cranbrook Castle
(Dartmoor) is said to be corrup. of Cranburh, fr. O.E. burh, burg,
' fort, castle, burgh.' Cf. Cranebrook (Lichfield), 1300 Crone
brouke, Dom. Norfk. Cranaworda, and Cranham (Pains wick),
1190 Pipe Cronham.
Crank (St. Helen's), Crank Hill (Wednesbury), Crank Wood
(Derby). See Oxf. Diet, crank 56^, ' a crook, bend, winding, a
crooked path or channel.' Not found in Eng. till 1552. Duig-
nan identifies this with a number of obscure names in Cronk,
several Cronk Hills in Salop, etc. But crank is never spelt with
in Eng., and Cronk is prob. a nasalized form of crook sb, O.N.
hrok-r. See Oxf. Diet., s.v. 6 and 11.
Cransley (Kettering). 956 cAar^ Cranslea. See Cranbrook.
Crantock (Newquay). Fr. St. Carantocus, a Welsh saint who
lived c. 450, and who also crossed to Ireland. Cf. Cradock.
Craswall (Heref d.). 1237 Cressewell= Cresswell.
Craven (Yorks) and Craven Arms (Salop). Yor. C. Dom. Crave-
scire (shire). 1202 Cravene. O.N. kra fen, ' nook in the fen.*
CRAWLEY 220 ORESSWELL
Fen is also O.E. fen, and is found fr. 2-4 as ven or venn{e). The
name must therefore indicate a dry spot in the midst of marshes.
Crawley (Winchester). All names in Craw- are fr. O.E. crawe, ' a
crow.' Cf. Dom. Leicr.^ Crawsho.
Crawtston (Brecon). Perh., says Anwyl, the name of the Keltic
goddess of storage.
Crayford (W. Kent). Chart. Creganford, Creacan-, Creagan-ford.
' Ford of Creaga,' a name not found in Onorfi. Still, as Oxf. Diet.
says, this name has nothing to do with creek, and still less with
crayfish ! Craycomb (Fladbury), however, is 1275 Craucombe,
Crowecombe, fr. O.E. crawe, ' a crow.' See -combe.
Crayke (Easingwold). Dom. Creic, 1197 Rolls Crech; 1236 Creek,
Crek. See Creech. However, this, instead of being W. crug,
' stack, heap,' may be G. crioch, gen. criche, ' boundary, frontier,
landmark.' Only, if so, it is very rare to find a Gaelic name
so far south. Dom. Norfk., Kreic, must be the same.
Crediton. 905 in Eadmer Ecclesia Cridiensis; c. 1097 Flor. Wore.
Cridiatunensis ; c. 1540 Leland Crideton. Also found as Kyrton.
' Town on R. Creedy ' — 739 chart. Cridia, Dom. Oidic, Credie,
by some said to be fr. Crida or Creoda, grandfather of Penda,
K. of Mercia, or fr. Crioda, Creoda, first K. of Mercia, d. 593.
But it is rare to find a river called after a man. Cf. CredenhiU
(Hereford) and Dom. Bucks, Credendone, plainly fr. a man
Creda. The river name may be connected with W. cryd, O.W.
crit, ' to shake.'
Creech (Wareham), a. 1130 cJiart. Crucha; also Creech Hill
(Somst) . 702 chart. Crich hulle. O.W. cruc, W. crug, G. cruach,
'a stack, heap, pile.' Cf. Crich, Crickhowell, Cricexade.
Thus Creech Hill is a tautology. Dom. Somst. has Crice, CJruce,
and often Cruche ; in Norf k., Kreic, Kxeich.
Creech Michael (Somerset) . Chart, of 682, ' The hill which is
called in British speech Cructan, but by us (English) Crycbeorh.'
Cructan is ' heap, pile, hill on the R. Tone,' while Crycbeorh is
' Stack-burgh.' 1167-68 Pipe, Norf k., has a Crichetot ( = toft) .
Cf. EVERCREECH.
Creighton (Uttoxeter). 1241 Cratton, so perh. O.E. crcet, crat tun,
' cart enclosure ' or ' village.' More old forms needed.
Cressage (Much Wenlock). Dom. Cristesache, 1540 Cressege.
Not 'crest ' (only found in Eng. fr. 1325), but ' Christ's edge ' or
border,' O.E. ecg, 1205 agge. It is at the foot of Wenlock Edge.
Cf. 1494 Fahyan, ' in the egge of Walys.'
Crbsswell (Norbld., Stafford, and Mansfield). Nor. C. 1235
Kereswell. Sta. Q. Dom. Cressvale, a. 1300 Cresswalle. This
ending is certainly 'well' or 'spring,' O.E. wella, often in
M.E. wale ; and Cress- is O.E. cerse, ' watercress.' Cf. Dom.
Bucks, Cresselai, ' cress-meadow,' and Craswall.
CEEWE 221 CROCKERTON
Crewe. Dom. Crev, Creuhalle (Crewe Hall). O.W. creu, crau,
Mod. W. crewyn, Com. crow, ' a pen, sty, hovel.'
Cbewkerne (Yeovil). Not in Dom.; perh. 1160-61 Pipe, Devon
Creueq'r. O.E. cruc-erne, ' cross-house,' house with the cross.
Pipes form may refer to the Fr . family of Crevecceur, often referred
to in England. Cf. Crevequer, c. 1330 chart, Kent and Lines.
Criccieth (Portmadoc) . Prob. W. crug caeih, 'narrow hill.' Gj. next.
Crioh (Matlock Bath) , Dom. Crice, and Crick (Rugby and Chep-
stow) . Ru. C. Dom. Crec. W. crug, ' a heap, stack, mound, hill.'
Cf. Creech and Crickhowell and Pbnkridge. Duignan
would derive this group of words fr. G. and Ir. crioch, gen. criche,
' boundary, Umit, frontier/ as in the Sc. Creich. But this is
not found in W., and the evidence given under Creech Michael
and Crickhowell seems practically conclusive; though cf.
Crayke. There are a Crickapit and a Crickley in Cornwall.
Crickhowell (Abergavenny), c. 1188 Gir. Gamb. Cruco-hel. In
W. Crughywel, ' Conspicuous hill,' fr. O.W. cruc, W. crug, ' a
heap, a stack,' and hywel, ' conspicuous.' Hewell Grange
(Warwick) always found sic, may be the same word. Baddeley
thinks Crickley (Birdlip), old Cruklea, contains O.W. cruc.
Cricklade (Wilts). 905 O.E. Chron. Crecca-gelade, Cricgelad;
c. 1097 Flor. Wore. Criccielad; c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Crikelade,
Cricalade; c. 1160 Gest. Steph. Crichelada. Gelad is O.E. for
' passage,' same root as lead and lode; but the first half is doubt-
ful. The Eng. creeJc is not found till c. 1250 crike, and Oxf.
Diet, does not favour it here. M'Clure conjectures W. craig,
' a rock,' or crv^c, ' a mound ' ; the latter is quite possible. Cf.
Creech and next. There is a Craca, but no nearer man's name,
in Onom. 1160-61 Pipe, Surrey, has a Crichefeld.
Cricklas (Caermarthen). c. 1188 Gir. Gamb. Cruclas. O.W. cruc
glas (Mod. W. crug), ' bluish or greenish mound or stack.' Cf.
Creech.
Cricklewood (Middlesex). 1525 Crekyll Woddes, 1553 Crekle
Woods. Doubtful; older forms needed. Prob. fr. a man
Grecel, otherwise unknown. Gf. 1241 Close R. KJrikeleston.
Crocken Hill and Crockham TTttt. (Kent). Prob. ' pot-shaped '
hill, fr. W. crochan, O.Ir. crocan, G. crogan, O.E. crocca, -an, ' a
crock, a pot, an earthenware dish.' Cf. a. 1000 ' Crocford ' in
K.C.D., V. 17. The -ham may be a quite late corrup. ; old forms
needed. JDow. has only Croctune.
Crockern Torr (Dartmoor), c. 1630 Crocken Torr. See Crocken
Hill. Torr is a ' tower-like rock or hill,' W. tor, Corn, twr, tor.
Crockerton (Warminster). Not in Dom. ' Town of the potter ';
Crocker is first found c. 1315 in Shoreham. Gf. ' Crokerbec,'
Egremont, Cumberland.
CKOCKFORD WATER 222 CROPREDY
Crockford Water (Lymington). a. 1000 chart. Crocford, ?thi8
one. Prob. hybrid. W. crug, O.W. cruc, 'a tumulus, a low
hill'; cf. Cruckbarrow Hill (Worcester), 1275 Cruckberew,
Crokeborow, a double tautology. See Barrow. It can hardly
be fr. crook, O.N. kroJc-r, as in Le Croc du Hurte, Channel Is.
Cromer (Norfolk). Not in Dom. 1351 Crowemere. 'Crow(O.E.
crawa) mere ' or ' lake.' Cf. Bomer Pool (near Shrewsbury) —
i.e., ' bull lake,' and Cranmer.
Cromford (Derby), Dom. Crunforde (m and n easily interchange),
andCROMHALL(Glouc.). Dom. Cromhal. O.E.crom6,crwm6,'bent,
crooked, curved,' cognate with W. crwm, cram, G. and Ir. crom,
O.G. cromb, with same meaning. Cf. Croome d'Abitot, Pershore,
972 Cromb, 1275 Crombe Dabitoth, ' Crook of the D'Abitots,'
found in Dam., who took their name fr. St. Jean d'Abbetot, E.
of Havre. Earl's Croome, near by, is 969 Cromban, Cromman,
Dom. Crumbe. There is also a Crambe (Yorks), Dom. Crambom,
-bon, which prob. is a loc. for ' at the crooks,' fr. an unrecorded
O.E. cramb, cromb, now represented by crome, cromb, 'hook,
crook,' first found a. 1400.
Cromwell (Newark) and Cromwellbo'ttom (Yorks). Ne. C. Dom.
CrunweU, 1223 CrumbweU, 1298 CromweUe, c. 1340 Crumwell.
Prob. ' curved or crooked well,' or ' brook,' as in Cromford ; but
Crum may be a man's name ; it is so now. Cf. . Cromhall
(Charfield), Dom. Cromale, -hal, and 1179-80 Fi'pc Yorks, Crum-
wurda. Bottom is O.E. botm, ' the lowest part of anything,'
found fr. c. 1325, meaning ' low-lying land, an alluvial hollow/
Cf. Ramsbottom, etc.
CRONDALL(Farnham). Dom. Crundele, 1242Crundel. SeeCRUNDALE.
Cronton (Prescot). Cf. Dom. Bucks, Cronstone, ' Village of Cron,'
a name not in Onom. Cronware (Pembroke) is 1603 Owen
Cromewere, and in c. 1130 Lib. Land. Lann cronnguem, perh. W.
llan crwm gwern, ' church on the crooked moor.'
Crookham (Berks, Hants, and Northumberland). Berks C. O.E.
chart. Croh-hamme; Dom. Crocheham; a. 1300 Crokham.
' Saffron enclosure '; croh being the O.E. form of the L. crocus,
whilst the ending here is hamme, and not the commoner ham,
' home.' Cf. Crowle. But Crooks House (Yorks) is Dom.
Croches, which will be O.N. Jcrok-r, ' a crook, a bend,' with Eng.
plur. The ending -hes has afterwards got turned into -house.
Croome (three on Severn near Pershore). 969 chart. Cromman,
Croman, Cromban, all datives, 972 ib. Cromb, 1038 ib. Hylcrom-
ban (now Hill Croome), Dom. and 1241 Crumbe, Hilcrumbe.
O.E. cromba, ' a crook, a bend,' cognate with O.G. crumbadh, as
in Ajstgrum (Sc.) and W. crwm, crom, ' crooked.'
Cropredy (Oxon). Dom. Cropelie, 1109 Cropperia, ? 1275 Cro-
prithi, 1291 Cropperye, 1330 Cropperdy, 1405 Croprydy, 1460
CEOPTHORNE 223 CROXBT
Cropredy. Prob. ' Croppa's stream/ O.E. rith, as in Rye and
Ryde ; but on Crop- cf. next.
Cropthorne (Pershore). 780 Croppon-, Croppethorne, 841Crop-
panthonij Dom. Cropetom. Crop sb. is found as meaning ' the
head or top of a tree/ a. 1300. But the early charter forms show
that Croppa must be a man. Cf. next. Cropwell (Notts) Dom.
Crophelle, -bille, is fr. N. kropp-r, ' a hump or bunch, a hump-
shaped hill.'
Cropton (Pickering). Dom. Croptun. so also in Dom. Suffolk.
' Village of Croppa.' • See above.
Crosby (5 in P.G.). Dom. Crosebi (Cheshire), 1189 Pipe Grossebi
(Cumberland) . Doin. Yorks has Crox(e)bi, Crocsbi, and Croches-
bi, representing more than one Crosby. ' Dwelling by the cross,'
O.E. cros, 3-4 croiz, 4-7 croce ; or, at any rate in Yorks, ' dwelling
of Croc{cy, a fairly common name. Cf. Croxby; and see -by.
Crostwight (Norfolk). Dom. Crostueit, c. 1460 Crostweyt. ' Cross-
place ' or ' farm with the cross.' This name gives a rare corrup.
of -thwaite. Cf. Crosthwaite (Kendal), 1201 Crostweit; and
see -thwaite, which is very rarely found except in the North-West.
Crouch End and Htt.t. (London). O.E. cruc, 2-3 cruche, 3-5
crouch{e), 'a cross.' R. Crouch, Essex, may not be the same.
Croughton (Brackley) . Not in Dom. Curiously, this means much
the same as Crostwight, ' cross town '; O.E. cruc, M.E. cruche,
croucTie, ' a cross.'
Crowborough (Leek and Tunbridge W.). Neither in Demi. Lee
C. a. 1300 Crowbarwe. Prob. ' crow's wood,' O.E. crawe, and
beam, dat. harwe. Cf. -borough.
Crowland or Croyland (Peterborough). 806 chart. Croylandie;
Sim. Dur. arm. 1075 Crulant; c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Cnilande, 1238
Croilland. Doubtful; the first syll. may be O.E. croh, ' safiron.'
Cf. Crowle.
Crowle (Worcester and Doncaster). Wore. C. 836 chart. Croglea,
840 ib. Crohlea, Dom. Croelai, Crohlea, 1275 Crowele, O.E. croh-
ledh, ' safEron meadow.' Crowley is, of course, the same name.
Duignan prefers the meaning ' crocus meadow/ and compares a
' Richard de CroccusweU ' found in 1332. O.E. croh is just L.
crocus in an Eng. dress. Cf. Crookham and Croydon.
Crowthorn (Berks). Cf. K.C.D., iv. 103, 'Crawan thorn,' Hants.
' Crow's thorn,' thorn-tree frequented by crows, and used as a
boundarj'- mark. Cf., too, Crowmarsh, Wallingford, Dom.
Cravmares (O.E. mersc, merisc, but here rather O.Fr. mareis,
-ais, ' a marsh '), 1242 Crawmers.
Croxby (Lincoln), c. 1180 Ben. Peterb. Croxebi. ' Crocc's dwell-
ing'; two so named in Onom. Cf. Croxall (Lichfield), 773
chart. Crokeshalle, Dom. Crocheshalle, and Crosby.
CKOXTON 224 CUCKAMSLEY
Cboxton (4 in P.G.). Eccleshall C. Dom. Crochestone, Chesh. C.
Dom. Crostone, Cam. C. Dom. Crochestone, 1302 Croxtone,
Thetford C. chart. Crochestune, 1240 Croxton, 1303 Crokeston>
c. 1460 Croxeston. Also 1179-80 Pipe Lanes, Crokeston. ' Vil-
lage, town of Croc,' a man; 3 in Onom. Cf. above.
Croydon (London). 809 Monasterium quod dicitur Crogedena;
Dom. Croindene, 1288 Contin. Gervase Croyndona. It lies on
the edge of the chalk, and so is often said to mean ' chalk hill ' ;
cf. Oxf. Diet. s.v. Cray and crayer. Yet form 809 must mean
' dean,' (wooded) vaUey of the' safEron,' O.E. croh. Cf. Crowle.
But Croydon (Royston) is Dom. Crauuedene 1238 Craweden,
1316 Croudene, 1428 Craudene, 'Dean, wooded vale of the
crow,' O.E. crawe.
Crudgington (Wellington, Salop). Dom. Crugetune. Prob.
' town, village of Cruga,' gen. -gan, an unknown man. For dg,
cf. bryg and bridge, Maggie and Madge. There is a surname
Grudgings. See -ing.
Crudwell (Malmesbury). Dom. Credwelle. Perh. 'crypt-well,'
A.Pr. crudde, M.E. crowd, ' a crypt, a vault.' See Oxf. Diet.,
crowd sb.'^, not given there till 1399 ; so it may be fr. a man Crud.
Cf. B.C.S. 536 Crudes silba (' wood ').
Crttg Mawr (Pembroke), a. 1196 Gir. Camb. ' Crug Maur — i.e.,
Collis magnus,' ' big hill,' ' stackhke hill.'
Crukeri Castle (Radnor). Older Oruk-keri. Prob. a. 810 Nennius
Caer Ceri, ' Castle of Ceri.' But Cruk- must be W. cmg, ' a
heap, a stack.'
Crumlin (Pontypool). W. crom llyn, ' crooked or concave pool.'
Crundale (R. Wye, Kent). O.E. crundel, crondel, still in South.
dial., ' a cutting shaped like an open V, made by a little
stream, a ravine.' Cf. B.C.S. 906 Abbancrundel, also 3 farms
in Worcestershire called Crundel or Crundles, and Crondall.
Baddeley says Crundel (Kemble), 1280 Crondles, means ' a
quarry.'
Crutchley (Northampton and Monmouth). Not in Dom.
' Meadow with the cross,' O.E. cruc, 2-3 cruche. Cf. Crouch
End and Croughton, and Crutch Hill (Worcestersh.), a. 1200
Cruche, 1275 Cruch, Cruce.
Cub(b)ington (Leamington). Dom. Cobintone, Cubintone, a. 1300
Cobyngton, Cumbyngton. ' Village of Cuba.' See -ing.
CuBBER- or Cobberley (Cheltenham), Dom. Coberleie, later
Cuthbrightley, is ' Cuthbert's mead.'
CucKAMSLEY or -LOW (Berks). 1006 O.E. Ckron. Cwichelmes laewe,
c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. CMchelmes laue, 1297 Quichelmeslewe.
' Burial-mound ' or 'hill ' (O.E. hl^w) of Cwichelm '; either he
who was K. of Wessex, d. 636, or an earlier pagan king of this
name, d. 593. See -low.
CUCKPIELD 225 CULMSTOCK
CuCKFiELD (Hajrward's Heath). 1092 Kukefield^ 1121 Cucufeld.
Hardly fr. vb. cucJc= cacare, not found a. 1440, though we have
cucking-stool in 1308; nor likely to be fr. the cuckoo, which in
O.E. was geac, Sc, gowk, though it is found as early as c. 1240
cuccu. Analogy, as well as other reasons, points to ' field of
Cuca'; cf. B.O.S. 936 Cucan healas. The 1121 speUing cer-
tainly suggests the bird; if so, it is much the earHest instance
known. Of. next. Cooksland (Stafford) is Dom. Cuchesland,
which Duig-nan takes to be ' land of Cuca ' or ' Cue' Cf. Guxham.
CucKNEY (Mansfield). Dom. Cuchenai, 1278Cuckenay; and Norton
CucKNEY (Yorks). 1202 Yorks Fines Cucuneia. Prob. ' Cuca'a
isle ' ; see above and -ey. To derive fr. cuccu ' cuckoo ' is for-
bidden by the n, sign of the O.E. gen. ; whilst to make it O.E.
oet cucan e^e, ' at the running stream,' cwicu, cucu, ' living,
quick,' is not in accord with analogy.
CuDDESDON (Oxford). 956 chart. Cujjenes dime; a. 1200 Codesdona.
' Cuthen's dean ' or ' wooded valley.' Cuthen seems to be a
contraction of the name Cyneihegn or Gyihegn ; 4 in Onom.
But cf. ' Cudandene,' 95S cJiart., on Stour (Staffs). There are
several named Cudd, Cudda, or Cuddi in Onom. ; also cf. Cuts-
dean. See -den and -don.
CuDWORTH (Bamsley). Not in Z)om. ' C^z^tidt's place or farm.' Cf.
Cudeley, Worcester) (974 chart. Cudinclea, Dom. Cudelei, orig. a
patronymic, see -ing; also Dom. Cornw. Cudiford. Dom. Yorks
Cuzeworde is Cusworth.
CuxcHETH (Wigan and Cmbld.). Cum. C. c. 1141 Culquith; also
Culchet. Wig. C. 1200-1 Culchet, Kulchet, 1300 Culchyt, 1311
Culcheth. Far older is 793 Mercian chart. Celchyth, which seems
the same name. Prob. ' strait ' or ' passage in the wood,' W. cul,
' a strait ' (G. caol, a ' kyle '), and coed, pi. coydd, ' a wood.'
CuLGAiTH (Penrith). This surely must be G. cid gaoith, 'at the
back of the wind,' or fr. G. cii,il, ' a nook ' ; whilst cul in W.
means ' a strait, a narrow place.'
CuLHAM (Abingdon). 821 chart. Culanhom, ? 940 Culenhema, 1216
Culham. ' Enclosure of Cula.' Cf. Culworth; and see -ham.
CuLLERCOATS (Newcastle). First syll, doubtful. It may be
'dove cots,' O.E. culfre, 'a, dove.' If a man's name it
may be Ceolheard, a common O.E. name, or Ceolweard, also
common, and found once as Ealvert. Cf. Killirby (Durham),
sic 1183 in Boldon Bk., but 1197 Culverdebi, plainly ' Ceol-
weard's dwelling ' ; also Dom. Norfk., Culuertestuna, and c. 1200
Culdertun, Egremont, Cumberland. There is a Culkerton
(Tetbury), Dom. Culcortone; if not fr. Ceolheard, then fr. some
unrecorded name. The -coats is ' cots.' See Coates.
CuLMSTOCK (Cullompton). Dom. Culmestoche. ' Culm's, Cylm's or
Cylma's place ' ; all these forms are found in Onom. See Stoke.
CULWOETH 226 CURT
CuLWORTH (Banbury). 1298 Culeworthe. ' Cwto's farm.' There
is only one Cula in Onom., but cf. Culham. See -worth.
Cumberland. 945 O.E. Cliron. Cumbraland, c. 960 chart. Cumbras
{i.e., ' men of Cumbria '), a. 142 Wm. Mahnes. Cumberland,
1461 Lib. Pluscard. Cummirlandia. Now usually held to be
' land of the Cumbri ' or Cymry, med. L. Combroges, ' fellow-
countrymen.' Of course, Cymry is now the common name for
the Welsh, whose Brythonic kingdom spread right away up to
Strathclyde until the 10th cny. Cf. Comberbach and Dom.
Worcester ' Cubrinture,' Yorks Cu'brewrde, now Cumberworth.
Ctjmdivoce: (Dalston, Cumbld.). a. lOSOCombeSeyfoch. Combe is,
O.E. cumb, Ht. ' a bowl,' ' a coomb, a valley,' cognate with or
loaned fr. W. cwm, ' hollow ' ; the second part may be W. diffaith,
' wild, uncultivated, uninhabited.' The Sc. divot, ' a turf,'
always has t, and is not known a. 1536. But -theyfoch may
well represent a man's name, as in B.C.S. 1237 Theofecan hyl.
Only there is a Devoke Water, S. of Eskdale, in this same
county. C/.CuMWHiNTON and ' Cumbehop,' c. 1200ci^ar^ Whalley.
CuMNOR (Oxford). O.E. chart. Colmanora, Cumanora, Cumenoran;
Dom. Comenore. ' Colman's edge or bank,' O.E. ora ; the liquid
I easily disappears. Cf. Cowdenknowes (Sc).
CuMWJULNTON and Cumwhitton (Carlisle) . Old forms needed, but
perh. both Kelt., with Eng. -ton. The former seems to be W.
cvrni gwyn, ' clear, bright hollow.' However, Lawhitton (Corn-
wall) is ' long, white town.'
CuNLiFFE (Whalley, Lanes). 1278 Gundeclyf, 1283 Cundeclive,
c. 1300 ConHve, 1317 CimhfEe. Doubtful. W. and H.'s deriva-
tion fr. Gunnhild-r is httle less likely here than in Conder.
Prob. hybrid, Kelt, conde, cunde, ' confluence,' see Condate,
and O.E. cUf, ' a cliff or cleve.' Cf. Cleveland, and Lillies-
LEAE (Sc), 1186 LillescUf, or ' LiUa's cliff.'
CinsrsDiNE (Durham). Sic c. 1200 chart. Prob. 'Dean (wooded)
vaUey of Cuna '; 2 in Onom. Cf. Cunsall (Leek), Dom. Cunes-
hala, and Cundall (York), Dom. Cundel.
Curd WORTH (Birmingham). Dom. Credeworde, a. 1200 Crud-,
Croddeworth, 1327 Cruddeworth. 'Farm of Creoda'; meta-
thesis of r is common. Cf. Kersoe (Worcestersh.), 780 Criddesho,
1275 Crydesho.
Curry Mallet and Rivel (Taunton). Dom. and 1155 Curi (see
North Curry). W. cyri, ' a cauldron-shaped valley,' 0. coire ;
cf. Cyri, and Sc. Corrie and Cur.rie. Mallet denotes the name
of the family to which this place once belonged. Cf. Shepton
Mallet, and for Eivel cf. Rievaux.
CuRY (Falmouth). 1219 Patent R. Egloscuri (' church of Cury ');
1445 Cury towne; also Corantyn. From St. Corentinus, a saint
of Quimper, Brittany.
CUTSDEAN 227 DALSTON
CuTSDEAN (Broadway, Worcester) . 974 chart, and Dom. Codestune,
1275 Cotestone, a. 1500 Cotesdon, a. 1600 Cuddesdon. This,
then, is not ' Dean," but ' town of Code or Cota,' perh. the same
man as gave name to the Cotswolds. Akeady in 730 we find
B.C. 8. 236, set CodesweUan.
CuxHAM (Wallingford). O.E. c^ar^ Cuceshamm. 'Enclosure of
Cue' Cf. CucKEiELD and Cuxwold (Lines), 1235 Cukewald;
also B.G.S. 936 Cucan healas (see -hall). See -ham.
CwMHiR (Radnor), c. 1188 Gir. Camb. W. cumi hir, ' long valley
or hoUow.' Cf. CuMDivocK.
Cwm-llaw-Enog (Chirk). W.= ' valley of Enog's hand.' Enog
was a W. chief who, it is said, had his hand cut oJEE for being found
on the E. side of OfEa's Dyke.
Cych R. (betw. Pembroke and Caermarthen) . a. 1300 Cuch.
W. cwch, pi. cychod, ' a boat.'
Cyffdy (Llanrwst). W. for ' dark, black stump.' Cf. Cyffylliog
(Ruthin), and Cufiern (Haverford W.), old Coferun.
Cy2^on R. (Glam.) seems to be built Hke, and to mean the same as,
the R. Conway (W. con gwy) — i.e., ' chief river,' compared with
the httle Dare, Con, as in L., means ' together,' and -on is a
common ending for ' river,' as in af-on itself, in C arron (Sc), etc.
Cyri (Merioneth). Name of several ' cauldron-shaped hollows,'
with tarns, same as G. coire, 'a Corrie ' (8c.). Cf. Taliesin,
' the cauldron of Cyridwen,' and Curry.
Cytiau-'r-Gwyddelod (Holyhead). W.= 'cots of the Irish.' It
is a mountain, said to be the scene of a battle, c. 600, between the
Owyddel (or Goidels, or Gaels) and the Cymri, or Welsh.
Dacre (Penrith), sic 1353, and Dacre Banks (Leeds). Bede
Dacore (R. and monastery). Dom. Yorks, Dacre. Possibly
med. L. {e.g., in Dom.) dicra, c. 1300 dacrum, O.Fr. dacre, dakere,
M.E. dyker, mod. E. dicker, corrup. of L. decuria. This number
10 was the customary unit of exchange, esp. in hides; but was
it ever apphed to land measurement ?
Dagenham (Barking). 693 cJmrt. Deccan-haam; c. 1150 chart.
Dechenham. ' Daecca's enclosure ' or ' pasture ' ; only one
Dcecca in Onom. See -ham. But Dagnall (Oxon) is a. 1400
Dagenhale. See -hall.
Daglingworth (Cirencester). Feud. Aids Dageling-; also 1240
a Dagelingstrete. 'Farm of the sons of Dceghild,' or ' Dceg-
weald,' nearest names in Onom. See -worth.
Dalden or Dawden (Sunderland), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Daldene,
O.E. ddl-denu, 'allotment, portion, field, deal,' 'by the dean
or deep, wooded vale.' See -den.
Dalston (Carlisle). 1189 Daleston, Dalstonn. ' Town, village in
the valley or dale.' O.E. doel, O.N. dal. Possibly Dale may be
DALTON 228 DAETMOUTH
here, as it is still, a personal name ; though it is not in Onom, and
would hardly be in use so early. Of. Dalby (N. Yorks), Dom.
Dalbi and Dalham (Newmarket), sic in Dom. Dale (Pembroke)
is found in 1307 as La Dale — i.e., with the Fr. art., ' the dale.'
Dalton (5 in P.O.). Fumess D. Dom. Daltun. Cf. a ' Daltone '
in Dom. Cheshire. ' Town, village on the allotment," see
Dalden; in northern cases, ' village in the dale," N. dal.
Danby Wiske (Northallerton) . Dom. and 1202 Danebi, or ' Dane's
dwelling.-' Cf. Tenby and Danemarche, Jersey; and see -by.
On Wiske, see Appleton Wiske. But Danethorpb (Notts),
Dom. Dordentorp, 1637 Dernthorp, is 'village of Deorna.' The
phonetic changes are all explainable.
Dane orDAVENR.(Chesh.) ; hence Davenham (sic 12 18) and Daven-
port (Chesh.). Dom. Devenehamand Deneport,a. llSOSim. Dur.
Devenport. Perh. W. dain, ' pure, pleasing, beautiful,' or else
dwfn, ' deep.' Cf. Debenham. Duignan suggests G. deann,
impetuous, swift,' but that would rather yield Dann or Denn.
Darent R. See Dartford.
Darlaston (Wednesbury and Stone). St. D. 954 Deorlavestun,
Derlavestone, 1004 ib. Deorlafestun, Dom. Dorlavestone. Wed.
D. a. 1200 Derlavestone. ' Town of Deorlaf.' Cf. Darliston
(Whitchurch) and Darlton (Notts), Dom. Derluveton.
Darley (Leeds) and Darley Abbey and Dale (Derbysh.). Der.
D. Dom. Dereleie. Dar- is prob. from Deor or Deora, names in
Onom., and phonetically possible. Darton (Yorks) is Dom.
Dertune. In O.E. deor means ' any wild animal,' then ' a deer,'
then used as a personal name, ' a man Hke a deer.' See -ley.
Darlington, a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Dearningtun, Dearthingtun ; but
1183 Boldon Bk. Derlingtona. A name which has changed.
There is no trace in Onom. of the Sim. Dur. forms, and only one
Deorling or Derling. As it stands, the name is ' village of the
darlings,' O.E. deorling, a dimin. of ' dear.' ' Dearthingtun ' may
possibly represent Darrington. Cf. Derlintun in 1156 Pipe
Notts, in Dom. Dallingtune and now Dalington. We have
Darlingscot, Shipston-on-Stour, a. 1300 Darlingscote.
Darn ATT, (SheiGfield). O.E. derne heal, ' hidden, out of the way,
dark nook.' Cf. Damhall Pool (Cheshire), Dernford (Cambs),
and Darnick (Sc.) ; also see -hall.
Darrington (Pontefract). Dom. Darnintone, Darnitone, 1204
Darthingtone, 1208 Dardhinton. * Town, village of Deorna '
(one in Onom.), or possibly ' of Deorwen, or -wine.' See -ing.
Dartford (Kent), a. 1200 Derenteford, Darentford. 'Ford on
R. Darent,' which is prob. a var. of Derwent; it is 940 chart.
Daeriiita. Cf. Darwen.
Dartmouth (on R. Dart). Exon. Dom. Derta, a. 1130 Sim. Dur.
Derte, 1250 Layam. Derte mujj. Doubtful; certainly not fr.
DAKWEN R. 229 DEBDEN
Eng. dirt. Perh. W. dorth, ' limit, covering/ or O.E. dard^, ' a
dart, a spear,' though our Eng. dart comes to us through O.Fr.
dart. Dartmoor is 1228 Close B. Dertemor.
Darwen R. and town (Lanes), a. 1130 8im. Dur. Dyrwente, 1311
Derwent. W. dwr gwen, ' white, clear stream.' Cf. Darent,
Derwent, and G. dobhar, ' water, river.'
Dassett (2, Kineton, Warwick). Dom. Derceto, -tone, a. 1200
Afne Dercet, a. 1400 Chepyng and Great Derset. O.E. deor,
' deer,' and set, ' a place where animals are kept, a stall, fold.'
See Avon, Chipping, Darley, and r on p. 83.
Datchet (Windsor). Dom. Daceta, 1238 Dachet. A puzzling name ;
but all solutions fail phonetically except ^Dacca's cot,' O.E. cete,
' cot, hut.' Cf. Datchworth (Stevenage), 769 chart. Decewrthe,
Dom. Daceuuorde, B.C.S. 81 Dseccanham, and Watchet. The
O.E. cc normally becomes tch.
Dauntsey (Chippenham). Dom. Dantesie. Cf. 940 chart. Daun-
tesbourne (Wilts). ' Isle of Daunt.' See -ey.
Davenham and -port. See Dane.
Daventry (Weedon). Dom. Daventrei, a. 1124 Dauentre, c. 1200
Gervase Davintria. The present pron. is Daintry, which would
suggest an O.E, Dcefan treo, ' tree of Dcefa ' ; cf. Oswestry.
However, no Dc^fa or Dave is in Onom., though cf. 1179-80 Pipe
Yorks Dauebi ; whilst John Dawe, who gave name to Dawshill
(Powick), was living there in 1275. In the absence of good
evidence for an ,0.E. origin, a W. origin is not altogether to be
dismissed, though a W. name would be very unhkely here. It may
be 'the two -summits,' fr. W. dau, 'two,' and entrych, 'summit,'
as D. stands on a hill, and there is another a mile away. It
may be c. 380 Ant. Itin. Devnana.
Dawush (S. Devon). O.E. chart. Doflisc, Dom. Dovles, a. 1500
Doflysch. Doubtful. The first syll. may be W. du, O.W. dub.
Corn, dew, ' black,' or dwfn, ' deep.' Cf. Dewlish and Dow-
LAis, also R. Divelish (Dorset), which is chart. DeueHsc, Defiisch,
Deulisc, DefeHch, and Dom. Devon, MonHsh. All these are orig.
river -names. The river at Dawhsh is now the Dalch. So the
second syll. is prob. W. glais, ' stream, river,' rather than llys,
' court, hall,' or glwys, ' hallowed place, a fair spot.'
Dead WATER (N. Tyne) . Perh. 1249 Dedy. Doubtful. We find ' a
standing poole or dead water,' as early as 1601 Holland's Pliny.
Deal. Not in Dom. 1160 Pipe Dela; later Dale, Dele, Dola.
O.E. dcBl, 3-6 del, 4,-1 dele, ' a division, a section, a part,' a
' deal,' cognate with dale, s6^, ' a portion or share of land,'
and with dole, O.E. ddl.
Dean, E. and W. (Eastbourne). Asser Dene. O.E. denu, ' a
dean, a dell, a deep, wooded vale.' See also Forest or Dean.
Debden (Saffron Walden). Dom. Deppedana, 1228 Close R.
Depeden — i.e., ' deep, wooded valley.' See Dean.
DEBENHAM 230 DENNY BOTTOM
Debenham (Framlingham, Suffk.). Dom. Depben-, Depbeham.
' Home on the E.. Deben/ which may be W. dwfn ' deep.' Cf.
Davenham.
Dee R. (Cheshire), c. 150 Ptolemy Deva, 1480 Dee; but a. 1196
Gir. Camb. Deverdoeu, Deverdoe, which is just the mod. W.
name Dwfr Dwy. W dwfr or dwr (O.W. deifr), is ' river, stream/
and dwy is ' two/ feminine. But cf. Dee (Sc), also B>. Divie,
trib. of Findhorn, Moraysh.
Deee.htje.st (Tewkesbury) . 804 Grant Deor -hyrst(e) ; Dom. Dere-
hest, a. 1200 Walter Map Durherst. Dhr, dior in O.E. means
' any kind of beast ' ; hyrst is ' forest.' See -hurst.
Deganwy, Diganwy, or Dwyganwy (N. Wales), a. 1145 Orderic
Dag(e)aunoth; Ann. Cambr. ann. 822 Arx Deganhui. Difficult.
By some connected with Ptolemy's Dekantai ; by Rhys Jones*
with the Irish Ogam form Deccetes, found in (?) sixth-century
inscriptions in Devon, Anglesea, and Ireland. In the Patent R.
c. 1245 it is often Gannok, which suggests a similar origin to
Cannock.
Dbighton. See Ditton.
Dblph (Yorks, Rochdale, N. Staffs) and the Delves (Wednesbury) .
A ' digging ' (for iron ore or the like). O.E. dcelfan, delfan, ' to
dig, delve.' Cf. Dilhorne.
Den AB Y Main (Rotherham) . Dom . Degenebi, Denegebi . ' Dwelling
of,' it is uncertain who ; perh. Degn or TJiegn — i.e., ' thane, lord,'
names in Onow. C/. Dagenham ; and see -by. Main meaning
' main ' or ' chief vein of mineral,' seems a quite recent usage.
Denbigh, c. 1350 charts. Den-, Dynbiegh, -eigh, 1485 Dynbigh.
W. Dinbych. In W. din bych would mean, ' hill or fort of the
wretched being.' This would be absurd. Prob. it is, as pron.
in Eng., Den-by, 'dwelling of the Dane '; we have Denby more
than once in Yorks, Dom. Denebi, fr. O.E. Dene, 'Danes,' and
Dene- or Den-mearc, ' Denmark.' Thus it would be the same
name as Danby and Tenby. See -by. But T. Morgan favours
W. din bach, ' little hill,' which it is. This certainly accounts
better for the final guttural -gh or -ch.
Denchworth (Wantage). O.E. cJmrt. Dences wyrthe, Deneces
wurthe, Denices wurth ; Dom. Denchesworde. ' Farm of Dence,'
Sb name otherwise unfaiown; though Onom. has Denisc, or 'the
Dane.' See -worth.
Denham (Uxbridge and Eye, Suffk.). Ux. D. Dom. Daneha.
Eye D. Dom. Denham. Prob. 'home of the Dane.' Cf.
Denton and Den-mark.
Denny Bottom (Tunbridge Wells). Cf. Denny (Sc.) 1510 Dany,
and Dom. Bucks, Danitone. Denny is a dimin. of den or dean,
' a narrow, wooded valley.' See -den. -
* Cited by M'Olure, p. 94.
DENSTON(E) 231 DEVERILL
Denston(e) (Uttoxeter and Newmarket). Utt. D. Dom. Dene-
stone, ' village of Dene,' 3 in Onom., meaning, of course, ' the
Dane/ Cf. above. But New. D. is Dom. Danardestuna,
* town of Deneheard.' Cf. B.C.S. 480 Deneheardes hegersewe.
Denton (8 in P.G.). 801 chart. Deantone (Sussex). Dom.
Yorks and Lines Dentune, ' village by the Dean, or deep,
wooded vale/ Cf. Denford (Berks), Dom. Daneford, where
O.E. dcen, a word cognate with den and dean, means esp. ' a
woodland pasture for swine/ Few Eng. names in Den- or Dane-
show any connexion with the Danes ; but cf. Denbigh, and above.
Depteobd. Sic. 1521, but c. 1386 Chaucer Depford; not in Dom.
' Deep (O.E. deop) ford ' on the E-avensboume, or rather, the
creek at its mouth. There is -another at Sunderland. Cf.
Defford (Pershore, 972 chart.), Deopford, Dom. Depeforde, also
in Dom. Wilts.
Derby. 917 O.E. Chron. Deoraby, 1049 Deorby, 1598 Darbi-
shiere. In W. Dwrgwent. ' Beasts' dwelling.' O.E. deor,
dior, Icel. dyr, ' a beast '; and see -by. Derby was a Danish
name ; NorthweorSig was the O.E. one. For its ending, cf.
Badgewobthy.
Dbbeham (Norfolk). Dom. Dere-, Derham. c. 1460 Dyram, so
= Dyrham and Debby, ' beasts' home.'
Debsingham (King's Lynn). Dom. Dersincham, 1234 Patent R.
Dersingham ; ' home of the Der sings.' Cf. Sandbingham.
Debwent R. (Cumbld. and Yorks), also Debwentwateb, sic
1298. The two rivers get a little mixed in early records — c.
380 Ant. Itin., and c. 700 Rav. Geogr. Derventione, Bede
Dorowensio, Deruuentis jQuvius, c. 850 O.E. vers. Deorwenta,
o. 1130 Sim. Dur. Dyrwenta, 1229 Patent R. Derewent (Yorks).
W. dwr, dwfr gwen, ' white, clear stream.' Cf. Dabent and
Darwen. For suffixing of t, cf. Leven and Levant.
Desboboitgh (Mket. Harboro'). Dom. Deis-, Diesburg, c. 1260
Rot. Hund. Dosteberge. Very puzzling; no name in Onom.
seems to suit any of these forms; but it may be Deorswith (see
Dosthill). 'Dais,' raised table in a hall, is O.Fr. deis, and
not known in Eng. till 1259, so very unhkely here; but cf.
Diss. See -burgh.
Deuddwb (Wales). W. dau dwr, ' two streams.'
Deveeill — Kingston Devebill (Bath), Longbbidge Devebill,
and Bbixton Devebill (Warminster). Dom. Devrel, 1245
Patent R. Deverel (Wilts). Prob. hybrid. Devr- will be
O.Kelt, for ' stream,' W. dwfr (see Andover and Doveb) ;
whilst -el is prob. Eng. for hill, or else -hale, ' nook.' See -hall.
Cf. Derridge, Kingswood, old Deveridge. Possibly Devrel is
Nor. for Devereux or d'Evreux.
DEVIL'S WATER 232 DILHORNE
Devil's Water (Hexham). 1610 Speed Do vols fl. Thought to
be comip. of G. dubh glas, 'dark, peaty stream '= Douglas.
This is very doubtful.
Devizes. 1157 Pipe Divisis, c. 1160 Gest. Steph. Divisa, 1228 Close
R. ad Divisas. This is corrupt L., and prob. means ' place at
the division or border ' (? that between Saxon and Kelt).
Devon. 878 O.E. Chron. Defenascir; Exon. Dom. Duuenant,
1189 Devonia; 1402 Devenshir, c. 1630 Risdon, 'Devonshire,
now by a vulgar speech Denshire.' In O.W. Dyvnaint, which
seems to be O.W. dub, W. du nant, ' dark ravine or valley or
stream.' The Sc. Devon, c. 1210 Dovan, has a similar origin,
G. dubh an, 'dark river.' But Rhys identifies both with the
Damnonii, who orig. inhabited Devonshire, the m here being
aspirated into mh or v. There is also a R. Devon, Notts.
Devonport. Dates from 1689. a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Devenport is
Davenport. See above.
Dewchurch, Little (Hereford). 1234 Close R. Deweschirch,
' Church of Dewi,' W. for St. David. Cf. Dewiston, near St.
David's, Llandewi, and Dewsbury; also Dowthorpe (Yorks),
Dom. Dwetorp, 1202 Duuestorp.
Dewlish (Dorchester). Chart. DioHsc, 1230 Close R. Deuehz, 1238
Patent R. Deuehs. Must be same as Dawlish and as Dewlas
R. See DowLAis.
Dewsbury (Yorks). Dom. Deusbereia, -berie, 1202 Deubire.
' David's burgh.' See Dewchurch and -bury.
DiCKLEBOROUGH (Scole, Norfk.). Dom. Dicclesburc, 1232 Close R.
Dikelebury. Prob. ' burgh of Dicuil,' a Keltic name. See
-borough.
DiDCOT (Oxford). Not in Dom. a. 1300 Doudecote, also Dud-
cote; and DiDCOTE (Beckford), 1177 Pipe Dudicota. Cf. B.C.S.
iii. 101. Dyddan hamm, ib. 486 Dydinc cotan (dat.). ' Cot,
cottage of Dydda or Dudda.' Cf. Dudley and Diddington
(Warwk.), 1188 Didindon.
DiDMARTON (Tetbury). 972 chart. Dydimeretune, Dom. Ded-
mertone. Feud. Aids Dudmerton. Perh. ' village of Dudemcer,'
as in 1015 chart. To Dudemseres hele (' nook '), Chilton (Berks).
But it may be ' mere- or lake-town of Dydda ' or ' Dudda/ the
latter a very common name. Cf. Dummer.
DiGBETH (Birmingham, Coventry, and Northfield, Wore).
Duignan thinks this may be corrup. of dike path; dike, O.E.
die, being either ' ditch ' or 'embankment.' But there are no
old forms, and this is doubtful.
Dilhorne (Stoke-on-Trent). Dom. and till 1300 Dulverne.
Duignan thinks, O.E. dulf-, delfern, ' place of digging or delv-
ing.' Cf. Delph. However, in Dom. Bucks we have ' Dile-
herst,' and Dilham (Norfk.) is sic c. 1150, fr. a man Dela or Dila.
DILSTON 233 DITTON
DiLSTON (Hexham), a. 1300 chart. Divelin, which looks like W.
ty Felyn, 'house of Velyn/ Of. Helvellyn and Stibling
(So.) c. 1250 Estrivelin. But — surely very improbably— Sir
H. Maxwell thinks this name is D'Eyville's town' {see Scala-
cronica MS., fo. 211) ; whilst M'Clure thinks the Dils- is a.
corrup. of Dubglas, ' dark stream.'
DiNAS (Glamorgan). W. and Corn., ' a castle/ fr. din, ' hill/ then
' hill-fort.' Cf. Pendennis.
Din AS Emrys (small hill near Snowdon). 1190 Gir. Camb. says
this means ' promontory of Ambrosius,' a celebrated bard of
the 5th cny.
Dm AS PowYS (Cardiff). 1223 Patent R. Dinant powis. ' Hill ' or
' fort of PowYS.' Cf. above.
DiNEFWR Castle (Caermarthen). c. 1196 Gir. Camb. Dynevur,
1246 Patent R. Dynavor. W. din y ffwyr, ' castle of the onset
or assault.'
DiNGEBREiN (Cornwall). Com. din GerairU, 'fort of K. Geraint,
husband of Enid, who fell at Langport, 522. Cf. St. Gebrans.
DiNMOBE (Hereford). W. din mawr, ' big hill.' It is a village on
the top of a high hill. C/. Dunmore (Sc).
DiNNiNGTON (Newcastle-on-T. and Rotherham). Ro. D. Dom.
Dunnitone, Dunintone, ' town of Dun, Duna, or Duning,' all in
Onom. See -ing.
Dm-ORWIG (Caernarvon). Old Dinorddwig — i.e., 'fort of the
Ordovices/ a tribe of central Wales. See Tacit. Agric. 18.
But in charters of Edw. III. it is Dynnorbin. Rhys derives
Ordovices fr. O.W. ord, W. gordd, ' a hammer.'
Dtnton (Aylesbury and SaUsbury). Sa. D. Duntone. 1179-80
Pipe Yorks. Dinton, ' village of Dynne or Dyne,' a common
name in Onom. See -ton. But Dinsdale (N. Yorks) is Dom.
Digneshale, prob. ' Degn's nook {cf. Denary) ; though Over
Dinsdale is Dom. Dimeshala, fr. Deorna, or perh. Deoring,
Diring, names in Onom. See -hall.
Diss (Norfolk). Dom. Dice. Doubtful. ? O.Fr. deis, found in
Eng. c. 1259 as deis, ' a dais or high-table.' Diseworth (Derby)
and Disley (Stockport) imply an unrecorded man Disa. Cf.
Desborough and next.
DissiNGTON (Northumbld.) . ? The Digentum in Hexham Chrons.
Should be ' town of Dissa ' or the hke ; but there is no such name
in Onom. Still we have Dishforth, Thirsk, Dom. Disforde,
and the places above, suggesting such a name.
DiTTON (Widnes, Bridgnorth, and Sui'rey) and Fen Ditton
(Cambs). Cam. D. c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Dictune, Dittune.
Dom. Surrey and Bucks Ditone, -tune; also c. 1170 and 1213
charts. Dicton, ? which, and c. 1005 chart. Dictune, Kent,
16
DOCCOMBE 234 DONYATT
'Town, enclosure, with the ditch/ O.E. die. Cf. Ditchford
(Warwk.), Dom. Dicforde. The names Deighton and Dighton
have the same origin as Ditton. N. Yorks is Dom. Dictune,
and Deightonby is Dictenebi, a somewhat rare hybrid.
DooooMBE (Newton Abbot). Not in Dom. 1174 Documba, 1322
Dockumbe; also corrupted into Dockham. O.E. docce-cumbe,
' dock-valley/ valley in which the docken weed abounded.
DoDCOTT (Nantwich). 1135 Dodecotte. Cf. a. 1300 ' Dodeford/
Northants. ' The cot or cottage of Dodd, Doda, or Dodda,' a
very common name in Onom. C/. Didcot and Dodwell, Strat-
ford (Warwk.), close to the Doddanford of 985 chart.
DoDrNQTON (Yate and Bridgwater). Ya. D. Dom. Dodintone,
1170 Duddinton; and Doddington (5 in P.G.), March D. Dom.
Dodinton, 1302 Doddyngtone. ' Village of Dodda ' or ' Dudda,'
gen. -an. Cf. Dom. Bucks and Salop, Dodintone. But
DoDiNGTBEE (Leicester) is perh. fr. dod, ' to cUp or top/ found
a. 1225 dodd; cf. 1440 Prompt. Parv., ' doddyn trees or herbys
. . . decomo.' This tree was the meeting-place of the hundred.
Cf. Maijningteeb. See -ing.
DoQSTHOBPE (Peterboro'). Not in Dom. c. 1100 Grant Dodes-
thorpe. Interesting corruption; ' farm of Dodd.' See Dodcott
and -thorpe.
DoLEBUBY Camp (Mendips). 'Burgh, fortified place of Dola';
one such in Onom. It is the site of a pre-Roman fort. See
-bury.
DoLGELLY. W. dol gelU, ' meadow with the grove or copse,' gelli
beiug var. of the commoner celli.
Dolly Meadows (Bath). W. Dol. pi. dolau (pron. dolay), ' a
meadow.' Cf. G. dal. Thus the name is a tautology.
DoLTON (Devon). Dom. Dueltona. 1235 Patent R. Dughelton.
'Town of Dougal' (see Duggleby), only here the h has
' echpsed ' the g. Cf. the surname Doulton.
Don Er. and Doncastbr. Prob. c. 380 Ant. Itin. Dono and
Bede U. xiv Campodunum, c. 850 O.E. vers. Donafeld; Nennius
Cair Daun; Dom. Doncastre, 1158-59 Pipe Dane Castre, 1202
Fines Danecastre, 1206 Donecastre. It cannot be the same as
Don (Sc). Perh. W. dwn, G. donn, ' brown.' See -caster.
DoNNiNGTON (Salop, Gloucs., and Berks). Sa. D. Dom. Donitone.
Gl. D. 1176 Pipe Dunnington. Be. D. 1316 Dunyngton.
' Village of the sons of Dunn.' Cf. B.C.S. iii. 601 on Dunning-
lande. Cf. Dunnington ; and see -ing.
DoNYATT (Ilminster). 1234 Patent R. Dunyed. O.E. dun ^eat,
' hill of the gate, opening or pass.' Yat or yat{t)e has been the
S.W. dial, form of gate since the 16th cnv. Cf. Symond's
Yat.
DORCHESTER 235 DOVER
DoRCHESTEB, (Dorset). c. 380 Ant. Itin. Diirno(no)varia, 939
chart, villa regalis quae dicitur Doracestria, c. 1100 Flor.
Wore. Dorsetania, 1387 Dorchestre. Durno-varia is prob.
Kelt, for ' fist-plays/ there having been a Rom. amphitheatre
here ; W. dwrn, Ir. dorn, ' fist ' ; and Corn, gware for L. varia, ' a
play.' Asser, ann. 875, speaks of the district {paga), called in
British Dumgueir (in MS. -eis), but in Saxon Thomsseta {or
Domsaeta), now Dorset. In the present name there is nothing
■which represents varia, so that it really seems to mean ' fist
camp.' Cf. Cardurnock; and see -Chester.
Dorchester (Oxon). (? Durcinate in a. 700 Bav, Oeogr.) c. 689
Theodore Villa Dorcacsestrensis, Bede Dorcic, O.E. Chron. 635
and 891 Dorcic-, Dorcesceaster, 905 in Eadmer Dorkeceastre,
Dom. Dorchecestre. This seems either to mean ' camp of Dorc,'
an unknown man, or, more doubtfully, ' dark camp,' O.E.
deorc, 3 dorc, ' dark.' Also see Dorset.
DoRDON (Tamworth). 1285 Derdon. Perh. 'hill of the deer/
O.E. dear. Cf. Dassett; and see -don.
DoRE R. (S. Wales), c. 1130 Lib. Land. Door ; and Dore (Here-
ford and Sheffield). Shef. D. O.E. Chron. 827 Dore, ib. 942
Dor. W. dwr, ' water, stream ' ; G. dobhar. Cf. Appledore,
Dour (Yorks), and Durra (Comw.). But Plummer derives the
towns fr. O.E. duru, dor, ' a door, an opening.'
Dorset, a. 900 Asser Thornsseta, Domsseta, Dom. Dorsete, c.
1097 Flor. W. Dorsetania. Dornsseta should mean ' seat,
settlement among the thorns'; but cf. Dorchester; while
some connect with Ptolemy's Durotriges, who dwelt about here.
Cf. Somerset. Dom. Essex has a Dorseda.
DoRSiNGTON (Stratford-on-A.). Dom. Dorsintune, and Dorstone
(Hereford), a. 1300 Dorsinton. ' Village of the Dorsings,' or
? ' sons of Deorsige.' Cf. Dersingham. See -ing.
DosTHHiL (Tamworth). Dom. Dercelai. a. 1200 Dertehulla,
Derchethull, a. 1400 Derst-, Dorsethull. The ending is clear.
In Dom. -lai is fr. -ley, ' meadow,' q.v. ; and hull is the regular
Mid. form of ' hill.' Derchet or Derst prob. represents a man
Deorswith ; 2 in Onom. But cf. also Dom. Bucks Dusteb'ge and
Desborough.
Douglas (I. of Man). Local pron. DooHsh. Moore says, Manx
dub glais, ' dark stream.' Cf. Douglas (Sc.) and Dowlais,
pron. Dowhsh. One of K. Arthur's battles, in Nennius, was at
' Duglas.' c. 1205 Layamon has a ' Duglas water ' too.
Dove R. (Derby) andDovEY or DyfiR. (S. Wales and Machynlleth).
Der.D. 890 chart.T)\x.ia., a. 1300 Duve Douve. Mach.D. 1428 Dyvi.
All fr. O.W. dubr,'W.dwfr, dwr, ' water, stream.' Duignan thinks
Dove the ' diving ' river, O.E. dufan. Its tribs. certainly dive
BOVEK 236 DRAYCOTT
underground. Doveedige (Uttoxeter) is Dom. Dubrige, c.
1300 Doubrig, ' bridge on R. Dove.'
Dover (also near Leigh, Lanes), c. 380 Ant. Itin. Portus Dubris;
a. 716 chart. Dufras, 1048 O.E. Chron. Dofre, a. 1100 Wm Poit.
Doueria, c. 1097 Flor. W. Doru-, Doro-bernia; 1160 Doura,
Dovre; c. 1205 Layam. Doure, c. 1276 Douere. The Kent D.
is on R. Douver, W. dwfr., ' stream/ still correctly pron. in
Fr ., Dou vre(8) . Cf. above, and Dovebdale, Droitwich, 706 cfiart.
Dourdale, 817 ib. Doferdsel; also Dom. Wilts Dobreha. There
are also a R. Doverle (Berkeley) and a Dover Beck, 1225
Doverbec (Notts), and a Douvres on the N. coast of France.
Dovercourt (Harwich). Dom. Druurecurt (first r an error).
' Court on the river,' W. dwfr. See above. Court, O.F. cort,
curt, L. cohors, -tern, ' court, poultry-yard, yard,' is not in Oxf.
Diet, till 1297. It means ' a clear space enclosed by a wall,'
then ' a large building in a yard, a castle.'
DowLAis (Glam.). Pron. Dowlish. Disputable; perh. O.W. <kiu,
mod. W. dou glais, ' two streams '; but prob. = Douglas. The
Dewlas, trib. of Nthn. Dovey, is sic 1428 and locally pron.
Diflas, clearly ' dark (W. du) stream.' Dowlish Waee (Ilminster)
should be the same. Cf. Dawlish. The Little and Great
DowABD Hills, lower Wye, were old Dougarth, which is O.W. for
' two garths,' or ' enclosures.'
DowNHAM (Cambs and Norfolk). Cam. D. K.C.D. iv. 209 Dun-
ham. Nor. D. 1461 Dounham. O.E. dun-ham, ' hill-dwell-
ing.' Cf. neict. Downholme (Richmond, Yorks) is in Dom.
simply Dune. See -hohn.
Downs, The (off Kent), a. 1460 Gregory's Chron. The Downys,
1520 The Downes. Perh. so called from the doum or hill, O.E.
dun, opposite the E. end of the North Downs.
DowNTON (SaUsbury). c. 1160 Duntuna — i.e., 'hill-town' or Hilton.
Dowthorpe (Yorks). Dom. Dwetorp. Prob. 'village of Duua'
or ' Duha/ names in Onom. See -thorpe.
Doxey (Stafford). Dom. Dochesig, c. 1200 Dokesei, 'Isle of
Docca,' or 'the duck,' O.E. docce. Cf. Duxford. In Dom.
Salop there is'Dehocsele or ' Docca' b nook.' See -ey and -hall.
Drakenedge (Warwksh.). 1251 Drakenegg. O.E. dracan ecg,
' devil's or dragon's edge ' or ' brink.' Cf. Drakelow (Derbysh.)
and Wolverley, former 942 ' set Dracan hlawen ' (see -low),
also Drakestone (Gloucs.).
Draughton (Skipton). Dom. Dractone. Doubtful. Possibly it
is 'town of the devil,' O.E. draca. Cf. above. Possibly =
Drayton.
Draycott (Berks, Blockley, Dunchurch, Stoke-on-T.). Ber. D.
Dom. Draicote; Bl. D. 1275 Draycote ; St. D. a. 1300 Dra- and
DEAYTON 237 DROITWICH
Draycote. This must go with Drayton, an even commoner
name with older recorded forms. Draycott would seem to mean
'dry cot'; O.E. dryge., drige, 2 dreie, 4 draye, dreye, 'dry/
Possibly it is fr. O.E. drcege, 'a drag-net, a dray'; but then,
why so ? Certainly Skeat's derivation fr. an O.E. drceg, sup-
posed to mean 'a place of shelter, a retreat' (c/. mod. dray,
' a squirrel's nest '), seems rather laboured. But the matter is
not yet settled. Dom. Devon has a Draheford, ? ' ford for a
dray.' Cf. Drig.
Drayton (9 in P.G.). Chart, DTsegtnn, Dom. Draitone, 1210 Dray-
ton (Cambs). 810 chart. Draiton (N. Notts), 960 chart. Drasegtun,
and Dom. Draitone (Berks), a. 1100 Draeitun, a. 1200 Draiton
(Stratford, Warwicksh.). Dom. Dray-. Draitone (Penkridge and
Tamworth). Dom. Drattone (Bucks). Prob. 'dry town'; but
the early forms make O.E. drcege ' a dray,' at least a possible
origin. Skeat derives the place in Cambs and Berks fr. the O.E.
drceg, referred to s.v. Draycott. The ' Cair Draithon ' of c.
800 Nennius has been identified with one of the Draytons,
which is doubtful.
Driffield (Bridlington and Cricklade). Br. D. c. 1050 O.E. Chron.
705 DrifEelda, Dom. Drifeld, -felt, 1202 Driffeld. Cr. D. Dom.
Drifelle (common Dom. var.). 'Dry field,' O.E. drige, 3 drigge,
drie, ' dry.' Duignan says Driffold (Sutton Colfield), is drift
fold, ' fold into which cattle were driven.' Of. next.
Drig (W. Cumbld.). O.E. drige, ' dry '; drceg, ' a place of shelter.
Of. above.
Drighlinqton (Bradford). Dom. Dreslintone, -ingtone. The s in
Dom. is to avoid the guttural gh ; such Dom. hates. Prob.
' viUage of the descendants of Dryhtweald,' or perh. ' Drycghelm '
(once in Onom.). Cf. Dom. Gloucs. Dricledone. See -ing.
Dringhob (Holdemess). Dom. Dringolme; and Dringhouses
(York). Not in Dom. N. dreng, ' a free servant of the king
endowed with lands.' They were found all over, N. of the
Humber and Ribble. The ending -hoe is here a corrup. of
-holm, q.v., through the liquidity or vanishing tendency of
I and w, influenced by Hoe, ' height ' ; whilst holm is ' river-
meadow.'
Droitwich. 716 chart. In wico emptoris salis quem nos Saltwich
vocamus, 888 ih. Saltwic, 1017 Sealtwic, 1049 O.E. Chron. Wic,
Dom. Wich 24 times, Wic once, 1347 le Dryghtwych, 1469
Dertwyche. But D. is not Ptolemy's Salinai. Wich is simply
O.E. ivic, ' dwelling, village.' See' -wich. True, here and in
Cheshire and the neighbouring districts it is the ending of most
salt-producing towns; but there is no O.E. authority for saying
that wic or wich has anything to do with salt. Many — even
Skeat — derive this wich fr. O.N. vih, ' a bay, a small (salt)
creek ' ; hence, it is said, the transition is easy to ' salt or brine
DROMONBY 238 DULLINGHAM
spring/ But that wich could come fr. vik in 716 in Worcestersh.
seems simply impossible. Droit- (Fr. droit, ' right, privilege ')
was prefixed by sanction of Edw. III., who gave the inhabitants
the right to manufacture salt here a. 1293. The right had to be
restricted in other places owing to the great waste of timber
in making salt. But Edw. the Confessor already had £52 a
year from the salt works. Cf. ' The Droits of Admiralty.'
Dromonby (N. B/iding). Dom. Dragmalebi, twice. A remarkable
corrup. ' Dwelling of Dragmel,' one in Onom. We here see
how any one liquid can become another, even I become n.
See -by.
Dronmeld (Shefl&eld). Not in Dom. 'Field of the drone-bees';
O.E. dran, 3-6 dron.
Droxford (Bps. Waltham). 939 chart. Drocenesforda ; not in
Dom. ' Ford of Drocen,' not in Onom., but cf. Drakenedge.
Druid (Corwen) may be for W. derwydd, ' a Druid.' T. Morgan
omits it. But Druid Heath (Warwk.) is c. 1400 Dru-, Dre-
wood, fr. a family of Dru, or rather Druce, prob. taking their name
fr. Dreux, Normandy.
Drypool (Hull). Dom. Drid-, Dritpol, Dripold, ' dirty pool/
Icel. drit, ' durt.'
DuDBRiDGE (Stroud). 1302 Dodebrygge; and Duddo (Norham);
1183 Dudehowe. Named fr. some man Dudd, Duda, or Dudda,
names very common in O.E., esp. in Mercia. Cf. Dudley and
Duddeston (Birmingham), 1100 Duddestone. The -o is -howe,
' a mound,' q.v.
DuDDON (Tarporley) and Duddon R. (Cumbld.). Latter thought
to be c. 709 Eddi Regio Dimutinga, a name of uncertain
origin. But Tar. D. may be W. du din, ' dark, black hill ' ;
though cf. next.
Dudley. Dom. Dudelei, 1275 Duddleye, ' meadow of Dudd,
Dudo, or Dodo,' ? the duke in Mercia, and founder of Tewkesbury
Abbey, 715. Cf. Didcot and Dudbridge; and see -ley.
DuEFiELD (Derby). Not in Dom. c. 1180 Ben. Peierb. Dufelda,
' dove field.' O.E. *dufe, c. 1200 duue, c. 1300 duu. If this
derivation be correct, we have here one of the earliest recorded
examples of the Eng. word dove. Cf. Doveskar, Wensleydale,
1202 Duuesker, and Doveridge, Dom. Dubrige.
DuGGLEBY (Yorks). Dom. Dighelbi, Difgehbi. ' Dwelhng of
Dougal,' in Ir. and G. Dubkgall, or ' dark stranger,' the Ir. name
for the Danes. This Danish Kelt prob. came from Ireland.
There are other traces of such settlers. Cf. Dolton; and
see -by.
DuLLiNGHAM (Newmarket). Dom. Dullingeham; also old Dilin-
tone. ' Home of the Dillings.' Cf. Dillington (Hunts) and
DULVERTON 239 DUNSTABLE
Dilham (Norfk.) — i.e., ' home of Dill/ still a personal name, of
which Billing is the patronymic.
DuiiVEBTON (Somerset). Dom. Dolvertun. The name here seems
unknown. There seems trace of a N. Tolf-r or Tolrius.
DuLWiCH, sic 1606. Not in Dom. (There are coins with Dulwic
on them, supposed to be a man's name.) Possibly ' Dola's
dwelling '; one Dola in Onom. The adj. dull is not in Eng. a.
1430. Cf. Dom. Derby, Duluestune.
DuMBLETON (Evesham). Sic 1327, but 930 chart. Dumolan,
-llan, 995 Dumbletain, Dom. Dunbentone. The forms are
corrupt. Skeat suggested ^ Domioulf's town,' but this is
doubtful.
DuMMER (Basingstoke). Dom. Dumere. Prob. ^ Duda'a mere' or
Make.' Cf. Dom. Dodimere (Sussex) and Dedmarton, also
Cromer.
Dim CHURCH (Rugby). Dom. Donecerce. c. 1200 Dunchirch, 1444
Dunkyrke. ' Church on the hill,' O.E. dun, though possibly
fr. a man Donn or Dunn. The 1444 -kyrke is interesting, as
showing the lingering of Dan. influence, just as in Dunkirk,
N. France.
DuNGENESS (Kent). 1052 O.E. Chron. Na;ss — i.e., 'nose, cape,
naze.' Dunge- is prob. Dan. dynge, ' a heap, a pile (of dung),'
mod. Icel. dyngja, ' heap, dung,' O.E. dung. Cf. Dinganess,
Norway.
DuNGLEDDY (Glamorgan), c. 1130 Lib. Land. Dou Clediv, 1603
Doyglethe, * the dark (W. du) Cleddy R..'
Dunham (6 in P.G.). Sic 1150 chart. K.C.D. iv. 209. Dom.
Notts, Duneham. Norfolk D. c. 1460 Donham. O.E. dun-ham,
' hiU-dwelling.'
Dunheved (Launceston) . Dom. Dunhevet, c. 1140 Downehevede,
Dunehevede, 1250 Dunhefd. Com. din hafod, ' hill of the sum-
mer residence ' ; no doubt confused with O.E. heafod ; Dan. hoved,
* the head.'
DmsTMORE (Leckhampstead). Not in Dom. Chart, dunn mere,
which is O.E. for ' dim-coloured, brownish lake.' Perh. re-
modelled on DuNMORE (Sc), ' big hill.'
DuNMOW (Essex). Dom. Dom(m)auua, 1160 Pipe Dumawa, c. 1386
Donmowe. Perh. tautology. W. din, ' a hill,' and O.E. muga
' a heap, a mow, a pile of hay ' ; found 3-7 mowe.
DuNNiNGTON (York). Dom. Domni-, Donniton, also Dodinton;
1202 Dunnigton. There are several men named Dunning in
Onom., but the name here is doubtful. Cf. Doddington.
Dunstable. Not in Dom. \\2^ O.E. Chron. Dunestaple, c. 1200
Gervase Dunstapele, 1433 Dunstaple. ' Hill of the market '; it
DUNSTALL 240 DURLSTONE
lies at the foot of Dunstable Downs. O.E. dun-stapel. Of.
Barnstaple. Dunsley (Yorks) is Dom. Dunesle, ' meadow on
the hill.'
DuNSTALL. Common var. 6i TuisrsTALL.
DimsTER (Somerset). Not in Dom. Prob. 1231 Patent B. Dintre,
which looks like W. din tre, ' hill with the house.' But 1243 ib.
Dunesterr, which may be an Eng. remodelhng; O.E. dun steor-
ra{n), ' hill of the star.' The common Sc. ending -ster, O.N.
sta'^r, ' dwellmg/ is not very likely here.
DuNTiSBOURNE (Cirencestcr) . Dom. Tantesbourne, 1102 Dontes-,
1221 Duntesborne. ? ' Stream of.' Baddeley gives up the
impHed name as hopeless. Onom. has a Dunniht and a Thront,
which seem at least possible. See -bourne.
DuNTON (3 in P.G.). Dom. Norfk. Dontuna. Cf. 672 chart. Dun-
tun, ? near Winchester, and Dom. Duntune, Salop. ' Town at
the hill '; O.E. dun, which also means ' a fort.'
DmrwiCH (once in Suffolk, now submerged). BedeDomnoc, Dom-
moc, c. 1 175 Fantosme Dunewiz. Doubtful. Some derive fr . W.
dwfn, ' deep.' Cf. Dymock. See -wich.
DuBDANS, The (Epsom). Sic 1658. Said to be M.E. durden, ' a
coppice ' ; but there seems no trace of this in Oxf. Diet., where the
only durdan is a var. of dirdum, ' uproar, tumult,' a Sc. and
North, dial, word found c. 1440 in York Myst. as durdan. This
name is prob. Dom. Dordnhoes, ? ' hill of Dorda '; the nearest
name in Onom. is Durand. See Hoe. The plur. s often
suffixes itself.
Dtjrdae. (Carhsle) . Kelt, for ' stream with the thicket ' ; G. dobhar,
W. dwr, and G. daire; or else fr. G. darach, ' an oak.' The same
Dur- is seen in Durbeck or Doverbeck (Notts), 1225 Doverbec,
prob. a tautology, and in Durbridge (Worcs.). CJ. Dover and
DWRBACH,
Durham. Founded O.E. Chron. ann. 995, but no name is given
there, c. 1070 Wm. Jumieges Castrum quod propria lingua
Dunelmum nuncuparunt ; 1075-1128 Dunholme ; c. 1175 Fantosme
Durealme ; 1295 Dwreysm ; c. 1470 Henry Duram ; 1535 Stewart
Durhame. A name which has changed more than once. Dunelm
or -eahne is orig. Kelt, dun ealm, 'hill of the elms,' an early
loan-word. But Dunholme is O.E., meaning ' fort by the holm
or river-meadow ' ; whilst Durham should mean ' wild-beasts'
home or lair,' O.E. deor ham, same root as deer ; Icel. dyr ;
Sw. diur, ' a wild beast.' That the n should have become r is.
but one other proof of the liquiditj'^ of the liquids. Gf. Dereham
and Dyrham.
Dtjrlstone Head (Dorset) . Not in Dom. ' Perforated rock ' ; O.E.
thyrel, ' a hole,' same root as nos-<n7. The name is perh. a
translation of Tillywhim near by. The Head is full of holes.
PURNFOKD 241 DYSERTH
DuRNFORD (Amesbury) . Dom. Darnef ord. .E. derne, dyrne, ' secret,
hidden, obscure/ Cf. Darnall and Darnick (Sc). Dornford
(Wootton, Oxon) is the same; 1236 Patent R. Derneford.
DuRRiNGTON (Salisbury and Worthing). Sa. T>. Dom. Derintone,
Wo. D. Dom. Derentune. Prob. O.E. Deoran tun, 'town of
Deora.' Onom. also has Deorwen or Derwine. Cf. Dtjrsley
(Glouc), 1153 Duresle, also Derselega, where the name is doubt-
ful. DuRRANCE (Upton Warren) is prob. called after a Robt.
Duran, known to be living in an adjoining manor in 1275.
DusTON (Northampton). Dom. Dustone. Prob. ^ Dudd's town.'
Gf. Dom. Dudestan (Chesh.) and Dudley and Ditmmer.
Button (Warrington). Sic 1302, but 1102 Dotona. Perh. ' town
of Dutta.' Cf. 940 chart. Duttan hamme (Wiley, Wilts). But
perh. fr. O.E. dufe, ' a dove '; perh. here become a proper name.
Gf. DUFPIELD.
DuxFORD (Cambridge). Dom. Dochesuuorde, 1211 Dokesworth,
1284 Dukesworth, c. 1660 Fuller Dokesworth. The -ford is quite
a mod. corrup. ' I^arm of Due' says Skeat, and not ' of the
ducks,' O.E. duca, though Due is an unknown personal name.
Cf. DoxEY. See -worth. But Duxford (Berks) is Dom.
Dudochesforde, ' Ford of Dudoc ' ; 10 such in Onom.
DwRBACH (Pembrokesh.). W.= 'little stream.' Durbeck or Dover
Beck (Notts), 1225 Doverbec, might be the same name, but is
more likely a tautology; W. dwr= Eng. becJc, 'stream.'
DwYFOR and Dwyffach (Criccieth). Prob., says Anwyl, 'great
and little goddess,' L. diva; W. mawr, 'big,' and bach, 'little,'
in both names aspirated.
Dyffryn (Merioneth), old Dyffrynt. W. dyfr-hynt, ' water ' or
' river way,' and so ' vale.'
Dym- or DiMCHURCH (New Romney, Kent). Not in Dom. M'Clure
compares O.E. dimhus and dimhof, ' hiding or dark place.'
Dymock (Glouc). Dom. Dimoch, 1167-68 Pipe Dlmoc, 1223
Dimmoc. Doubtful. It looks hke an O.W. dimin. of W. din,
dyn, 'hill' or 'fort'; m and n constantly interchange. Cf.
Dum- or Dunbarton, and DuisrwiOH.
Dyrham (Chippenham) . Said to be O.E. Chron. 577, also 950 chart.,
Deorham — i.e., * wild beasts' lair or home.' Cf. Durham. But
Dom. Wilts has a Dobreham, which may be the Chron. place, and
so a hybrid — O.Keltic dobr ; W. dwfr, 'river'; and O.E. ham,
' home.' Cf. Dover.
Dyserth (Flint) . 1245 Patent R. Dissard. W. form of L. desertum,
' a desert place,' then ' a hermit's cell,' 'a house for receiving pil-
grims,' ' a church,' and so the same as the Deserts and Dysarts
of Ireland and Scotland. There is a ' Desertelawa ' (hill), 1156,
in Pipe Derby.
DTVIR 242 EASINGTON
Dyvi R. (Merioneth), c. 1188 Oir. Camb. Ostium Devi. Prob.
another instance of river-worship, the name prob. meaning
' goddess.' Cf. Dwyfor.
Eagle Stone (Baston Edge). Local tradition says, fr. the Saxon
archer god Egil or JEgle. Cf. AYiiESBURY and Eglesboubne.
Eakeing (Newark). Dom. Aigrun, Ec(h)eringhe, 1229 Close R.
Ekering'. 1278-1428 Aykering. This seems to be O.N. eik-
runn, 'runlet, little stream with the oaks.' Cf. Aigbubth.
Oxf. Diet, gives run, sb. 9, with this meaning as North, dial.,
and has no quot. a. 1581. But the verb run in its earher
usages' seems to have come to us chiefly through Scandi-
navian sources. See Did. s.v. run vb. The later forms seem to
be N. eikar eng, in M.E. ing, ' meadow of the oaks.'
Ealing (London) . 1245 Patent B. Gilling ; later Yeling, Yealing, and
ZeaUng {Z for Y). Evidently the same patronymic as in Gil-
LiNGHAM. For the falling away of g, cf. L^chesteb, Ipswich,
etc., also Yabmouth. Onom. has both Gilo and Gillus ; fr. either
Gilling may have come. See -ing. There are also Dom. Berks
Elinge, and 1161-62 Pi'pe Eling, Hants. These, however, are
prob. patronymics fr. Ela, a man's name found in Beowulf.
Eamont or Eamot Bridge (Penrith). 926 chart. Eamotum, M'Clure
says, O.E. ea-{ge)mot, in 926 in a loc. plur., meaning ' river con-
fluence ' or ' meet '; the form -mont prob. showing the influence
of N. munn-r, ' a river-mouth.' Possibly the same name as
Emmet.
Eabby (Colne). Dom. Eurebi. Prob. ' dwelling of Eofor.' Eofor-
maer of Drifl&eld is found also as Euremarus. Cf. Everley.
See -by.
Eabdington. See Erdinqton.
Eabdiston (Tenbury), Eabdisland, and Eabdisley (Herefordsh.).
Ten. E. 957 chart. Eardufestun, Dom. Ardolvestone, a. 1100
chart. Eardulfestune. ' Town, land, and meadow of Eardwulf.'
See -ley and -ton.
Earith. See Ebith.
Earlswood (Birmingham, etc.). Bir. E. in c. 1274 chart, is 'the
Earl of Warwick's wood.'
Early (Reading). Dom. Erlei, 1316 Erie, Erlee, 1428 Arle. Skeat
conjectures ' Earna's lea,' or 'meadow of the eagle,' O.E. earn,
and compares Abley. Cf. Dom. Bucks Erlai, and Eabnley
(Sussex), B.G.S. i. 331 Eameleagh.
Earsham (Bungay). Not in Dom. 1157 Pipe Eresham. 'Home of
Ere,' one in Onom: Cf. Abbeton.
Easington (4 in P.G.). Thame E. Dom. Essedene. Castle Eden E.
a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Esingtun, 1183 Esyntona. ' Town, village of
Ese or Eene,' both very common in Onom. The -ing, q.v., may
EASINGWOLD 243 EASTWOOD
either represent the O.E. gen. -an, or be the sign of a patronymic.
Cf. Dom. Bucks Esenberge. For interchange of -den, -don,
-ton, see these endings.
Easingwold (Yorks) . Dom. Eisicewalt, Eisincewald, 1230 Close R.
Esingewald. Prob. patronymic. ' Wold, wood of the sons of,'
some man with name in Is- {cf. Eastoft). Wold is O.E. wold,
weald. Of. Easinqhope (Wore), 1275 Esighope, ' vaUey of the
sons of Is or Esi,' and above. See -ing.
East Beckham (Norfolk). Dom. Becham, 1458 Est bekham. May
not be ' home on the beck ' or 'brook,' see Bacup; but perh.
fr. a man, as in Beokenham.
Eastbourne. Dom. Borne, 1114 O.E. Chron. Bume, c. 1450
Fortescue Borne, 1730 Eastborn or Eborn. Bume or bourne is
just early Eng. for ' brook,' the Sc. burn. Eastbubn (Driffield)
is actually Augustbume in Dom. See Atjst.
Eastoote (Pinner). Of. 958 cTiart. ' Eostacote ' on Stour, Staffs —
i.e., ' east cot ' or ' cottage '; also 1179-80 Pipe Westcotun and
Oustcotun (Yorks).
Easterton (Market Lavington). 'Eastern village.' Cf. Dom.
Surrey Estreha and Eastby.
Eastfield (Northampton). 963 O.E. Chron. ^Estfeld. East-
usually is ' east ' ; but Eastbrook (Sutton Coldfield) is a. 1200
Essebrook, which is prob. ' ash-tree brook.' O.E. cesc, 3 asse,
5 esche ; esse for ' ash ' is found in Dom. Easttngton, 2 in Glouc,
1119 Estinthone, is prob. O.E. eastan tun, 'at the East village.'
See -ing.
Eastoft (Goole). Prob. 1119 chart. Istofte, which looks like Dan.
is-toft, ' ice ' or ' icy field.' There is one man Iso in Onom., and
many names in Is-, Isgod, Ishere, Iswulf, etc., and the Is- may
be a contraction of any of them. Dom. has only Ese-, Estorp,
Easton (12 in P.O.). O.E. Chron. 656 ^stun, 1137 Estun (North-
ampton), 796 chart. Eastun (Berks). Dom. Estune (E. Riding,
Yorks), Estone (Bucks). ' East town.'
Eastbington (Brough, Yorks). Dom. Estrincton, Perh. 'town
of Eastorwine,' and it may be a patronymic. See -ing.
Eastry (Dover). 788 chart. In regione Eastrgena, 805 chart-
Easterege, a. 1000 Eastrege. The first haK will mean ' Eastern ' ;
M'Clure connects the second with the continental tribe of the
Rugii. But in O.E. the ending -ige usually means * island.' Cf.
Atjsterfield. Eastbea, or Estbea (Cambs), is prob. B.C. 8.
iii. 438, Estrey, or ' eastern isle. Cf. Westry farm, March, and
Eastwood (Nottingham). Dom. Estewic, error for -twit, 1166-7
Pipe Est Twait, 1225 Estwaite, and often so. This is now no
region for -thwaite (see p. 59), hence the change.
EATHORPE 244 ECCLESHALL
Eathorpe (Leamington). 1327 Ethorpe. ' Village on the running
water/ O.E. kb, O.N. oa. This is one of the southmost instances
of -thorpe, q.v. Cf. Edalb, and Dom. Glouc. Aiforde.
Eaton Constantine (Shrewsbury). Dom. Etone.
Eaton Hastings (Farringdon). O.E. chart. Eatun, c. 1300 Eton.
Eaton Socon (Bedford). 1155 Eitune, 1581 Eaton Sooken.
Eaton Water and Wood (Staffs). Dom. Eitone, Etone.
Eaton (Notts) Dom. Etune, Ettone, Attune. ,0.E. ea-tun,
'river-town.' Socn is a district held by tenure of vocage — i.e.,
for certain, determined service; O.E. soc, 'privilege of holding
a court in a district.' There are 8 Eatons in P.O. Cf. Eton.
Ebberston (Snainton, Yorks). Dom. Edbriztune, 1166-67 Pipe
Edbrihteston. ' Town of Eadbeorht/ a very common O.E. name.
Cf. Dom. Salop Etbretelie. But with Ebberly (Torrington) cf.
Dom. Hereford, Elburgelega, ' meadow of (the lady) Elhurga.'
Ebbesbotjrne (SaUsbury). 672 chart. Ebblesburnon, Dom. Ebles-
borne. 'Elba's brook' or 'bum,' O.E. hurn{e). Eabba and
Eabe are common in Onom., and there is also one Ebhella. The
liquid I would easily disappear. Cf. Ebley (Glouc), 1317
Ebbaleye, and Epsom.
Ebbseleet (Thanet) . O.E. Chron. 449 Eopwinesfleot, Ypwinesfleot ;
also Wippedsfleot. Not in Dom. O.E. fleot, Icel. fljot is ' a
stream ' or perh. ' a creek,' same root &s fleet. See Fleet. The
first part must represent the name of some early Jutish settler.
Ebbs- may be a contraction of Ypwines- or Eopwines-. There
was once a channel between Thanet and Kent, and this is at the
south-east mouth of it. Cf. Ipplepen.
Ebchester (Co. Durham). Perh. a. 700 Bav. Geogr. Ebio.
' Camp of ?.' See -Chester.
EccHiNSWELL (NcwbuTy). Dom. Eccleswelle. Eccles, as in next,
is prob. L. ecclesia, W. eglwys, and so this name may mean
' church weU.' It is a curious corrup., and shows how any one
liquid may run into another, though I very rarely becomes n.
There is one Echun in Onom.
EccLES (Lanes, Attleborough, Maidstone) and Eccleseield (Shef-
field). Lane. E. sic c. 1100. Sh. E. Dom. Eclesfelt, 1179 Eccles-
feld. Either L. ecclesia, W. eglwys, ' a church,' or rare case of
a personal name in gen. used for a place, without suffix, ' (village
of) ^cel ' or ' JScle,' a known O.E. name. Cf. Beccles, Beedon,
and Brailes. It is hard to be certain which alternative is right ;
both are contrary to the usual. E.g., why should the name ^cel
so often be used alone, when ahnost no other is ?
EccLESHALL (Stafford). Dom. Ecleshelle, 1298 Eccleshale, 1459
Eggleshal. ' Nook, corner, beside the church,' or ' of JSceZ '
(see above). See -hall. Cf. Eccleshill (S. Yorks), Dom.
Egleshil, and Eooleston (Lanes), Dom. Eglestun.
ECCTJP 246 EDGBASTON
Eccup (Leeds). Dom. Echope. 'Shut-in valley of Ecca.' Of.
Bactjp, and see -hope.
EcKiNGTON (Pershore and SheflSeld) . Pe . E . 972 chart. Eccyncgtune,
Dom. Aichintune, a. 1400 Ekington, Ekynton, Shef . E. ? Dom.
Ecinton. ' Town of the sons of Ecca.' Of. next and Grant a. 675
' Eccantrewe ' in Surrey. See -ing and -ton.
EcTON (Northampton). Dom. Ecdone, 1298 Eketon. ' Ecca's
town.^ Ecca is a very common name in Onom. ; -don and -ton
commonly interchange.
Edale (N. Derbysh.). Dom. Aidele. ' Dale/ N. dal-r, ' with the
running stream.' O.E. ea, O.N. da. Cf. Eathoepe and
Edzell (Sc), 1204 Edale; and see -dale.
Eddington (Heme Bay). Dom. Eddintone. ' Town of (the sons
of) Ede ' or ' Eada.' Cf. next and Dom. (Bucks) Eddingraue.
See -ing.
Eddisbury (Cheshire). 914 O.E. Ghron. Eadesbyrig, 'Eada's or
Ede's burgh.' Cf. Dom. (Bucks) Eddinberge. See -bury.
Eddlethorp (Yorks). Dom. Eduardestorp. ' Village of Edward,'
Liquid r has changed to Hquid I. Cf. Eddlesborough (Dun-
stable) — ^not in Dom. However, in another place in Dom. it
is Gedwalestorp ; prob. error.
Eddystone Lighthouse (Plymouth). ' Stone or rock of Eadda
or Mddi.'
Eden R. (Cumberland and Kent). Cum. E. prob. c. 120 Ptolemy
Ituna, a. 1130 Sim. Dur. lodene and duas Geodene == Castle
Eden and Little Eden (Hartlepool) ; latter also occurs as Suth
Yoden. The early forms of Eden Water, a Sc. tributary of the
Tweed, are seen in those of Ednam (Sc). ; c. 1100 Aednaham,
1116 Edyngahum, c. 1120 Ednaham, c. 1220 Edenham. These
forms are perplexing, and it is hard to come to a verdict. The
first part possibly contains a Kelt, root meaning ' corn,' W. yd,
Ir. etha, so perh. ' river flowing through corn-lands/ On en or
an for 'river,' cf. p. 11. Cf. Itchen.
Edenhall (Langwathby) . 1158-59 Pipe Edenhale. ' Nook by the
Eden.' See above and -hall.
Edensob (Bakewell). Dom. Ednesoure. As this is on the R.
Derwent, it prob. means ' bank, edge of Mdan ' or ' Aidan.'
' See -or and -over. But Eden, see above, may have been another
name of the Derwent. We get the same name in Baddesley
Ensor, a. 1300 Ednesovre, 1327 Endeshover.
Edgbaston (Birmingham) . Dom . Celboldstone ( ' Ceolbeald's town') ,
1150 Egboldeston, a. 1200 Egbaldeston, Eggebaldeston.
' Ecgbeald's village.' We cannot now explain the change of
name. But O.E. ecg- by rule becomes edg: e.g., edge is O.E.
EDGEWARE 246 EGLOSKERRY
Edgeware (London). Not in Dom. c. 1160 Eggeswere, c. 1500
Egges-ware. Perh. fr. an O.E. Ecgeswer, ' at the edge of the
wear/ ecg, 2 egge, ' edge/ and wer, locer, ' a fence, an enclosure
for fish/ Doni,. also uses wara for 'an outlying portion of a
manor/ which Round makes cognate with wer, ' a fence/
But the first part may be fr. a man ^ga, in Onom. Cf.
Dom. Norfk. Egemere and Edgwokth (Cirencester), Dom.
Egesuuorde, Egeiswurde, ' farm of j^ga ' or ' Ecg.'
Edgton (Aston-on-Clun, Salop). Cf. 1179-80 Pipe Roll Eggeton
(Yorks) . Either ' Mga's town/ or ' village at the edge.' See above.
Edinqley (Southwell). Not in Dom., but sic 1302. Cf. 1005
chart, in Bugdale, Egseanlsea. ' Eda's lea ' or ' meadow.' Cf.
Eddingthorpe and Edingale (Tamworth), Dom. Ednimghalle,
a. 1200 Eadinghall, Edenynghal(e), which may be a patronymic,
but is prob. derived fr. Eadhun.
E(d)dingthoiipe (N. Walsham). Not in Dom. 1429 Edithorp.
' Eada's village.' Many of this name in Onom. See -thorpe.
Edington (Wilts). 957 chart. Ethandun, Dom. Edintone. [879
O.E. Chron. Ethandun, cf. Ashington.] ' Town of Eda, Eada,
Etha, or Eata ' ; all these forms in Onom. See -ing. But
Athelney E. is Dom. Edwinetone, 1199 Edintone.
Edlingham (Ahiwiek). a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Eadulfingham, Eadwul-
fincham. A patronymic. ' Home of the descendants of Eadwulf,'
a common O.E. name. Similar is Edlington (Horncastle) .
Dom. EUintone, Eilintone, c. 1275 Testa de Neville Edelington.
Effingham (Leatherhead) . Not in Dom. O.E. Effingeham, pat-
ronymic; 'home of the descendants of Effa or Eafa' {cf.
Bede III. 24).
Egerton (Ashford, Kent, and Bolton). Not in Dom. ' Eadgar's
town.' Cf. Agardesley (Staffs), c. 1004 chart. Eadgares leye.
Eqham (Surrey). G^raw^of a.675, andDom.Egeham. 'Homeof ^g^a.'
Cf. Edgewabe, and Egbrough (Yorks), Dom. Egburg, Acheburg.
Eglesboubne or Ecclesburne (Derbysh.). Not in Dom. Said
to be, like Eagle Stone, fr. the archer Egil ; though the first
syll. may be for ' church,' see Eccles. A man's name is prob.
in Egglestone (DarHngton), Dom. Eghistun (h error for I),
and in 1342 ' Eglesfeld,' (Westmrld.).
Eglingham (Alnwick), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Ecgwulfingham, 1197
Eggleningeham. ' Home of the descendants of Ecgwulf,' a
common name in Onom. See -ing.
Egloshayle (The Lizard). Sic 1536. Corn, eglos hayle, ' church
on the tidal river.' Eglos is in W. eglwys, G. eaglais, L. ecclesia,
Gk. eKKXrjcrta.
Egloskebry (Launceston) . Corn, eglos, 'church,' see above, and
it is doubtful what; perh. the Corn, for ' fort,' W. caer, or perh.
EGLWYS NEWYDD 247 ELLENBO ROUGH
(? Corn, and) W. ceri, ' medlar trees/ In Dom. Cornw. we have
Eglosberrie, prob. fr. St. Baire of Cork, friend of Brendan and
Cainneach.
Eqlwys Newydd (Cardiff), now usually called Whitchurch, c.
1540 Egglis Newith, which is phonetic W. for ' new church/
The usual W. for church is llan.
Egremont (Pembroke and Whitehaven). Wh. E. a. 1200 Egener-
mot, which is clearly O.N. for ' meeting-place, court of Egen/
the -er being the N. gen. Cf. Ennerdale. But it is 1218
Egremunde, 1246 Egremund, where the ending is O.N. munn-r
for mund-r, 'mouth, ri ver -mouth ' ; perh. influenced by O.E.
munt, L. mons, -Us, ' hill, mountain.'
EiRL (mountains, Caernarvonsh.). W.=' rivals.'
Eldon (Bps. Auckland), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Elledun. Prob.
' ^Zto's or EIWq hill,' O.E. dun.
Eldwick (Bingley). Dom. Helguic, Helwic. O.E. halig wic, ' holy
dwelling,' holy is 3-4 heli, hely. Cf. O.N. heilag-r, Sw. helig,
and Elloughton ; and see -wick.
Elford (Tamworth) . 1004 chart. Ellef ord, Dom . Elef ord . ' Ford of
^lla ' or ' Elle/ common O.E. name. Cf. Dom. Essex Elefforda.
Elham (Canterbury), c. 1000 Ulaham, O.E. for 'owl village.'
Not in Dom.
EtiKTNqton, South (Louth). Dom. Alchinton, 1233 Suthelkinton,
1359 Elkyngton. Prob. ' town, village of Ealhhun,' fairly
common in Onom., and found also as Alchun. But it may be
' of the sons of Elc' Cf. next and -ing.
Elkstone (Cheltenham and Leek). Chel. E. Dom. Elchestane,
1177 Pipe Elkestan. Leek E. 1227 Elkesdon. Elc may be a
man's name, otherwise unknown. Cf. above; Baddeley says
Ealch for Ealh-, which also may be. But these are prob.
' stone ' and ' hill of the elk,' O.E. elcli, elh, then not recorded
till 1486 elke. See -don and -ton.
Elland (HaUfax). Dom. Elant, Elont. This seems to be a var,
of island. It stands on the R. Calder, but was it ever an
island ? Island is O.E. inland, iland, pllond, yllond, 4-5 eland.
But Ellel (Lanes.) is Dom. Ellhale, prob. ' Ella's nook.' See -hall.
Ellastone (Ashbourne) . Dom. Edelachestone, Elachestone, a. 1200
Adelakestone, Athel-, Ethelaxton, ' village of jMthelac' There is
also 1166-67 Pipe Adelacheston (Bucks and Beds). See -ton,
which often interchanges with -stone.
Ellenborough (Maryport). Old Alneburg, and (prob.) Aynburg.
' Burgh, town on the R. Ellen or Ai.ne.' But Ellenhall
(Eccleshall) is Dom. Linehalle (an error), a. 1200 ElHnhale,
' nook of Elle.' Cf. Ellesham. And in O.E. charters we find
both an Ellenbeorh and an Ellesbeorh. But Ellenthorp
ELLERBY 248 ELM
(W. Riding) is Elwinetorp and Halwidetorp {d error for n) in
JDom — i.e., ' village of Ealhwine or Aluuinus', same name as
Alcuin. Cf. Elvington.
Elleeby (Holderness). Dom. Aluerdebi, Alwerdebi, 1179-80 Pipe
Alwardebi. 'DwelHng of Ealdweard.' Cf. Aulerthorpe; and
see -by.
Elleedine (Wellington, Salop). Dom. Ellevrdine, 1233 Close R.
Ele- and Ailwarthin. ' Ella'a farm.' The ending -vrdine or
-wardine (q.v.) is common in this region.
Ellebker (South Cave, Yorks). Dom. Alrecher. Prob. O.N. olr
or elrir kjarr, ' alder copse.' Cf. Ellebton and Carswell, also
Elleebtjbn (E. Biding), Dom. Elreburne.
Elleeton (on Swale). Sic 1203, but Dom. Alreton, twice, Elre-
ton(e), 5 times. Perh. = Aldeetots, and some cases of
Alleeton, 'town among the alders,' O.E. alor, aler, 5 ellyr,
O.N. olr, elrir. But it may as likely be fr. the common O.E.
name Ealhhere, or else, JElfherej as in Alleeston. Elleeby
(Holderness), Dom. Alwerdebi, Aluerdebi, -wardebi, Elwordebi,
' dweUing of Ealhweard/ must be of different origin.
Ellesham or Ailsham Peioey (Lines). Dom. Elesham, 1233
Ellesham. 'Home of u^lli, Mia, or Ella.' Cf. 808 chart.
^lesbeorge, (Somerset).
Ellesmeee (Oswestry) . Sic in Dom. ' Lake of Ella ' \ see above.
ELLrNGHAM, Gt. (Attleboro') . Dom. sic and Elincgham, and
Ellington (Hunts and Morpeth), Hu. E. Dom. EHntune, may
aU be patronymics; 'home, town of JSlla's descendants.' But
Ellingdon (Swindon) is the Ellandune or ' Ella's fort,' of the
great Mercian defeat by K. Egbert in 825 ; ELLLffGHAM (Bungay)
is Dom. Elmingheha, ' home of the sons of Elm, or Elmund, or
Ealhmund'; and Ellinthoepe (S. Yorks) is Dom. Adelingestorp.
See Adelingfleet. Also see -ing and -thorpe.
Elloughton (Brough. Yorks). Dom. Elgendon, The Elgen- is
doubtful, more old forms needed. It is not impossible it may
represent hallow, 'a saint,' O.E. halga, -an, 3 Orm, plur. alhen,
4 alwes. Cf. O.N. heilag-r, Sw. helig, ' holy,' and Eldwick.
See -don and -ton.
Elm (Cambridge and Frome). Cam. E. a. 1154 O.E. Chron. 956
^Im, 1346 Elm. O.E. elm, Dan. celm, aim, ' an elm-tree.'
Cf. Ash, Poplae, etc. Elmbeidge (Glostr.) is c. 1210 El-
brugge, but c. 1200 Telbrugge also Thellbruge ' bridge made
of deals.' O.E. yel, ]>ell. The change arose through Thel-
being taken as Th'el- or ' The elm ' bridge. There is a ' Thel-
brycg ' (Sandford, Devon) in 930 chart. On the other hand,
Elmbridge (Droitwich) is Dom. Elmerige, a .1300 Elmrugge, and
-brugge, which is orig. ' elm -ridge,' O.E. hrycg.
ELMERS END 249 ELTERBURN
Elmers End (Beckenham) . Elmer is a late form of MlJmcBr, a very
common O.E. name. But Elmore (Gloster) is 1177 Pipe
Elmour, 1221 Elneovere. ' Elm-tree bank/ C/. Hasler, etc.,
and see -over.
Elmett. See Barwick-in-Elmet.
Elmham (Norfolk) . ? 1038 chart. iElmham. ? O.E. - ' house built
of elm-wood." Of. Elmdon (Birmingham), Dom. Elmedone.
Elmsbridge (Surrey). Dom. Amelebrige, often; 1230 Close R.
Emelesbrug. ' Bridge of Mmele/ perh. he was prsefectus in
Sussex in 772 {B.G.S. 208). We have a similar corrup. in Elm-
stone (Kent), 1243 Patent R. Eylmerston — i.e. / town oiAylmer/
very common in O.E. as Mlfmoer.
Elmsett (Ipswich). Dom. Elmeseta, c. 1210 Jocelin Elmset. The
meaning is a little doubtful. Seat, O.N. soeti, is not found in
Eng. till c. 1200, and with the meaning ' place of abode ' not
till c. 1275. But the ending -set or -scet, as in Somerset, is
very old; and so the meaning here is prob. 'dwelling of a
family called Elm.' Trees' names often became personal
names. However, Elmstone Hardwick (Cheltenham) is 889
chart., Alchmundingtun, Dom. Almondeston, ' dwelHng of Ealh-
mund.' See -ing.
Elslack (Skipton). Dom. Eleslac. 'uElla's slack,' O.N. slakki,
' a small shallow dell or valley, a hoUow or dip in the ground.'
Cf. Beeslack, Penicuik (Sc).
Elston (Newark) . Dom. Eluestune,c. 1190 Elvestona,1302 Eyliston.
Of. B.C.S. 936 ^Ifestun. ' Town of jElf.' Cf. Alveston and
Dom. Dorset ^Elfatune. O.E. celf, O.N. alf-r is ' an elf, a fairy.'
Elstow (Bedford). Dom. Elnestou, c. 1160 Ahiestowe, c. 1200
Gervase Helenstoe, 1233 Patent R. Alnestowa, 1327-1632 Ehies-
towe. Perh. ' St. Helen's place,' O.E. stow. Cf. Morwenstow.
The Helen is said to be Helena, mother of Constantine the
Great. But it may well be ^Ealhhun's,Mlhun's, or Ealhwine'a
place.' These are all known names. But older forms are
needed.
Elstree (St. Albans). 1287 Idolvestre; later Idelestree, Ilstrye
— i.e., ' Eadwulf's tree.' Cf. Oswestry, etc. The form Eagles-
tree is a stupid invention.
Elswick (Preston and Newcastle). Pr. E. Dom. Edelelsuuic.
Doubtful. Perh. ' Mhel's dwelling.' See -wick.
Elsworth (W. Cambs). Chart. ElesworS, Dom. Elesworde, 1316
Ellesworthe. Local pron. Elser. 'Ella's farm.' Cf. Elles-
HAM. In O.E. charters we also have ' Ellewurthie,' now the
personal name Elworthy. See -worth, -worthy.
Elterburn (Nthbld.), old Elthebum, and Elterwater (Amble-
side). Doubtful. There is one man Eltor mentioned in Dom.
17
ELTHAM 250 EMNETH
Elthajvi (Greenwich). Sic 1577, but Dom. Ealdham, which is O.E.
for ' old home or house/ Another Eltham in the N. is found
sic in 1314. Cf. Elton.
Eltisley (St. Neot's). Not in Dom. 1251 Eltesle, 1302 Elteslee.
The nearest name in Onom. is one Eltan or Elstan, a monk.
Skeat conjectures ^Mlfgeat's, lea/ but more evidence is needed.
Elton (4 in P.G.). Dom. Derby Eltune, Hants Eltetone.
Stockton E. a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Eltun; Nottingham E. Dom.
Ailtone, c. 1190 Elletona. On analogy of Eltham one would
incline to O.E. eald tun, 'old town.' But Elletona suggests
derivation f r. a man Ella ; whilst Mutschmann is prob. right in
deriving Ailtone f r. Mgel, late var. of Mihel or Ethel, ' the noble-
born.' Gf. Ellesham, etc.
Elvtngton (York). Dom. Alvintone, ^ Ealdwine'a^ or ' Ealhwine'a
town.' Gf. Ellenthobp.
Ely. Bede iv. 19 Elge, q.v., O.E. versn. Elige, Elia lond; 936 O.E.
Ghron. Elig, Die Heilige Engl. Ehgabirig, a. 1153 Liber Eliensis
Ely. AngUce id est, a copia anguillarum quae in eisdem
capiuntur paUudibus. O.E. el-i^e, 'eel-island.' Cf. Elie (Sc).
But Skeat thinks that Elge represents el-ge, ge being a very
rare and early O.E. word for ' region, district ' ; Ger. gau. See -ey.
Ember B<. (Hampton Court). Prob. same root as Embeb sb^,
Oxf. Diet., which is fr. O.E. ymb, ' about, round,' and ryne,
' course, running.'
Emborrow (Bath). Not in Dom. Prob. a. 1142 Wm. Malmesb.
Eatumberg, 1270 chart. Eteneberga, ' Barrow, mound of Eata
{Eatan, Eathun),' a name common in Onom. It is an interesting
corruption. Gf. Barrowby, etc.
Embsay (Skipton). Dom. Embesie, 1202 Emeseia. ' Island of Embe.'
One monk of this name is found in Lib. Vit. Dunelm. See -ay.
Emlyn (Caermarthen) . c. 1188 Gir. Gamb. Emelin. Must surely
have some connexion with W. ymlyn, emlyn, ' to follow, to
adhere ' ; or perh. emyl, ' border, edge ' ; but the origin is quite
doubtful. A castle was built here by Sir Rhys ap Thomas, in
time of Hen. VIII. ; hence it is often called Newcastle Emlyn,
because built on the site of a previous castle. Gf. 1603 Owen.
' Emlyn Yskych . . . wherein newe Castle standeth.'
Emmer Green (Reading). Gf. Dom. Bucks Imere. Perh. O.E.
ed-mere, ' lake beside the stream.' Gf. Eton and Hammer.
Emmet (Northumbld. and Yorks). Perh. 926 O.E. Ghron. Eamo-
tum is that in Norbld. ; chart. Emmet-roda (Yorks), M'Clure
says Eamotum is loc. pi., of ea-{ge)mot, ' river confluence.'
Emneth (Wisbech). Not in Dom. O.E. emnet, 'a plain,' fr.
emn or efn or efen, ' even, flat, level,' with denominative suffix
as in thicket, etc. The present th had prob. its origin with a
EMPINGHAM 261 ENVILLE
Norm, scribe, €f. Granth for Grant (s.v. Cambridge), Thames
for Tames, etc.
Empingham (Stamford). Sic in Chron. Petrob., 1166 Pipe Empin-
geha. ' Home of the Empings/ an O.E. tribe. Cf. Impington
(Cambs), chart. Impintun, 1210 Empintone. Empshott (Hants)
is Dom. Hibesete, ' seat, dweUing of Hiba.' ? for Himba or
Hima, one in Onom. Cf. Aldee-shot.
Emscote (Warwick), a. 1200 Edulfascote, a. 1300 Edelvecote, and
Edehnescote. Two names here, ' Edulf's or Eadwulf'a ' and
' Eadhelm's cottage.'
Emswell (Yorks). Dom. Helmeswelle, Elmeswell. ' Well of Helm
or Helmu.' Of. Emsworth (Havant), 1231 Close B. Elmeworth.
Only Roll Rich. I. Emeswelle, Enewelle (Herts) is now Amwell.
Emley (Yorks) is Dom. Ameleie, -lai, which, like Amwell, is
fr. a man Amma.
Enborne (Berks), c. 1300 Enedburn, and Enford (Pewsey), Dom.
and chart. Enedforde. Fr. O.E. ened, L. anas, -tis, ' a duck.'
See -bourne.
Enderby (Leicester), Dom. Endrebie, 1229 Close R. Endredebi.
' Dwelling of Endred ' or ' Mndred,' a name not in Onom. See
-by.
ExDON (Stoke-on-T.), Dom. Enedun, a. 1300 Hene-, Enedun, and
Eneield (London), Dom. Enefelde, later Enfeld, Endfield, may
be ' duck's hill ' and * field ' too. See above, and cf. 1161-62
Pipe (Cumbld.) Endehal, ' duck's nook.' But they may be fr.
a man JSna, ^Eni, Eana, or Eni, all forms found in Onom.
For Endmoor (Kendal) we need old forms. It might be fr. O.E.
ende, ' the end,' which in O.E. also means ' a quarter, a division,'
and later, ' a boundary.'
England. Freeman says, first in 991 Treaty K. JEthelred Engla-
land; 1258 Henry III. Engleneloande. In 975, 986, and 1002
the country is called Angel-cyn; and older is the name Saxonia.
' Land of the Engels or Angles,' who came over fr. East of the R.
Elbe, where there is a Schleswig district still called Angeln,
Cf. Freeman, Nor. Conq. i. 538 (3rd edit.).
Englefield (Reading) . 871 O.E. Chron. Englef eld, Dom. Englef el,
InglefeUe. ' Field of the Angles.' Cf. above, and Engleton
(Warwksh.), sic a. 1200.
Ennerdalb (W. Cumberland), a. 1200 Egenerdal, * dale of Egen,'
gen. case. Cf. Egremont and Eynsham.
Entwistle (Salford). c. 1400 Entwisell. Perh. 'confluence of
Ena.' See Enfebld and Twizel.
Envillb (Stourbridge). Dom. Efnefeld, a. 1200 Efne-, Evenes-,
Evene feld, ' Even field.' Cf., however, Evenwood, which
with this, may be fr, a man, though in this case prob. not.
ENYS DODMAN 252 ESHER
' Even ' in O.E. is ebn, emn, efn, efen. The -ville must be a
quite mod. ' refinement/
Enys Dodman (Land's End). * Island of ' prob. some unknown
saint. BIr. H. Jenner spells it Dodnan, and would identify
with Donan, perh. he after whom the Breton churches at
Landonan and St. Thonan are called. This is very dubious.
Cf. The Dodman, Fowey. Corn, enys is W. ynys, G. innis,
' island.' Cf. Ince.
Epping (London). Dow. and 1229 CZose iS.Eppinges. Patronymic.
' Place of the descendants of Eppa,' a name of which there are
several examples in Onom. Cf. 811 chart. ' Appin(c)g lond '
(Kent), and Dom. Surrey Epingeh a; also Epney (Glostersh.),
1252 Eppen', ' Eppa'a isle.'
Eppleby (Darlington). Dom. Aplebi= Appleby.
Epsom (Surrey). Dom. Ebbasham(e), 1662 Ebsham or Epsom.
' Home of Ebbe ' or ' Mbbe,' an abbess, early in 7th cny. Dom.'s
Ebbas- must be an error for Ebbes-. Cf. Mill-om (N. of Barrow) ;
also Ipsley.
Epworth (Doncaster). Not in Dom. c. 1444 Eppeworth. ' Farm
of Eppa or Eappa.' Cf. B.C.S. 253 Eppan hrycg. See -worth.
Ebdington (Birmingham). Dom. Hardintone, a. 1200 Erdin(g)ton,
1327 Erdyngton. ' Village of Harding,' once in Dom. Erding.
Cf. Hardingstone and Eaudington (Bridgenorth) . This
last might also be fr. Eardwine.
Erewash R, (Derby). Not in Dom. c. 1175 Yrewis, 1637 Ar-, Erewash.
Doubtful, prob. pre-Saxon. But cf. Guash, Irwell and Wash.
Erith (London), also Earith (St. Ives, Hunts). Lon. E. c. 962
chart. Earhyth, EarhiSe, Dom. Erhede, 1486 Erith, c. 1580
Eareth. St. I. E. Ramsey Chron. Herhythe, Erethe, Erithe.
Dr. Morris says, O.E. ea-rith, ' water-channel.' But Skeat is
positive that it is O.E. ear-hythe, ' muddy landing-place ' or
' shore.' O.E. ear is a very rare word, Icel. aurr, ' wet clay,
mud.' See Hythb. Skeat is almost certainly right.
Ernley. See Arley.
Escomb (Bps. Auckland), a. 1130 /Sim. D%r. Ediseum. ' Edda's
or Adde'a valley'; but already 1183 Boldon Bk. Escumba.
See -combe.
EsGAiR Felyn (Ogwen). W.= ' yellow scaur or cliff.' Esgair is
same root as the Sc. skerry, G. sgeir, all borrowed fr. O.N. sker,
N. skjer, ' a rugged, insulated sea rock.'
EsHER (Surbiton). Dom. Aissela, Aissele, c. 1210 Ashal, 1230-31
Close B. Esser, Eyser, Eiser, c. 1240 Assere. A curious name.
It ifl prob. ^Ascytel's' or ^Aschil's lea or meadow,' O.E. leah;
and I has become r by dissimilation. But it is rare for the
ending -lea or -ley to have wholly fallen away. In 801 Grant
ESK R. 263 ETTINGSHAM
we find an Esher or Echer in Somerset, to which the above
explanation could not apply; it will be= Asheb, ' ash-tree bank/
Cf. B.C. 8. 158 Uckinge Esher.
EsK R. (S. Cumbld.). 1340 Eskheved or -head. For forms see
EsK (Sc), 3 rivers there, a. 800 Esce, etc. Kelt, root for
' river, water,' as in Exe, G. uisge, etc. Wh. Stokes cannot be
right in calling Esk Pictish, when we have it in S. Cumbld.;
but it may well be cognate with O.Ir. esc, ' a marsh, a fen,' and
O.W. uisc or UsK.
EssENDiNE or -DEAN (Stamford). O.E. Chron. ann. 657 Esendic, a.
1100 Esendike. ' Ditch,' O.E. die, ' of Esa, Ese, or Esi,' all these
forms are in Onom. The -dean is a later ending, q.v. Cf. Dom,
Essex Lassendene, which may be La(The) Essendean (as in
Lasham), as no man Lassa is recorded. But by 1230 Close R.
we get Esenden. See -dean.
EssENDON (Hatfield). 1298 Writ Estdene= 'East Dean'; but
EssiNGTON (Walsall) is 994: chart. Esingetun, Dom. Eseningetone,
a. 1300 Esynton, Esnyngton. ' Village of the descendants of
Esne,' a common O.E. name, meaning ' servant,' or else ' of
Esa, Ese, or Esi,' as above. 1160-61 Pipe Nthbld. has an
Essinton.
Essex. Nennius Est saxum (inflected). O.E. Chron. 499 East
Sexa, a. 1087 Essex, Dom. Exsessa, a. 1236 Rog. Wendover Est-
sexia. ' Land of the East Saxons.'
Etchells (Chesh., etc.). See Nechells. But Etchilhampton
(Wilts), not in Dom., is 1228 Hechelhamt, ' Homestead of
? Heahhelm or Hehelm ' ; one in Onom. See Hampton.
Etchingham (Sussex). 1298 Echingham. 'Home of Ecca,' a
common name in Onom., once found as Eccha. It may be a
patronymic. See -ing. Dom. has only Echen-, Achintone and
Achingeworde. Etchden (Kent) is 1286 Close R. Haccheden,
perh. ' woody vale entered by a hatch ' or half -door, or wicket;
O.E. hcec, hcecce, 3-7 hacche, 5 hetche, 5-6 heche ; but it may be
fr. a man Eccha.
Eton. Sic 1298, but Dom. Ettone, Etone. O.E. ea-tun, ' town
on the river.' Cf. Eaton.
Etburia (Burslem). The pottery works here were founded in 1769
by Josiah Wedgewood, who gave them this fanciful name ' as
that of the country of old most celebrated for the beauty of its
ceramic products.'
Ettingsham (Shrewsbury). Dom. Attingeha, a. 1145 Orderic
'Apud Ettingesham in ecclesia Sancti Eattae confessoris,'
abbot of Melrose, then Bp. of Lindisfarne {Bede iii. 26).
'Home of Eatta's, people'; a patron3nnic. Cf. both Etes-
hale and Ettinghale in Dom. Cheshire, and Ettingshall
(Wolverhampton), 994 Ettingeshall, Dom. Etinghale: also
ETTON 254 EVESHAM
Eatington (Wwksh.), Dom. Etendone, and Eteloe (Awre), Dom.
Eteslau, ' burial mound of Mtta ' or ' Eatta.'
Etton (Mket. Deeping and Beverley). M. D. Ett. sic a. 1100;
Bev. E. Dom. and 1202 Ettone, 1179-80 Eton. 'Town of
Eatta.' Cf. above.
Etjston (Thetford). Dom. Eustuna, and Eusfort, 1479 Euston.
Prob. ' Eowa's town.' This accords with analogy better than
to derive fr. O.E. eowu, M.E. ewe, ' an ewe.' Euston Sq. is
called after the Dukes of Grafton and Earls of Euston, ground
landlords here.
EuxTON (Chorley). Pron. Allstn, Elestn. 1241 Euckeston, 1246
Eukeston, a. 1300 Euchestona, 1311 Huxton. ' Town of Euca/
a name unrecorded, but Hiui, Hucco and HiLch are in Onom.
EvENLODE (Stow-on-Wold). 772 chart Euulangelade, 777 ib.
Eunlade {u=v), 969 ib. Eowlangelade, Dom. Eunilade, 1327
Evenlode, 1330 Eweneload. O.E. Eowlan gelad, ' channel of
Eowla/ gelad being cognate with Eng. lade and lode. Duignan
translates, ' ford, ferry.' Eowla is found B.C. 8. 812 as Eowel,
name of a W. prince, better known to us in the form Howell.
EvENWOOD (Bps. Auckland), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Efenwuda.
' Eafa's or Eafe's wood.' It might be fr. O.E. efen, efn, ' even,
level.' Cf. Enville.
EvERCREECH (Bath) . Exon . Dom . Euercriz . See next and Creech .
Thus it is a hybrid — the ' Creech ' or ' Hill of the Boar.'
Everley or -LEIGH (Marlborough and Yorks). Ma. E. a. 1140 Wm.
Malmesb. Eburleah. Yo. E. Dom. Eurelai, -lag. ' Meadow of
the wild boar.' O.E. eofor, eofer, 3 eaver, 4 ever, cognate with
L. aper. Cf. O.E. seofon, now seven. Eversley (Winchfield)
is, of course, the same. But in both cases Eofor may be a
proper name, just as Bear, Wolf, etc., are so used. Cf. Evring-
HAM and Everton (Notts), Dom. Evretone. See -ley,
Eversden (Cambs). c. 1080 Inquis. Cam. Eueresdona, Dom.
Auresdone, 1291 Everesdon, 1316 Everesdene; and Everthorpe
(Yorks), Dom. Evertorp. ' Hill ' (or ' valley '), ' enclosure,'
and ' village of Eofor ' or ' of the wild boar.' See Everley,
-don, -dean, and -thorpe; also cf. Heversham.
Evesham. 709 chart. Homme, Eveshomme, also Cronochomme,
714 ib. Eouesham, 716 ib. Cronuchhomme, 854 ib. Ecquines
hamme, 1045 O.E. Chron. (H)eofeshamme, Dom. Eovesham,
c. 1097 Flor. W. Eoveshamm. ' Enclosure of Eof,' herdsman
to Bp. Ecgwine, mentioned in 854 chart. Here, it is said, the
Virgin appeared to Eof, and a monastery was erected on the
spot In Worcestersh. a ham means specifically 'riverside
meadow-land.' See -ham (2). Cf. Eaveston (Yorks), Dom.
Eveston, Dom. Surrey Evesha, and 1179-80 Pipe Yorks Euesham.
EVINGTON 255 EXNING
EviNGTON (Boddington, Sussex and Leicester). Bo. E. Dom.
Givingtune, 1303 Yivynton; and changes for Suss, name are
similar. ' Dwelling of Gefwine,' For similar changes also see
Ealing; and see -ing.
EvBiNGHAM (Yorks). Dom. Evringha', 1202 Everingeham. ' Home
of the Boar's sons.' Cf. Eveeley, and Dom. Bucks Evreham
and Evringehou. See -ing.
EwELL (Epsom). 727 chart. Euuelle, 1160 Pipe Aiwella, which
looks like an O.E. ed welle, ' river well/ ' well by the river.' But
it is Dom. Etwelle, or ' at the well.' Cf. the surname Attewell.
There was a well-known well here. There is also an Ewell
(Kemble) whose only old form is Ewelle. Cf. next.
EwELME (Woodstock) . Sic 1450. Not in Dom., but chart. Eawybn.
This last is thought to be O.E. ki, river; and wielm, walm, wylm,
' boiling, welling up.' It prob. means ' a spring.' Cf. Ewell,
Gyting, and Walmsley.
Ewhubst (Battle, Sussex). 822 chart. lu hyrst, O.E. for ' yew-tree
wood.' Hyrst also means ' a sandy place.'
EwYAS Harold (Hereford), c. 1130 Lib. Land. Eugias, 1167-68
Pipe Euwias, mod. W. Euas. Doubtful. Nothing in mod. W.
seems to suit. Eweston (Pembroke) is in Black Bk. St. David's
Oweynston.
Exboubne (Devon). Dom. Echeburne. The stream here now is
the Okenent. Eche- may be =Exe; and Oke- may be a var. of
the same root, while -nent will be W. nant, ' a valley.'
Ex(e) R. and Exeter. Sic 1485, but c. 380 Ant. Itin. Isca
Dumnoniorum, c. 810 Nenniiis Cair Legion guar Usic
(' fort of the Rom. legion on the Exe '), 877 O.E. Chron.
Escanceaster, 893 ib. Exanceaster, c. 893 Asser Exceastre,
Dom. Exonia urbs, a. 1130 Sim.. Dur. Brittanice Cairwisc, Latine
Civitas Aquarum, c. 1275 Excetre. ' Camp, town on the R.
Ex/ in Ptolemy lo-xa, L. Isca, 739 chart. Exa, Eaxa. Same as
Sc. EsK, same root as is seen in usque-baugh and in whisky, also
in Ax and Usk, and prob. Ox- (in Oxford), too, all being Keltic
forms of the word for ' water, river.' The mod. W. name is
Caerwysg. For Exe R., cf. Ashtord.
ExHALL (Alcester). 710 cJiurt. Eccleshale, Dom. Ecleshalle. ' Nook
of jEcel or JEcle,' or possibly ' of the church. Cf. Eccles, and
see -hall. Extall (Staffs) is 1220 Hecstall, prob. ' place of the
hatch ' or ' heck ' ; whilst Exn^BY (N. Yorks) is Dom. Aschilebi.
' Ascytel's ' or ' AskiVs dwelling.'
ExMOUTH. 1001 ExanmuSan. See Exe.
ExNiNG (Newmarket), c. 1097 Flor. Wore. Yxninga, 1157 Pipe
Roll Exningis. ib. 1160 Exining, 1298 Ixinynge. 'Place
on the water or stream.' Cf. Exeter. Merivale comiects with
1EXT0N 256 FAIRFIELD
the tribe Iceni, as in Icknield. This is improbable. See -ing,
as river-ending.
ExTON (Oakham, on R. Meon, Hants, Dulverton, etc.). Oa. E.
1126 Extona, Han. E. 940 chart. East Seaxnatune. This last
is ' town of the East Saxons ' or ' Essexmen.' The others may
be ' town of Ecca,' a conmion name. Of. Dom. Chesh. Exestan,
which is prob. Estyn (Flint). More old forms needed. Dom.
has Exwelle in Rutld., but no Exton there or in Somst. 1160-61
Pipe Kent has an Exfnea (c/. Eastney, Portsmouth) .
Eyam (Northants and Sheffield). Not in Dom. Nor. E. 1155 Pipe
Hehham. 'High home/ O.E. heali, heh, 3-5 hey. See -ham.
For Eybford or Heyford (Stow-on-Wold), Dom. Aiforde,
Baddeley prefers O.E. hege, 'hedge'; M.E. heie, which is
doubtful.
Eynesbtjry (St. Neots). Dom. Einulvesberie, c. 1130 Wm. Malmes.
Einulfes Ijiri, c. 1136 Enesbure. ' Burgh, town of Einwulf/
which is contracted into ' Mwx,' ' Mne' or ' Ena ' ; all forms are
in Onom. Cf. next; and see -bury.
Eynsford (Dartford). c. 983 chart, ^nesford. 'Ford of ^ne.'
See above. Cf. Dom. Norfk. Ensford.
Eynsham (Oxford). O.E. Ghron. 571 Egonesham, a. 1142 Wm.
Malmes. Egnesham, c. 1450 Bromtun Eynesham. ' Home, house
of Egon.' This is prob. the same name as Egensheim, old form
of Ensisheim, Alsace.
Eythorne (Dover). 805 chart. HeagySe ^orne, prob. Dom.
Haihome. The first part prob. represents the name of some
unknown man. O.E. gi\f is 'corn cockle.'
Eyton (WeUington, Salop). Dom. Aitone. Perh. 'islet' or 'ait-
town.' O.E. iggath, 2 eyt, 7 ait, 8 ayte, 9 eyot, ' a Httle island.'
But cf. Ayton. Eycote (Colesbourne), Dom. Aicote, is ' cot on
the islet.' See -ay, -ey.
Faddiley (Nantwich). Prob. O.E. Ghron. 584 Fethanleag. No
nxsun Fetha in Onom., so prob. 'meadow of the troop,' O.E. /eSa.
For th becoming d, cf. faddom for fathom, fader for father, etc.
Of. Fiddington (Ashchurch), Dom. Fitentune, a. 1300 Fedyn-
tone. But Fadmoob (Kirby Moorside, Yorks) is Dom. Fade-
more, where Fad- is doubtful. Cf., too, Dom. Suss. Fodilant.
Faircross (a hundred of Berks). Chron. Abingdon Balliva Belle
Crucis, 1428 Hundredum de Bella Cruce, of which ' fair, beautiful
cross ' is simply the translation.
Fairfield (mtn. near Helvellyn, Cumbld.). N. fcer-fjall, 'sheep
mountain or fell.' Cf. Fair Isle (Sc). Fairburn (W. Riding),
Dom. Fareburn, prob. has a similar origin. But Fairfield
(Bellbroughton) is 816 chart. Forfeld, ' fore, front field.'
FkKENHAM 257 TARLTNGTON
Fakenham (Thetford). Dom. Fachenha, Fagenham. 'Home of
Facca: Of. B.C. 8. 1232, Faccan heah.
Fal R. (Cornwall), c. 1200 Gervase Fale, 1680 Vale. Prob. a
Keltic root meaning ' moving, running, flowing." Cf. G. falbh,
' to go, to walk.' But W. Jfal means ' closure, or the heel of
a shoe.'
Fallings Heath (Wednesbury) . a. 1200 Olde Falinge. Duignan
thinks this refers to a falling or felling or clearing of timber.
Oxf. Diet, gives no quots. illustrating such a usage, and yet it
may well be. FAlloden (Alnwick) is ' fallow valley/ O.E. falu,
fealo, ' pale brownish, or yellowish coloured.' Cf. Falfield
(Thornbury), 1347 Falefield.
Falmer (Lewes). Dom. Falemere. O.E. for 'pale brownish, or
reddish-yellow mere or lake ' ; O.E. falu, 4 faU, now fallow. Cf.
Fowlmere. But Falsgrave (E. Riding) is Dom. Wal(l)esgrif,
' Welshman's or foreigner's grave,' O.E. gro&f, O.N. grof, Fal-
stone (Northbld.) and 1168-67 Pipe Faleslea (Nhants.) seem to
imply a man's name, Uke Fala. Onom. has only one Fawle.
Falmouth. Sic 1478, 1231 Close R. Falem', 1234 ib. Falemuth,
c. 1^50 Fortescue The Falmouthe ; but till 1660 usually Smithwick
or Pennycomequick. See Faj..
Farcet (Peterboro'). Not in Dom., but O.E. chart. Fearres heafod,
or ' bull's head.' Cf. Fazeley and Forset (N. Riding), Dom.
Forsed, which is perh. ' head of the waterfall or force.' N./ors.
Fareham (Hants). Not in Dom. 1160 Ferham. ' Fair, beautiful
home.' O.E. fceger, Icel. fag-r, Dan. feir, ' fair.'
Faringdon (Swindon and Exeter). Swin. F. Dom. Ferendone,
Ex. F. Dom. Ferentone. Doubtful at both ends. Feren- may
represent a patronymic, ' town of the Ferrings or Farrings.'
Cf. Farringford. Or it may be fr. O.E. fearn, ' ferns ' (only no
early speUing feren is recorded here) ; or foera, -an, early M.E.
fere, 'a spouse,' a comrade, 'spouse's hill': and the ending
may either be O.E. tun, ' village, town,' or dun, ' dune, hill,
hill-fort.' See Farndon.
Farleigh or -ley (Halesowen, Cheadle, Elmore, onMedway, Surrey,
Sahsbury). Ch. F. Dom. Fernlege, El. F. 1221 Farnlee, ]^e. F.
Text. Roff. Fearnlega. These are all ' fern-meadow.' Biit Su. F.
is chart. Fearlege, Dom. Ferlega; and Sa. F. Dom. Farlege, 1155
Pipe Ferlega. There is only one Fara in Onom., so this may
be fr. O.E. foera, M.E. fere, ' spouse, comrade,' and so ' spouse's
mead.' But Farewell (Lichfield) is a. 1300 Eager-, Fagre,
Fayrwell, ' fair, clear spring,' fr. O.E. foeger, 3 fager, 4-7 far{e).
Farlington (Havant and N. Riding). Hav. F. 1256 Deed Far-
hngetone, N. Rid. F. Dom. Farlintun. ' Town, dwelling on the
ferling,' O.E. feor^ling, a. 1300 ferlyng, ' fourth part,' here 'the
fourth part of an acre/
FARMINGTON 258 FAETHINGSTONE
Farmington (Northleach). Dom. Tormentone, 1182 Tormer-, 1226
Thormerton, 1601 Farmington or Thormerton. Prob. ' village
of Thurmcer.' For change of early th to /, see Fenglesham.
Cf. Fabningham.
Farnborough (Banbury, Wantage, etc.). Ban. F. Dom. Fernberge.
Want. F. 931 chart. Feam beorg(an), Dom. Fermberge, 1291
Farnberg. 'Hill covered with ferns.'' See Farestgdon and
Farndon; cf. Devon Dom. Ferenberga. The ending -berg(e)
represents Barrow, ' mound, hill," rather than ' burgh.' Farn-
cote, also in Wwk., is sic a. 1300.
Farncombe (Godalming). Dom. Fernecome, 'fern valley.' See
-combe.
Farndon (Newark). 924 O.E. Ghron. Fearndune, Farndune; Dom.
Farendune; c. 1140 Wm. Malmes. Ferenduna. This is clearly
' fern hill.' CJ. Faringdon, which some hold is the place meant
in these references. But Farndon (Chester) is Dom. Ferentone,
which may be ' town of the Ferrings.'
Farnbam (Surrey, Hants, and W. Riding) . Su. F. 893 O.E. Chron.
Feamhamm, Dom. Ferneham, 1297 Farnham. Ha. F. 805 chart.
Femham. W. E,i. F. Dom. Farneha.' 'Enclosure,' or 'home
among the ferns.' See Farnley and -ham.
Farningham (Dartford). Dom. Fermingeha. ' Home of Farman,'
2 in Onom., or else ' of Farman's son' (m and n often interchange).
Cf. Farmington. See -ing.
Farn Isles (Bamborough). Bede Fame. M'Clure thinks this is
Keltic ferann, Ir. fearran, ' land.' It may be O.E. feam, ' ferns.'
Farnley (Leeds and Otley). Both Dom. Fernelie, c. 1200 Gervase
Fernlege, 1202 Farnelai and Fernleie. 'Fern meadow.' Cf.
Dom. Salop Femelege, Farleigh, and Farnham. See -ley.
Farnsfield (Southwell, Notts). Dom. Franes- Farnesfeld, 1189
Pipe Famefeld. 'Field of Frani or Frano/ a N. name. 'Field
of ferns ' is not likely,
Farrinodon (Alton, Hants). =Faringdon.
Farringegrd (Freshwater), a. 1400 Ferringford. Prob. 'ford of
the Ferrings or Farrings. Cf. Faringdon and Ferrensby
(S. Yorks), ' dweUing of F err en.'
Farsley (Leeds). Dom. Fersellai. There is no likely man's name
in Onom., and connection with parsley (see Oxf. Diet.) hardly
seems possible. Prob. it is 'furze meadow,' O.E. fyrs, 4:-Qflrse.
Cf. 1167-68 Pipe Devon Far-, FairesUng. See -ley.
Farthingstone (Weedon). Dom. Fordinestone, 1292 Fardinge-
ston. Prob. ' stone of Fcerthegn,' also found as Farthain and
Fardein, or possibly fr. Forthwine, one in Onom. Derivation is
not impossible fr. O.E./eorSww(/, 4:-Qferdyng{e), 6 farthing, which
usually means ' a farthing ' in money, but also, as early as
FAVEKSHAM 259 FELIXSTOWE
Exon. Dom. we find/erdlm meaning a land-measure, ? a quarter
acre. Cf. Ferndale. But Fabthestghoe (Brackley) is Dom. and
1229 rerning(e)ho, prob. fr. the same name as Fabningham,
' height of the Farnings.' See Hob.
Faversham. See Feversham.
Fawley (Aylston, Hereford and Lambourn). Ayl. F. c. 1030
chart. Feligly. ' Meadow of one Felig,' or some such name.
There is a Felaga and two anchorites called Fel(i)geld in Onom.
But Lam. F. is a. 1300 Falelegh, 1316 Fallele, which Skeat
derives fr. E. Frisian falge, ' fallow land.' Northants F. 1242,
FalghesF, might be either, but the -es of the gen. makes it prob.
fr. a man.
Fazakerley (Liverpool). 1277 Fasakerlegh, 1376 Fasacrelegh.
Looks as if O.E. fas-cecer-Uah, ' border of the open-country
meadow/ ir. fas, foes, ' border, fringe/ and cecer, acer, ' open plain,
field,' mod. ' acre.' See -ley. There is no name in Onom. that
would suggest Fazaker-.
Fazeley (Tamworth). 1300 Faresleye, a. 1400 -eslee. 'Meadow
of the hill,' O.E. fearr, -es. Cf. Faucet, and see -ley.
Featherstone (Wolverhampton, Pontefract, Haltwhistle). Wol.
F. 994 chart. Feother(e)stan, Dom. Ferdestan, 1271 Fethereston
Po. F. Dom. Ferestane, Fredestan. ' Stone of Fether ' or
' Feader ' — i.e., ' father,' which is still dialectically pron. fether.
Cf. also Fearby (Yorks), Dom. Federbi.
Feckenham (Redditch). 804 chart. Feccanhom, 957 Feccan ham,
Dom. and 1156 Pipe Roll Fecheham. ' Home of Fecca.' Cf.
Dom. Surrey Feceha. See -ham, which here may either be
' home ' or ' enclosure.'
Felbridge (E. Grinstead). and Felbrigg (Norfolk and York)
E. Gr. F. not in Dom., but old Thelbrig. Yo. F. 1206 Felebrigge.
No. F. 1451 Felebruge, Felbrygge. Early th not seldom becomes
/, and so fel-= O.E. feZ, ^ell, ' a deal, a board or plank.' Thus
this name is ' bridge (O.E. hrycg) made of boards.' Cf. Fengle-
SHAM, also fill var. of thill, ' the shafts of a cart,' likewise Elm-
bridge and Thelwall.
Feuskirk (Thirsk). 1210 Ecclesia S. Felicis. This is the same
saint as in Felixstowe. However, in Dom. it is Fridebi,
* dwelling of Freda.'
Felixstowe (Suffolk). Not in Dom. c. 1080 chart. 'The church
of St. Felix of Walton.' Sometimes said to be ' place,' O.E.
stoiv, of Felix, first bp. of E. Anglia, c. 640. But this does not
agree with the form in 1318 Filthstowe, which might be ' filth
place,' place full of dirt or foulness, O.E. fylQ. This is not likely,
as there is a 'To. de Fvlethe' in Kent in 1318, and a Dom.
Felede, which is Fauld (Uttoxeter), a. 1300 Falede, Fauld, Felde
FELMINGHAM 260 TESTINIOG
— i.e., O.E. fald, falced, ' a fold, a farmyard.' Only it is not easy
to see how this last could become either Filth or Felix. The
bp.'s name certainly influenced the present form.
Fblmingham (N. Walsham). Dom. Felmincha. A patronymic,
otherwise unknown. See -ing and -ham.
Felstead (Chelmsford). 1082 cTiart. Felstede. O.E. for ' skin,
hide-place, tannery.' O.E. fel, fell, ' a skin.'
Feltham (Hampton Court). Sic 969 chart, and Dom. Possibly
' home of ' some man with a name like Felgeld or Fildas, the
nearest in Onom, Prob. ' home, house in the field,' O.E. feld,
3-5 felt. The Eng. sb. felt already occurs in O.E. Felthorpe
(Norwich), Dom. Felethorp, seems to be ' village of ' some man.
See -thorpe.
Felton (Northumbld. and Bristol). Nor. F. 1242 Felton. Not in
Dom. May be, like Feltham, named from some man. Cf.
1305 Eougham chart., 'Robertus de Feletone,' E. Anglia. But
Nor. F. at least may be ' town on the fell' or ' hill.' O.N. fjall
found in Eng. as fell a. 1300. Also cf. Felstead.
Fen Ditton and Drayton (Cambs). Cf. 1272 Fenne (Lines.).
O.E. fen, fenn, ' a marsh,' O.N. fen, ' a quagmire.' See Ditton
and Drayton.
Fendrith Hill (W. Durham). Prob. W. ffaen d{e)rwydd, ''rock of
the magician, sorcerer, or Druid.'
Fen-, Finglesham (Deal). 831 chart. Thenglesham. Not in Dom.
' Home of Thengli,' a name not in Onom. For change of early
th into / cf. Farmington, Felbridgb, and Finchale, and
Threshpield (Yorks), Dom. Freschefelt and Treschefelt.
Fenny Compton (Warwksh.). Dom. Contone, a. 1200 Cumton,
a. 1400 Fenni Cumpton. See Compton, and cf. Fenton (Stoke),
Dom. Fentone.
Feock (Devoran, Cornwall). ? c. 1400 Ecclesia Sancto Feoko, a
saint also termed Feoca, Fyock, Fiach ; the name is Keltic for
' raven ' ; but about this person little seems known. Cf. Fixby
(W. Riding), Dom. Fechesbi, which must be ' dwelling of ' one of
the same name.
Ferndale (Glamorgan). M'Clure suggests that this is ferthing-
deal, or ' fourth part.' Cf. Fartbingstone. But old forms
are needed.
Ferriby N. and S. (Yorks). Dom. Ferebi. Prob. 'dwelling of
the comrade or partner'; Northum. O.E. foera, 2-9 fere. See
-by. But Ferrybridge (Yorks) is Dom. Ferie — i.e., ' ferry,'
O.N. ferja. The Oxf. Diet, has nothing for the sb. a. 1425.
Festiniog. Fr. W. ffestinio, ' to hurry, hasten,' L. festinare, ? in
allusion to the many waterfalls around.
FEV-,PAVERSHAM 261 FINCHINGFIELD
Fbv-, Faversham (Kent). 811 chart. Fefresham, 858 ibid. Febre-
sham, Dom. Feversham. 1155 Pi'pe Fauresham. Some suggest
from a man, or fr. L. faher, a ' smith/ but this seems doubtful;
more prob. ' home of fever/ O.E. fefer, fefres. It is also said to
be the Fauresfeld of 1154 O.E. Chron., which is doubtful.
Fewston (Harrogate) . Dom. Fostune, ' Town at the waterfall ' ;
Dan. fos, O.N. fors. To be perh. noted also is O.Nor. Fr. fiusf,
' lofty trees ' ; but Nor. Fr. names are very rare in England.
FiLBY (Gt. Yarmouth). Dom. Filebey, c. 1471 Fylby. 'Dwelling
of ' some (Danish) man, whose name has been rubbed down
into File. Cf. Filleigh, and see -by. But Baddeley says
Filton (Bristol), 1340 Fyltone, is ' farm in the field,' which is
doubtful.
Filey (Yorks). Dom. Fiuelac — i.e., 'five pools,' O.E. /(f, Z-9 five,
and lac, ' a lake, a pool.' Camden derives fr. an early Eng.
file, ' a thin sHp of land, Hke a small tongue thrust out,' into
the sea. The Oxf. Diet, does not recognize this word file. Lac
for ' pool ' is very rare in O.E., and there is perh. no other
instance where it has become -ley. But we have Fishlake
(Doncaster) in Dom. Fiscelac, and also Fixca-le. Cf., too,
Beverley and Fyfield. We may add that North Fyhng
(N. Yorks) is Dom. NortfigeUnge, a patronymic, ' place of the
sons of Fugel,' 2 in Onom. See -ing.
Filleigh (S. Molton). Cf. 940 chart. Fileleighe (Glastonbury).
? 'meadow of File.' Cf. Filby, and see -leigb. Onom. has
only a Filica, seen in Filkins (Lechlade), old Fileching, ' place
of Filica's sons.' See -ing.
FiLLONGLEY (Coventry). Dom. Filung-, ingehe, a. 1400 Filungeye,
1475 Fylongley. Duignan cannot explain, but says cf. FimNG-
HAM (Lincoln), Dom. Fihngeham, FigeHngeham, c. 1120 Figel-
ingaham. There is no Hkely name in Onom. But we have
Fyhng (N. Riding), Dom. FigeHnge, Figlinge, which must be a
patronymic. Cf. JFilby. See -ing.
FiNCHALE (on R. Weir, Durham). Thought to be Bede, iii., 27,
Pegnaleth; 1298 Fynkhale, 1305 Fynkhalgh. O.E. finc-halh
means ' finches' haugh ' or 'meadow by a river.' Cf. Feststall,
and 1240 Close R. Finkel', 1241 ib. Finchel' (Andover). For
-hale see -hall.
FiNCHAM (Downham). Not in Dom. c. 1150 Fincheham, 1451
Fyncheham. ' Home of a man Finch,' or ' of the finches,' O.E.
fine. Cf. above. Also Finchamstead (Berks). Dom. Finch-
amstede; 1316 Fynchamsted. 'Homestead, farm with the
finches.'
FmcHiNGFiELD (Braintrec). Dom. Fincinghefelde, -gefelda, 1297
Fynchingfelde. Presumably ' field for finching or hawking, or
catching finches or birds in.' Only there is no sb. ' finching '
FINCHLEY 262 FLAVELL FLYFOED
in Oxf. Diet, nor any likely man's name in Onom., though Dom.
form looks like a patronymic. See next and -ing.
FiNCHLEY (London). Recorded from time of K. John. Cf. above.
Finch is O.'K.finc, 4c finch, some sort of small bird of the sparrow
order.
FiNEDON (Wellingborough). Prob. Dom. Tingdene, 1296 Thindon.
Prob. ' hill of the thing,' or ' local parHament/ O.N. ]>ing, N.
ting. Cf. Thingoe. On common change of early th to / see
Felbridge. But FiNDON (Worthing) is Dom. Findune, which
is prob. 'hill of Fin' or ''Finn,' names in Onom. See -don. Cf.
FnsnsriNGLEY (Notts) . Dom. Feniglei, 1278 Finningelay. See -ing.
Dom. (N'hants) also has Finemere, now Finmere (Bucldngham) .
FiNGHALL or FiNGALL (Bedale, Yorks). Dom. Finegala. Perh.
O.E. Chron. 788 Fingale (in Northumbria), which is prob. not
= FiNCHALE. O.E. finnig or fennig halh, loc. hale, 'marshy
fenny nook ' or ' corner.'
FiNSTALL (Bromsgrove). a. 1400 Fynchale. See Finchale.
FiBBANK (Sedbergh). Old Frithbank. Frith is some kind of a
wood. See Frith Bank. But Firby (Wistow, Yorks) is Dom.
Fredebi, 1202 Fridebi, which is ' Freda's dwelling.'
Fishguard (Pembroke), c. 1390 Fishgarth, 1535 Fisshecard.
' Fisher's garth or enclosure/ the -guard being but a mod.
spelling of O.E. geard, ' yard, court, enclosure.' In W. it is
Abergwaun, ' at the mouth of the level or straight river.' Cf.
Hasguard in same shire, 1307 Huscard, where the first syU.
prob. represents a man's name, now uncertain.
FiSKERTON (Lincoln). Sic a. 1100, but Dom. Fiscartime. ' Town,
village of the fishers,' O.E. flscere.
FiTTLEWORTH (Susscx). Not in Dom, 1167-68 Pi'pe FitelwurSa.
'Farm of Fitel, Fitela,' or ^ Fithele,' all forms in Onom. See
-worth.
FiiADBURY (Pershore). 691 chart. Fledanburg, 714 ib. Fladeburi^
Dom. Fledebirie. ' Town, castle of Fleda or Flceda.' Cf. Fled-
borough (Notts), Dom. Fladeburg. See -bury.
Flambtjrgh Head (Yorks). Dom. Flaneburc, -burg, a. 1130 Sim.
Dur. Flamburge, c. 1450 Fortescue Flaymborough, also Flayn-
burg, -borght. ' Fort of Fleinn,' a Norseman. Flame (0. Fr.
flambe) is not found in Hterary Eng. a. 1340; but doubtless it
has had some influence on the present form of the name. Cf.
Flensburg, (Schleswig). See -burgh.
Flavell Flyford (Pershore). 930 chart. Fleferth, 1002 ib. Fle-
ferht, a. 1200 Flavel, a. 1400 Fleyford, a. 1600 Flyford Flavell.
The two names are really a redupHcation. Fie- or Fla- will be
a man Floeda, Fleda, as in Fladbury, and -ferth is softened
form of -ford (q.v.). Flseferth has become Fleyferthand then
Flavell, through the common dissimilation of r for I,
^PLAXBY 263 FLINT
Flaxby (W. Riding) and Flaxton (York). Dom. Flatesbi, and
Flastun, Flaxtun. The former is prob. 'dwelling of FUeda,'
one in Onom., the latter ' village among the flax/ O.E. fleax.
See -by and -ton. '
Flaxley Abbey (Gloster). 1167-68 Pipe Flexlega, c. 1188 Gir.
Cambr. Flexleia. 'Flax meadow.' Of. above; also Flechham-
stead (Coventry), 1327 Flechamstude, ' flax homestead.'
Fleam Dyke and Flendish (Cambs). Variants of same name,
c. 1080 Inquis. Gamb. Flamencdic, Flamminedic, Dom. Flaming-
dice, Flam(m)iding, 1158 Flemedich, 1279 Flemigdich, 1284
Flemesdich. 'Fleming's ditch/ of which dyke is the older,
hard form. Fleming is 0. Fr. Flamenc, late L. Flamingus.
This name shows the early settlement of the men of Flanders
in our midst.
Flecknoe (Rugby). Dom. Flachenho, a. 1200 Fleckenho. Prob.
' Hoe, hiU of Flecca,' gen. -can, not in Onom.
Fleet R. (London and 2 others), also Fleet (Hants), which is
K.G.D. 688 Fleot. O.E. fleot, O.N. fljot, 'a stream, a river,
also a creek or inlet.' The root is seen in O.N. flj6t-r, 'quick.'
Of. Fleet (Sc). and Fleetwood (Lanes), also Dom. (Norfk.)
Fletwest and Shaltleet.
Fleggburgii (Gt. Yarmouth). Of. 1442 'Fleghalle,' manor in
Norfolk. ? ' fort, burgh among the flags or rushes.' Flag is
not found in Eng. till 1387, and is of doubtful etymology, but
is spelt ^eg' in 5. Flag sb.2 Icel. flag, ' the spot where a tujf has
been cut,' O.^.flaga, ' a slab of stone,' still used in E, Anglia for
' a turf, a sod,' is quite a possible origin. Dom. has East and West
Flee and FHceswella ; but Onom. has no name the least likely here.
Fletchtng (Uckfield). Dom. Flescinge(s), 1232 Olose R. Flescing.
A patronymic; the man's name implied is unknown. See -ing.
Fletherhill (S. Wales). Sic a. 1349. A tautology; W. llethr,
* a hillside, a slope.' Of. Shakespeare's FlueUen for Llewelyn,
and p. 82.
Fletton (Peterboro'). Sic a. 1100. 'Town, village on the fleet
or stream,' O.E. fleot, in Qflett. Of. Fleet.
Flimwell-vent (Hawkhurst). Old forms needed for Flim-; not
in Dom.; possibly O.E. fliem/i, flyma, 'a fugitive, an outlaw.'
A vent or went is said to be ' a place where roads meet.' The
root is O.E. wendan, 'to go, to wend.'
Flint. In W. Fflint, or Tegeingl. 1277 In castris apud le Flynt
prope Basingwerk, 1277-8 Welsh R. Le Chaylou and Rothelan,
where Chaylon is prob. Fr. caillou, 'pebble, flint.' O.E. flint,
* flint, rock,' fr. the rocky platform on which the castle stands.
Flints are not common here. Flinton (E. Riding) is Dom.
Flentun, prob. ' town of the flints.' Fltntham (Notts) eic in
Dom., is clearly 'flint house.' See -ham.
FLIXTON 264 FOEEST OF DEAN
Flixton (Salford). c. 1200 Flyxton, Fluxton. Perh. 'town of
the flitch/ OiEt-flicce, 5 flytske, 5-6 flik. There is, however, in
K.C.D. mention of a Flecge, Flecges, a man otherwise unknown,
and this is quite a possible origin. There is no hkely name in Onom.
Flockton (Wakefield). Dom. Flocheton, 1201 Floketon. 'Town
of ' an unrecorded Flocca. Hardly fr. O.E. flocc, O.N. fiokk-r,
' flock.' Cf. Dom. (Norfk.) Flokethorp.
Flodden (Northumbld.). 1512 Floudane. Prob. flood-dean — i.e.
' (wooded) glen with the stream,' O.E. flod, M.E. flod, 6 floud,
' a river, a flood.' See -dean.
Flookersbkook (Chester). 1340 Flokersbroke. Prob. called after
some man; there is nothing in Onom. nor yet in the dictionaries
wh. seems helpful. Flokk-r would be N. form of the Flocca of
Flockton.
Flushing (Falmouth). Sic 1661. Named after the Dutch port
at the mouth of the Scheldt.
FoGGATHOBPE (Sclby). Dom. Fulcartorp. ' Fulchar's place or
village.' In Onom. there are several Folcheards, one Folcgaer,
and one Fulcher. The orig. name has had eg in it, and the
liquid I and r easily disappear.
FoLESHiLL (Coventry). Dom. Focheshelle, a. 1200 Folkeshulle,
1327 FolkeshuU. O.E. folces Jiyll, 'people's hiU,' which in
Midland M.E. regularly is hull.
Folkestone, a. 716 cJiart. Folcanstan, 1051 O.E. Chron. Folc-
stane, Dom. Fulchestan. ' Stone, rock of the folk or people,' or,
more prob., ' of a man Folca.' The Onom. has a Folco and a
Fulco, and we have Folkton (E. Riding), Dom. Fulcheton.
FoNTMELL Magna (Shaftesbury). 939 chart. Funtmeales, Dom.
Fontemale. Perh. ' Fountain of Mcel{a),' one in Onom. ; O.E.
font, 2-6 funt. The order is unusual as -funt or -font usually
comes last. Cf. Bedfont. But -mell may be O.E. mcel, ' a
mark, sign, cross, crucifix ' — ' font at the cross.' Fontley
(Fareham), Dom. Funtelei, wiU be ' mead with the fountain
or spring.' Magna is L. for ' Great.'
Ford (Shrewsbury, etc.). Dom. Ford. 1184 Pipe Devon, Ecclesia
de Forda. Nothing is commoner in early Eng. names than to
name a place after a f ord,.which was often a very important spot
before bridges were made.
FoRDHAM (Colchester and Soham). Cole. F. sic 1373, but c. 1080
chart. Fordam. Soh. F. Dom. Fordeham. ' House at the ford.'
FoRDiNGTON (Dorchester) . Dom. Fortitone, 1156 Pipe Fordintune.
Perh. ' village of Forthwine,' one in Onom. See -ing.
Forest of Dean. Dom. Dene, 1160-61 Pipe Foreste de Dena,
c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Danubis& Svlva. \yhich is supposed to mean
POEMBY 265 FOVANT
' forest of Denmark or of the Danes/ Dean here may be W.
din, ' fort, hill-fort '; but is prob. as in Dean.
FoRMBY (Liverpool). 1203-04 Formebi, 1227 Forneby, 1269
Fornebi. ' Dwelling of Forni/ There are several called Foma
or For7ie in Onom. Cf. next. In Brit, names m and n are fre-
quently found interchanging. See -by.
FoRNHAM (Bury St. Edmunds). Sic in Dom. 'Home of Forne.'
See FoRMBY. There is a Forne in Dom. (Herefd.).
FoRTON (Gosport, Newport, Staffs, N. Lanes, and 3 others). New.
F. 1199 Forton, whilst for the others Dom. has Fortune, and
Fordune (twice). Prob. 'town by \he ford.' Of course, dune
is ' hiil.' Leland calls Forthampton (Tewkesbury) Fordhamp-
ton; but it is Dom. Fortemeltone, prob. ' Forthhelm's town."
Foss Dyke (Boston). 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. 'Two other
weyes this Belyn made . . . that one is called fosse and that
other fosse dyke ' — i.e., a raised causeway over marshes, etc.
Fosse sb., L. fossa, 'a ditch,' is first found in Eng. a. 1440.
There is also' the Fossway, which stretched fr. Exeter to
Lincoln, via Bath and Leicester. Cf. Fangfoss (N. Riding),
Dom. Frangefos, ? ' ditch of the Frank.'
FosTON (3 in P.G^.). Foston on Wolds. Dow. Fodstone. 1158-59
Pipe Fostuna (Northants). Some may be ' town on the foss '
(see above); but Fodstone must be fr. some unknown man.
See -ton.
Fotheringay (Northampton). Dom. Fodringeia. a. 1163 Fod-
rigeia, 1237 Fodringh', 1434 Fotheringhey, c. 1460 Foodryngdre.
' Foddering-island.' .E . fodor, .N . fo^r, Dan. foder, ' fodder,
food for cattle.' The vb. O.N. /dtSm, is not found in Eng. till
a. 1300. Cf. the Pile of Fotheray in Furness, q.v.; also
Featherstone. See -ay, -ey.
FoxJiiNESS (Cromer). Not in Dom. 'Foul, dirty cape or ness."
O.N. ful noes. Foul is also found in O.E. as ful, and this is a
more likely origin than O.E. fugol, 'fowl, bird.' Cf. next and
FuLFORD. Still Dom. Nfk. has a Fugalduna.
FouLSHAM (Dereham). Dom. and 1454 Folesham. Prob. not
' home of the fowls,' which is .E . fugol. Foolston (W. Riding) ,
Dom. Fugelestun, is phonetically different, and even it means
the man ' Fowl's town.' Foulsham will be ' home of the man
Fula; seen in B.C. 8. 1052 Fulan ea. Cf. Dom. (Suss.) Folsalre,
or ' Fula's alder.'
Fountains Abbey (Ripon). 1156 Pipe De Fontibus, c. 1246 de
Fontanis. ' Abbey of the springs or wells.'
FovANT (Salisbury). Not in Dom., but O.E. cTiart. Fobbefunte —
i.e., 'font, spring of Fobba.' Cf. B.C.S. 862 Fobbanwyl (well),
FONTMELL, and Ha V ANT.
18
FOWEY E. 266 FRANCE LYNCH
FowEY R. and town (Cornwall), c. 1200 Oewase Fawe fl. Town
a. 1400 Fawi, c. 1450 Fortescue, the Ffowe; c. 1530 Foye, 1536
Fowey. Pron. Foy. The river, which names the town, is
said to be fr. Corn, foys or foy fenton, ' walled well or fountain '
(which rises near Altarnun). But it looks a little like the Com.
foath or foio, pi. fowls, ' cave, den.' ; the W. jfau. Foy (Herefd.)
is c. 1130 Lib. Land. Lanntiuoi. 'church of St. Tyfai.' Cf.
Lamphey.
FowLMERE (Royston). Dom. Fuglemsere, Fugelesmara, which is
O.E. for ' fowls' lake or mere'; 1302 Ful-,1401 Foulmere.
FowNHOPE (Hereford). Old forms needed. It seems a sort of
hybrid; 'fawn's refuge'; O.Fr. /own, faow, M.E. (1369) faun,
' a fawn '; but very prob. Fown- is O.E. Fornan, ' of Foma,' a
common name; and O.N. h6x>, ' a haven, a place of refuge.' See
-hope.
Foxholes (Yorks). Dom. Foxhole, Foxohole, Foxele. 1202
Fines Foxholef orde. Cf. Foxton (Cambs) ., Dom. Foxetune, and
B.C. 8. 750 Foxcotone. There is a Foxoote (Glos.), Dom. Fuscote.
Fox Lydiate (Redditch). 1300 Fox huntley yates, 1377 Foxhunt
Ledegate. ' Fox hunter's gate.' See Lidgate; and cf. Hyett,
Henbury, 1221 Hyate, ' high gate.'
FoxT (Cheadle, StafEs). 1253 Foxiate — i.e., fox-gate, or 'open-
ing'; O.E. geat, get, 6-9 dial. yat{t)e, (Sc.) yett. But in 1292 it
is Foxwyst, which is inexpHcable.
Fradley and Fradsweix (Staffs). 1262 Foder(e)sleye, 1286
Frodeleye. j^fiom. Frodeswelle, a. 1300 FrothesweUe, Frodes-
wall, -well. ^rob. all fr. a man Frod, which is O.E. for 'wise.'
Form 1262 prob. simply illustrates the shiftiness of r. See -ley.
Framingham Earl (Norwich). Dom. Framingaha. 1424 Fram-
yngham. ' Home of the descendants of Frame,' still a surname.
Frcenxi is common, and there is one Fram in Onom. Cf. Frem-
INGTON. See -ing.
Framlingham (Suffolk). Dom. Framlingaham, 1157 Pipe Fram-
ingeham, 1425 Fremelyngham, a. 1444 Framljmgham. ' Home
of the Framlings.' These may be ' descendants of Frambeald ' ;
2 in Onom. See -ing.
Frampton (Boston and Dorchester). Bos. F. Dom. Framantune,
Do. F. Frantone. 'Town of Frama' or 'Fram'; 1 in Onom.
For intrusion of p, cf. Bampton and Hampton ; also cf. above.
There is a Framwellgate, Durham, and a Framelle (? ' Fram's
nook ') in Dom. Suss. But Frampton, 3 in Glos., is Dom.
Framtone, 1221 Fremtone, ' town on R. Frame,' or ' Frome ';
whilst Fraunton, same shire, is 1166 Freulinton, 1182 Froulinton,
perh. fr. a man Freo-, Freawine.
France Lynch (Stroud) and Franche (Kidderminster). Ki. F.
Dom. Frenesse, 1276 Frenes, Freynes. Duignan says, O.Fr.
PEANKLEY 267 FRESHWATER
fresne, ' ash-tree/ and that the -esse in Dom. is meant for O.E.
msce, ' ash-tree/ and so Dom.'s name a reduplication. He may
be right.
Fbankley (Bromsgrove) and Frankton (Rugby). Br. F. Dom.
Franchlie, a. 1200 Frankle, Frankeleg. Ru. F. Dom. Franche-
tone. ' Meadow ' and ' town of Franca ' or ' the Frank.'
Origin fr. O.Fr. franc, 'an enclosure^ esp. to feed swine in';
in Eng. c. 1400 3bS frank, fraunke, seems just possible.
Freckenham (Ely) . ' Home of Freac or Frecca ' ; both forms in
Onom. Of. 801 chart. Frecinghyrte (? Kent), also Friock;-
HEiM (Sc). The root is O.E, free, ' ready, quick.' We have
also Frickley (Yorks). Dom. Frichehale, or ' Freca's nook.'
See -hall.
Freckleton (Preston). Dom. Frecheltun. ' Frecel's or Freculf'a
town.'
Freeby (Leicestersh.). Dom. Fredebi, 1230 Close R. Fretheby.
' Village ' or ' dwelling of Frith{e) ' (one in Onom.), or of some
of the many men whose names begin with Frithu. But Free-
THORPE (Norwich) is Dom. Frietorp, ' village of Freyja,' which
was the name of a well-known Saxon goddess. Cf. Freystrop
and Fbitton.
Freemantle (Bournemouth and Southampton). Not in Dom.
Cf. c. 1220 Elect. Hugo ' Frisomantel,' a now vanished place
near High Clere House, Hants. This is a puzzling name. Friso-
suggests the Frisians of N. Holland; and -mantel must surely
be O.Fr. mantel, ' a mantle or cloak.' But how comes this in
a place-name ? Mantel (see Oxf. Diet., s.v.) in the sense of ' a
fortification,' is not found in Eng. till 1475. Prob. this is one
of the rare cases of a place called simply by a man's name,
often referred to in 12th cny Pipe as Frigidum Mantellum. Cf.
Goodrich, Snitter, etc.
Freiston (Boston). Sic 1274, Dom. Fristune, 1381 Frestoine
also Ferry Fryston (S. Yorks). Dom. Fristone. Perh. ' town
of the Frisians or Frieslanders '; possibly fr. the Saxon goddess
Frea or Freyja. Fraisthorp (BridHngton) is Dom. Frestintorp,
which is puzzHng.
Fbemington (Yorks and Devon). Yorks F. sic in Dom. The
family name must be the same as in Framingham.
Freseley (Polesworth). Sic 1256. Friezeland (Walsall and
Tipton) and Frisland (Tibberton). Duignan derives all,
not fr. the Frisians, but fr. O.E. fyrz, ' furze, gorse,' dial.
freze, friez. Oxf. Did. gives furse as 4-6 firse, but not with
transposed r.
Freshwater (I. of Wight). Dom. Frescewatre. Why so called
is not very apparent. The usual O.E. for 'fresh' — i.e., not
* salt ' — is fersc. Oxf. Diet, says the fre- forms do not occur
FEES SIN GFIELD 268 FRITTON
till c. 1205 Layamon, and so are most likely due to adoption
fr. O.Fr. freis, fresche. But the much earher Dom. form shows
this untenable. Cf. Tkbeshfield, Dom. Freschefelt.
Fressingfield (Harleston). Not in Dom. c. 1590 Fresingfield;
and Freston (Ipswich). Dom. Frise-, Fresetuna. The latter
is ' town of the Frisians/ who called themselves Frise, Frese.
The former is prob. ' field of the Frisians' descendants.' Cf.
Frisington. See -ing.
Freystrop (Pembroke). ' Freyja's village.' She was a Norse
goddess, akin to the L. Venus. Fraisthorpe (Yorks) is Dom.
Frestintorp, which is puzzhng; also cf. Freethorpe and
Fridaythorp.' See -thorpe.
Fridaythorp (Yorks). Dom. Fridarstorp, Fridagstorp, Fridaizs-
torp. 'Village of Friday/ O.E. Frigedceg, O.N. Friadag-r,
' day of Frigg or Frig/ the Norse Venus. But Friday seems to
have been used as a personal name. Cf. B.C.S. 1047 Frigedaeges
treow. There is a Friday Street (Glouc). See -thorpe.
Frilford (Berks). O.E. cTiart. Frileford, later Frylesford. Like
Frelsham (on R. Pang), Dom. Frilesham, prob. contracted fr.
Frithel, Fritholf, Frithuwolf, or some such name.
Frimley Green (Farnborough). Not in Dom. 'Moist meadow/
frim dial., O.E. freme, ' full of moisture, sappy.' See -ley.
Frindsbury (Rochester). Dom. Frandesberie. ' Burgh of Frand/
which may be contraction of Freomund, UkeUest name in Onom. ;
prob. influenced by friend, which in Southern Eng. is 4 vrind,
5-7 frind. See -bury.
Frisestgton (W. Cumbld.). 'Town of the Frisings/or 'descend-
ants of the Frisians.' See Fressingfield and -ing.
Fritchley (Derby). Not in Dom. Cf. Dom. Nfk. Frichetuna.
' Meadow of Fricca/ Onom. has only Frecca and Freca.
Fritham (Lymington). Not in Dom. Cf. 804 chart. Frit5esleah
(Kent). ' Home of Frith/ or of some man with a name begin-
ning in Frith- ; there are many in Onom. Frithubeorht, Frithu-
geard,' etc. The O.E. fyrMe, 'a wood,' is seen in Chapel-
en-le-Frith, and in Fretherne, Frocester, Dom. Fridorne,
1372 Freethorne, O.E. frith-thyrne, ' thorn-bush by the wood.'
Frith Bank and Frithviixe (Boston). 1323 Le Frith, 1512
'The Bang's Frith beside Boston.' Frith is O.E. fyrh^e, 'a
wood ' or ' woody pasture '; -ville is always mod.
Frittenden (Staplehurst, Kent). 804 chart. FriSSing-, Fred-
dingden, and in the same chart. FriSesleah. ' Dean (wooded)
valley of the descendants of Frith/ Cf. Fritham.
Fritton (Long Stratton, Norfk.). Dom. Fridetuna, Frietuna,
' Town of Frith ' or ' Fride.' Cf. Freeby.
FROCESTER 269 FULHAM
Frooester (Stroud). Dom. Frowcester. Origin unknown; perh.
pre-Keltic. See -cester.
Frodesley (Shrewsbury) and Frodsham (Retford and Warring-
ton). Re. F. 1240 Frodesham. 'Meadow' and 'home of
Froda or Frod,' common in Onom. Cf. Frodingham (Yorks),
Dom. Frotingha'. See -ham, -ing, and -ley.
Frognal (Windsor and 2 others). Old forms needed. The -al
almost certainly represents -hall {cf. BmsTAiiL, Brinscall,
etc.), and the Frogn- must be some personal name. Of course,
O.E. frogga, -an is ' a frog/ as in Frog Hall (Dunchurch), Frog-
ham, and Frogmore (Camberley). Though there is no Ukely
name in Onom., we have 704 chart. Frocesburna (Middlesex),
which is prob. ' Froce'a ' or ' Froga's brook.'
Frome (Somerset). Pron. Froom. 875 O.E. Chron. Frauu, c.
950 ib. Frome, ib. From (river) ; also Frome R. (Glouc. and
Hereford), whose forms are found in Frampton, Framilode,
1175-76 Pipe Fremelada (O.E. gelad, 'ferry'), and Frenchay,
1257 Fromscawe (O.E. scaga, 'wood'). The Gloucester R. is
now rather called Frame." Dr. Bradley thinks this must be
orig. Frama, which, on Kelt lips, would aspirate and yield
Frauu or Frauv. Cf. Aberefraw and Bp's. Frome. Mean-
ing doubtful; origin fr. W. ffromm, 'angry, fuming,' is not
likely.
Frosterley (Co. Durham). Sic in 1183 Boldon Bk., but 1239
Close R. Forsterlegh.' ' Meadow of Forster ' or ' Foster ' — i.e.,
' the forester ' — a word not in Oxf. Diet, till 1297, though ' Archi-
bald Forester ' occurs 1228 in Cartul. Boss. No name Froster
is known, but metathesis of r is common. See -ley.
Froxfield (Hungerford and Petersfield). Pet. F. 965 chart.
Froxafelda, ' field of the frogs,' O.E. frox{a), var. of frogga,
frocga ; but also cf. 704 chart. Frocesburna (Middlesex) . So perh.
' Field of Froca.' The name is not in Onom. But Froxmore
(Crowle), 1275 Froxmere, 1327 Froxemere, is plainly 'frogs'
mere or lake.'
FuLBBCK (Lines) and Fulbottrn (Cambs). Li. F. 1202 Fulebec.
Ca. F. c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Fuleburna, Dom. Fuleberne, chart.
Fuulburne. O.E. and O.N. ful, 'foul, dirty'; and see -beck
and -bourne. Cf. Bacup, c. 1200 Ffulebachope.
FuLEORD (York, Stone, and Solihull). Yo. F. Dom. Fuleford and
Foleford, Sim. Dur. ann. 1066 Fulford, St. F. Dom. Fuleford.
' Foul, dirty ford.' See above. Cf. 1183 Boldon Bk. Durham,
Fulforth.
FuLHAM (London). Sic 1298, but 879 O.E. Chron. FuUanhamme.
This is prob. ' enclosure of Fullan.' There is one such in Onom.
' Home of fowls ' would need a g in 879. O.E. fugol, ' a fowl.'
See -ham 2.
rULNEY 270 GALTKES
Ftjlney (Lincoln). Thought to be B.C.8. 1052 Fulan ea, ' isle of
Fula.' Not in Dom. It has a Fulnedebi.
FuRNESS. Not in Dom. Old Futherness, Fuderness, which is
prob. ' fodder-ness or cape ' (see Fotheeay) ; though M'Clure
ventures to identify with Pict. father, ' a piece of land.' Cf.
FoRTEViOT (Sc). Foodra Castle, on the point at Furness, was
formerly called ' the Peel of Further ' (Whitaker's Craven).
Fyfeld (Abingdon). Dom. Fivehide — i.e., five hides of land —
still 1437 Fifhide, but c. 1540 Ffield. Fyfeld (Essex), is also
Dom. Fifhide, while places of the same name in Hants and
Wilts were 1257-1300 chart. Fifhide. There are both Five Hide
and Fyfield in Glouc. Cf. Filey.
Fyltng. See Fillongley.
Gad's TTttt. (Gillingham, Kent). ' Hill of Gadd ' or ' Oaddo,' as in
Gaddesby (Leicester), Dom. Gadesbie, and Godshtll. See -by.
Gaebwen (Anglesea). O.W. gaer. Mod. W. caer gwen. 'White,
clear castle or fort.' and c freely interchange in W. Cf.
Dolgelly, etc.
Gailey (Cannock). 1004 chart. Gageleage, Dom. Gragelie (error).
a. 1300 Galewey, Gaule, Gaueleye. ' Bog-myrtle meadow,' fr.
O.E. gagel, 4 gayl, 5-7 gaul{e), 5 gawl, gawyl, 'the gale or sweet
gale.' See -ley.
Gaineokd-on-Tees. a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Ge(a)genforda, c. 1150
Gainesford, 1200 Geineford. ' Straight, direct, favourable ford.'
O.N. gegn, found in Eng. fr. 1300 as gain.
Gainsbobo'. 1013 O.E. Chron. Gaeignesburh, Gegnesburh, Dom.
Gainesburg, Sim. Dur. ann. 1013 Gainesburh. May be fr. some
man Gegne or the Uke; but there is no such name in Onom.,
unless it be Ga^an-heard. So perh. ' town, castle of gain, help,
advantage,' O.N. gagn, gegn, found in Eng. c. 1200 as ga^henn.
Mod. Eng. gain. Cf. Ganstead.
Galeobd (S. Devon). O.E. Chron. ann. 823 Gafol, Gaful forda.
Not in Dom. ' Ford of the tribute, or payment to a superior,
or gavel.' O.E. gafol, which does not mean ' a toll.' M'Clure
would derive fr. a Kelt, gabail or gabal, meaning 'the fork of
a stream,' G. gahhal; this seems doubtful, though cf. Yeovil,
which must be fr. O.E., rather than Kelt., gafol, geafl, ' a fork, a
forked opening.'
Galtbes forest (Yorks). 1179-80 Pipe Foreste de Galtris; also
Caltres. Thought to be same word as Calathros, name in the
L:ish Annals for Callandeb (Sc). The meaning is doubtful.
Some identify it with ' Gerlestre Wapentac ' in Dom. Yorks,
which is possible, and may be ' tree of Goerlaf,' or some such
name.
GAMBLESBY 271 GARSTON
Gamblesby (Langwathby). 1179-80 Gamelebi, 1189 Gamelesbi.
'Dwelling of Gamel,' O.N. for 'old'; the surname now is
Gamble or Gemmell. Gembling (Yorks), Dom. Ghemelinge, is a
patronymic fr. the same name, and shows the same intrusion of b.
Cf. next, Gammelspath, name of the old Rom. road. Middle
March (Northumberland), and Ganfield. See -by.
Gamlingay (Sandy). 1166-67 Pipe Gamelengeia (Essex), 1210
GameUngehey, 1211 Gamelingeye. 'Isle of the descendants of
Gamel.' Cf. above ; and see -ing and -ey.
Gamston (Retford). Dom. Gamelestune. a. 1199 Roll Rich. I.
Gamelesdun. ' Hill ' or ' town of Gamel ' or ' Gamall/ names
frequent in Onom., being N. for ' old man.' See -don and -ton.
Ganfield (a hundred in Berks). Dom. Gamesfelle, Gamenesfelle
{n here for I). See above.
Gajstnel (New Quay). Corn, gan hael, 'mouth of the saltings.'
Hael or hayle means ' a tidal river.'
Ganstead (Hull). Dom. Gagenestad, 1208 Gaghenestede. The
first haK must be the same as in Gainsbobo'. See -stead, ' place.'
Ganthorpe (Yorks). Dom. Gameltorp, 1202 Gaumesthorp. ' Vil-
lage of Gamel.' Cf. Gamston and (Canton; and see -thorpe.
Gatstton (York). Dom. Galmetona, prob. 1179-80 Pi^e Gonton.
' Town of Galmund,' one in Onom., and no other likely name.
But cf. Gamston and above.
Gaugbave (Leeds). Dom. Geregraue, Gheregrave. 'Grave,' O.E.
grcef, ' of Goer ' or ' Geir ' ; cf. next. But Gabeobd (Berks) is
942 chart. Garanforda, 1291 Gareford, ' ford at the gore '■ — i.e.
' promontory or triangular piece of land,' O.E. gdra. Cf. Gajb-
TBBE. Yet Garforth (Leeds), Dom. Gereford, Ingereforde, is fr.
the man Gcer. See -ford.
Gabstang (Preston). Dom. Cherestanc, 1204-05 Geirstan, 1206
Guegrestang, 1208 Geersteng, 1230 Gerstang, 1304 Gairstang.
This is a peculiar name. It seems to be, the man ' Geir's stang '
— i.e., ' spear,' or ' goad ' — same root as sting. But Dom. evi-
dently thought that the name was ' Geir's pool,' O.Fr. estang,
L. stagnum, still used in Eng. as ' a stank.' This certainly gives
a likelier sense; cf. Mallerstang (Cumberland), and Gaegbave.
But Gabshall (Stone) is a much altered name, a. 1400 Gerynges
halgh, -hawe — i.e., ' river-meadow of Gering.' See -hall and
Haughton.
Gabston (Berks and Liverpool). Ber. G. O.E. cTiart. Gserstun,
Gerstun, Grestun. Also Dom. Garstune (Worcester). O.E.
gcerstun, ' a grassy enclosure, a paddock,' O.E. gcers, grces,
' grass,' the old forms being still preserved in Sc. The orig.
meaning of ton or town is ' enclosure.' But G. (Liverpool) is
1093-94 Gerstan, 1142 Gerestan(am), 1153-60 Grestan, 1205-06
Gaherstang {cf. Gabstang), 1297 Garstan. ' Stone, rock among
GARTH 272 GEDLING
the grass '; cf. the Gastons (Tewkesbury), old Gerstone. Gar-
MSTON (N. Riding) is Dom. Gerdeston, fr. Geard, contracted fr.
Geardwulf, or the like. Cf. Grbasborough.
Garth (Bangor, etc.). W. garth, 'enclosure, yard'; also 'hill-
ridge, headland,' Ir. gart, ' a head.' If the meaning be ' yard/
it is a loan-word in W. Cf. Gwaelod-y-Garth.
Gartree (Leicester). Dom. Geretreu. ' Tree at the gore of land,'
O.E. gdra, 4-9 gare, O.N. geire. It was the meeting-place of the
Wapentake. See Garford and Appletree.
Gatcombe (I. of Wight). Dom. Gatecome. 'Valley with the
opening,' or 'gate,' O.E. geat. Also 2 in Glouc, no old forms.
See -combe.
Gateacre (Liverpool). 'Field, acre,' O.E. acer, 'with the gate,*
O.E. geat. Cf. Dom. Bucks, Gateherst, and Fazakerley.
Gateshead. Prob. c. 410 Notit. Dign. Gabrosenti* (Kelt, gabar,
' goat '). Bede iii. 21 Ad Murum, ^t Walle (the Roman Wall).
8im. Dur. ann. 1080 Gotesheved id est Ad caput Caprae ; also
Capiit Capras; but Sim. Dur. contin. c. 1145 Gateshevet, 1183
Gatesheued. These names, of course, all mean ' goat's head ' —
i.e., the Gate- is O.E. ^dt, ' a goat,' and not ^eat, ' a gate.' Cf.
Gateford (Notts) 1278 Gayt-, c. 1500 Gatford, also fr. N. geit
or O.E. ^dt, ' a goat.'
Gavenny R. (S. Wales). W. Gefni. See Abergavenny.
Gawsthorpe (Macclesfield) . ' Village of ?' Cf. Gawthorpe, Ossett,
and Dom. Norfk., Gaustuna, ? fr. an unrecorded Gaha. Gawsa
(Wales) is thought by Rhys a corrup. of causey or causeway !
Gaydon (Kineton) and Gayton (Stafford, Bhsworth, and King's
Lynn). Kin. G. 1327 Geydon, St. G. Dom. Gaitone, 1227 Gai-
don. Lynn G. c. 1150 Geitun. Prob. not fr. gate, but fr. a man
Goega or Gega, K.C.D. vi. 137 and 148, while we get the patro-
nymic Gceing in B.C.S. iii. 257. Gay is now a common surname.
Cf. Ginge (Berks), Dom. Gain3, 1225 Est geyng, and Gaywood,
also found near King's Lynn, likewise 940 chart. Gaecges stapole
(market), Hants. See -don and -ton.
Geddington (Kettering). Not in Dom. Said to be c. 1188 Gir.
Camb. Garcedune. This, if the same place, must be a different
name. Prob. ' town of Geddi,' one such in Onom. Cf. 1363
chart. ' Wilhelmus Bateman de Giddingg,' near Kettering (which
is, of course, a patronymic), Gedney (Lines), and Gedelega,
1157 in Pipe Devon.
Gedltng (Nottingham). Dom. GhelUnge, 1189 Pipe Gedlinges.
A patronymic. The same name is seen in Gillamoor (Yorks),
Dom,. Gedhngsmore. Mutschmann derives fr. O.E, gcsdlingas,
' companions in arms,' and makes Gillinq the same.
* The -senti may be for -ceuti ; perh. the same Kelt, root as in Kent, and mean-
ing * head,' or ' headland.'
GEE CROSS 273 GIRDLE FELL
Gee Cross (Stockport) . •An ancient cross was erected here by the
Gee family.
Gelliswick farm (Milford Haven). Hybrid. W. gelU or celU,
' hazel grove/ and N. vik, ' a bay.' Cf. Wick (Sc.) and Good-
wick (S. Pembroke). But the Welsh tale, Kulhwch and Oliven
{a. 1200), speaks of ' Gelh ' or ' KelU Wic ' in ComwaU.
Gentleshaw (Rugeley). 1505 Gentylshawe. 'Wood of Gentle/
a surname still in use. A John Gentyl is known in this district
in 1341. Dom. Bucks, Intlesberie, may represent the same name.
See -shaw.
Gerrans (Falmouth). Perh. the same as c. 1130 Lib. Land. Din-
Gerein — i.e., 'castle of Geraint,' K. of the Welsh in 711; 1536
Grerens. But the Welsh chronicler's castle may be in Pembroke.
GiGGLESWiCK (Settle). Local pron. Gilzick. Dom. Ghiceleswic,
Ghigeleswic. Cf. Ickleford. 'Dwelling of Gicel,' now Jekyl,
fr. Breton Judicael, which also jdelds Jewell, 1215 Close Ri Gikels-
wik and William Gikel. See -wick.
GiLCRUX (Carlisle). Old forms needed. Cf. Dom. Norfk., Gillecros,
Gildecros. Can it be ' cross of the guild ' 1 O.E. gild, gyld.
Cross was early taken into Eng. in more than one form; see Oxf.
Diet. The M.E. crouch shows that late O.E. must have had a
form cruc, L. cruc-em, ' cross.'
GrLLLNG (N. Yorks). Bede in Gethlingum, Gsetlingimi. Dom.
Grellinge(s). See Gedlinq. Gilling and Gillon are stiU sur-
names. There is a ' Gilleburc ' 1160 in Pipe (Northants).
Cf. Ealing. See -ing.
GiLLiNGHAM (Dorset and Kent). Do. G. 1016 O.E. Chron. Gilling-
ham; Dom. Geling(e)ham, 1160 Pipe GilHngeha; Ke. G. c. 1150
chart. Gyllingeham. ' Home of the Gillings,' a patronymic
fr. Gilo.
GrCiiiiNG-, Gyllingdune, and GiLLrNGVASE (Falmouth). Said to
be Corn, for ' William's hill,' and ' William's field/ Com. mces,
here aspirated. The William is said to be he who was son of
Henry I., drowned in the White Ship, crossing from Normandy
to England, 1120. All this is a little doubtful.
GiLSLAi^D (Carhsle). Sic 1215, but 1291 Gillesland. 'Land, terri-
tory of Giles ' or of ' Gilo,' 2 in Onom.
GiMLNGHAM (N. Walsham). Dom. Giming(h)eha, 1443 Gymyng-
ham, c. 1449 Gemyngham. The name or patronymic is a little
uncertain here. Perh. ' Home of Gemmund or Gefmund,' the
nearest name in Onom. See -ing.
GippiNG E,. See Ipswich.
Girdle Fell (Cheviots). ' Mountain with the belt or band round
it.' The ending ' fell ' {q.v.) is Norse, and so the root is quite as
likely O.N. gyr^ill, O.Sw. giordell, as O.E. gyrdel. If so, this is
GIRLINGTON 274 GLASTONBURY
one of the very rare Norse names in Northumberland. C/.
Girdle Ness (Aberdeenshire).
GiRLiNGTON (Bradford) . Dom. Gerlinton ; also sic in Dom. Somerset.
' Town of Gerling/ or perh. ' of Gcerland,' one in Onom. See -ing.
GiETON (Cambridge). Dom. Gretone, K.C.D. iv. 145 Gretton, 1236
Greittone, 1434 Grettone, Gyrttone. Skeat inclines to think
this is not ' great town ' (c/. the six Littletons), but prov. Eng.
gratton, ' grass which comes after mowing, stubble/ fr. O.E.
greed, Mercian gred, ' grass.' The forms in Girton (Notts) are
practically the same. Mutschmann derives, rather doubtfully,
fr. O.E. great, 'sand.' Cf. Gretton, which may be 'great,
O.E. great, town.' Great is 3-6 gret{e), 4-6 grett{ej. Cf. Girsby
(Yorks), Dom. Grisbi.
GiSBUEN (Clitheroe). Dom. Ghiseburne, 1179-80 Giseburne, 1197
Kisebum. ' Burn, brook of Gisa,' 2 in Onom. Kisi was a Norse
giant. Cf. GuiSBORo'. See -bourne.
GiSLDSTGHAM (Eye). Dom. Gislingeha, -ghaham, GissiHncham.
' Home of the descendants of Gisel ' — i.e., ' the hostage ' — O.E.
3iseZ, O.N. gid. Cf. 1384 ' Giselyngton ' (Lines).
Gladmoxjth (S. Wales). See Cleddy. Cf. also Gladder Brook
(Wore.) 1275-1340 Gloddre, also W., -der being dwfr, ' stream.'
Glamorgan. 1242 Close B. Clammorgan, c. 1250 Layam. Glom-
morgan, 1461 Glomorganeia. Old W. name Morganwg, Mod. W.
Gwlad Morgan, ^ dominion of Morgan,' a 10th cny. prince, of
which the other forms are corruptions or contractions.
Glapthorne (Oundle). Not in Dom. a. 1100 Glapthom. Prob.
' thorn-tree of Glceppa,' found in Onom. Cf. Glapton (Notts),
sic 1216-72.
Glasbtjry (Brecon), c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Glasbiria. Hybrid; W.
glas, ' blue, green, verdancy, hence, a green spot,' and O.E. burh.
See -bury; also cf. Glazebrook.
Glascote (Tamworth). Sic a 1300. ' Cot, cottage with windows
of glass,' O.E. glees, a very rare thing for an early cottage.
Glaston (Uppingham) . Not in Dom. a. 1 100 grant of 664, Glathe-
stun. There is no name like Glatlie in Onom., though there is a
Gloedwis. So this may be ' town of gladness,' O.E. gl(Bd, 4 glathe,
but prob. not. Gleadthorpe (Notts), Dom. Gletorp, 1278
Gledetorp, must have the same origin.
Glastonbury (Somerset), a. 716 Boniface Glestingaburg ; 1016
O.E. Chron. Glsestingabyrig ; 1297 B. Glow. Glastinbury. In W.
Ynys Wydrin (' isle of Wydrin ') ; found already in chart, said to
be of 601, Ineswytrin. Freeman thinks this a patronymic.
William of Malmesbury says the name is fr. a N. Wales Glasting,
who wandered there in search of a lost sow. The Lib. Hymn
(Bradshaw Society), a. 900 calls it 'Glastimber of the Goidels';
GLATTON 275 GLOUCESTEE
and a. 1100 Ann. Cambr. calls it Glastenec. M'Clure would
derive fr. a somewhat dubious W. glastan, ' an oak ' ; there is
certainly glasdonen {ii.glas and tonen), ' the scarlet oak/ a quite
possible origin, though it is more prob. a patronymic, as the
very early fost spelling indicates. See -bury.
Glatton (Peterborough). Not in Dom. 1217 Glattun. Seems to
be ' glad town ' ; O.E. glced, 3 glat, O.N. gla^-r, ' bright, beautiful,'
cognate with O.H.G. glat, ' smooth.'
Glazebrook (Manchester). 1227 Glasbroc, 1303 Glasebrok. Perh.
tautology. Kelt, glas and Eng. brook, iDoth meaning the same.
Glazebury is near by. Of. Dom. Glese (Wore), now Glass-
hampton, and Glass Houghton (Yorks), not in Dom. W. and H.
prefer ' glassy brook,' O.E. glees, ' glass,' but are prob. wrong.
Glbaston (Ulverston). Dom. Glassertun. This impHes a name
Glasser, or the like, prob. Norse. Glasserton (Wigtown), looks the
same name; in early chronicles it seems to get confused with
Glastonbury.
Glen R. (S. Lines and Northumberland). History wanted. Either
may be Nennius § 56 Fluminis quod dicitur Glein. G. gleann ;
W. glyn, ' a glen, a valley.'
Glencune, Glendhu, and Glenwhelt (all near Haltwhistle).
Glencune is G. gleann cumhann, ' narrow glen.' Of. Glencoe
(Sc). G. dubh means ' black,' W. du, and -whelt may be W.
gwdllyn, ' blade of grass/ or ? ullta, ' a crazy one, an oaf.'
Glencoin (Ullswater) = Glencune, G. comhann, being var. of
cumJiann, and mh has become mute.
Glenderamackin E. (Keswick). VMieG., gleann dobhair or doir-a-
meacain, ' glen of the stream with the roots, bulbs, or parsnips.'
Glenfield and Glen Magna (Leicester) . 1232 Close R . Glenesfield.
Seemingly fr. a man; Glen may be contraction fr. Glcedwine, 2 in
Onom. But in Dom. is Glen, which surely must be G. gleann,
W. glyn, ' valley,' though it, too, may be a man's name. Magna
is L. for ' great.'
Glentwobth (Lincoln). Dom. Glenteum-de. Cf. grant a. 675
Glenthufe, ? in Hants. Perh. ' farm of the hard, flinty rock ' ;
Dan. and Sw. Jclint. See Clent and -worth. Glinton (Market
Deeping), sic Dom. and a. 1100, would suggest a man's name
hke Glent or Glint. None such is recorded, but prob. must be
postulated.
Glogue (Pembrokesh.). La W. Y Glog, fr. O.W. clog, ' a stone ';
Corn, clog, ' a steep rock ' ; G. clach, gen. cloiche, ' a stone.'
Gloucester. Pron. Gloster. c. 120 Lat. inscr. Glev. = Glevensis
civitas, later do. Glevi, c. 380 Ant. Bin. Gle-, Clevo, a. 700
Raven. Geog. Glebon, 681 cTiart. Gleawceasdre, 804 grant
Gleaw(e)ceastre, Lanfranc Rist. ann. 1071, Cloecistra, ib. 1080
Claudia Civitas, 1085 ib. Cleucestra, a.,1130 Sim. Dur. Glocestre,
GNOSALL 276 GOLCAB
1140 O.E. Chron. Gloucestre, c. 1160 Gesta Steph. Glocestrensis,
1375 Barbour Gloster. In W. Caerloew, as in a. 810 Nennius
Cair Gloui., Saxonice autem Gloecester. Said to be called ' camp
of Gloni ' fr. its builder, a mere guess, whilst to connect with
Emperor Claudius is to make a worse guess. Many think the
name Kelt., 'bright castle,' fr. W. glaw, 'brightness.' The
forms all have the c, in later times the soft c, and not ch (except
in Layam, Gleochaestre), owing to Nor. influence. See -cester.
Gnosall (Stafford). Dom. Geneshale, 1199 Gnowdes-, Gnoddes-
hall, 1204 Gnoweshale, 1223 Gnoushale. ' Nook, corner of '
prob. ' Oeonweald,' one in Onom. Duignan suggests ' of Cnof-
wealh/ which is very far fr. Dom. But older forms are needed.
Cf. Dom. Norfk, Gnaleshala. See -hall.
Gob6wen (Oswestry). (1298 ' Robertus Gobyon.') W. gob Owen,
' heap, mound of Owen/
GdpALMiNG (Surrey). Dom. Godelminge, a. 1199 Goldhalming.
Patronymic, fr. Godhelm. Dom. also has ' Godelannge,' Surrey;
? an error.
GoDLEY (Mottram). a. 1250 Godelegh; also cf. Dom. Surrey,
Godelei. Prob. not ' good meadow,' but ' meadow of Godd,
Godda, or Gode,' all of them names found in Onom. Cf. Gode-
stoch in Dom. Salop, and Godeston in 1 155 Pipe Devon. See -ley.
GoDMANCHiiSTER (Huntingdon). 970 chart. Guthmuncester, Dom.
Godmundcestre, c. 1150-1623 Gumecestre. 'Camp of Guth-
mund/ a name common and early, found occasionally as Gud-
mund, which is but var. of the common Godmund, ' the man whom
God' (or 'a god') 'protects,' as gu^, go^ is O.N. for 'god';
O.E. god. The contracted form Gume- is influenced by O.E.
guma, 3-4 gume, 3-6 gome, ' a man,' and Goma occurs as a name
twice in Onom. We have parallels in Goodmanham and
GuMLEY. See -Chester.
GoDSHiLL (WroxaU). 1499 Gaddishill= Gad's Hill.
GODSTOW (Oxford). Not in Dom. 1158-59 Pipe Godestov, 1161-62
ib. Godesto. ' Place of Goda,' a very common O.E. name. See
Stow. Dom. Oxon has Godendone, ' Goda's hill.'
GoLANT, Glent, or St. Sampson's (Par). 1507 Gullant. Prob.
Keltic or Com. gol land, ' holy ground.'
GoLBORN Bellow and David (Chester), c. 1350 Golborne, which
is prob. ' gosHng's burn or brook,' fr. gull sb.^ in Oxf. Diet., found
in 4 as goll, ' a gosUng.' Bellow is fr. the family of Bella Aqua
or Belleau, ' fine water,' which once held this place.
GoLCAR (Huddersfield). Dom. Gudlages arc, and argo; later,
Gouthelagh chaithes, Goullakarres. ' ShieUng/ Norse Gaelic
argh, G. airigh, ' of Gudlag ' or ' Guthlac' See Ai^glesabk, and
cf. Grimsabgh, etc. The -car comes through the influence of N.
kjarr, 'marshy ground.'
GOLDEN VALLEY 277 GOENAL WOOD
Golden Valley (S. Hereford). We find c. 1130 Richard de Aurea
Valle as King's chaplain. Said to be because the French monks
confused W. dwr, ' stream/ with Fr. d'or, ' of gold/
GoLDiNGTON (Bedford). Dom. Goldentone. * Village of Gold' or
' Gould.' Cf. Dom. Essex, Goldingham. See next and -ing.
But GoLDicoTE (Alderminster) is 1275 Caldicote, ' cold cot.'
GoLDSBOROUGH (Knaresboro') . Dom. Golborg, Goldeburg, 1179-80
Goldburg. ' Burgh, castle of Gold/ which is still an Eng. sur-
name. One Golda and one Golde in Onom. See -borough.
GoLDTHORPB (Rotherham) , Dom. Guldetorp, Golde-, Godetorp,
is fr. the same name. See -thorpe.
GoNALSTON (Nottingham). Dom. Gunnulveston, 1278 Guneliston,
1316 Gonelston. ' Town of Gunnulf-r.'
GooDMAiraAM (E. Yorks). Bede Godmundigaham. Dom. Gud-
mundham, -mandham. ' Home of Godmund ' — i.e., the man
whom God protects. O.E. mund, ' protection.' The -iga in
Bede prob. represents -ing, q.v. Cf. Godmanchester and
GUMLEY.
Goodrich (Ross, Hereford). Not in Dom. 0.'E.Godric{h), a, man's
name. A rare type of place-name. Cf. Snitter (Northumber-
land), also a. 1400 Godrichesley, now Gothersley (Stourbridge).
GooDWiCK (Fishguard). Dan. and Sw. gud vik, * good bay.'
Goodwin Sands, or The Goodwins (Kent). 1495 le Goodwine
sandes, 1546 Goodwins sands. Said to be fr. Earl Godwine, so
prominent in the reign of Edward the Confessor. Cf. The
Bedwins, sands in R. Severn, perh. fr. O.E. Beaduwine.
GooLE (Lines) . a. 1552 Leland, ' a place caullid Golflete' ; fr. the dial.
gool, found in Eng. in 1542 as goole, ' a small stream, a ditch ' ;
O.Fr. gole, goule, ' the throat.' For -flete, see Fleet.
GooNHAVERN (Pcrranporth, Cornwall). Corn, goon, ' a down, a
moorland, a marsh,' and ? some word for ' iron,' W. haiarn.
Goosey (Faringdon). O.E. chart. Gosige, Dom. Gosei, 1291 Goseye.
' Goose-isle.' See -ey. But Goosnargh (Preston), Dom. Gusan-
sarghe, is ' shieling of Gusan,' an unrecorded, prob. N., name.
See Anglesark and Grimsargh.
Gore (hundred of Middlesex, around Kilburn). c. 1134 chart. Gara,
which is O.E. or Early Eng. for ' a wedge-shaped strip of land on
the side of an irregular field.' This is a good deal earlier than
any quot. in Oxf. Diet. Cf. Dom. Wilts, Gare.
GoRLESTON (Gt. Yarmouth). Dom. Gorlestuna. The name is
doubtful; ? fr. Garweald, oi Geroldus, or Gerbold, as in Dom.
Norfk., Gerboldesha.
GoRNAL Wood (Dudley), a. 1500 Gwarnell, Guarnell. Prob. ' hall '
or ' nook ' (O.E. heall or hedlh) ' of Garnwi ' or ' Geornwig,'
GOESLEY 278 aRAINTHOEPE
names in Onom. Duignan derives fr. O.E. cweorn, cwearne,
6 quearn, ' a quern, a hand-mill/ but this is not prob. phoneti-
cally. See -hall.
GoESLEY (Glouc). Not in Dom. 1228 Close R. Gorstley. Prob.
not ' furze-meadow/ O.E. gors, ' furze, whin,' but ' meadow of
Gorst/ a name not in Onom., but still a surname. See -ley.
GosFORTH (Seascale and Newcastle). Se. G. c. 1170 Gose-, 1390
Gosford, 1452 Gosforth. ' Goose ford,' O.E. gos, 3-6 gose, ' a
goose.' But GoscoTE (Walsall), a. 1300 Gorstycote, is gorsey cot
or ' cottage among the gorse '; and Gossington (Glouc), 1189
Gosintone, is ' village of Gosa,' -an. Of. 940 chart. Gosanwelle
(Dorset). See -forth.
Gotham (Notts). Sic 1316, but Dom. Gatha. O.E. gdt ham, ' goat-
house,' 4-6 gote, 6- goat. Gotherdstgton (Bishop's Cleeve), Dom.
Godrinton, is fr. Godhere. See -ing.
GowER (S. Wales). In W. Gwyr. a. 810 Nennius Guir, c. 1188
€Kr. Camb. Goer, Ann. Camb. 1095 Goher. Prob. W. gwyr,
' awry, askew '; there is a Corn, gover, ' a rivulet '; and W. gwyr
is ' fresh, verdant.' There can be no certainty as to the name.
GowY R. (trib. of R. Mersey, Cheshire). Corrup. of W. gwy, ' water,
river/
GoxHTLL (E. Riding and Grimsby). E. Ri. G. Dom. Golse (? c),
Gr. G. Not in Dom., 1210 Gousele (where -ele prob. represents
-hale or -hall, q.v.). Difficult; more old forms needed. No
name like Golc is on record; and gowk, 4-6 goJc, O.N. gauk-r, ' the
cuckoo,' yields no I, nor is it found in Eng. till c. 1325.
GoYT R. (N.E. Chesh.). M.E. gote, 'a watercourse, a stream';
O.E. gyte, ' a flood,' fr. geotan, ' to pour,' stiU found in North, dial,
as goit, goyt. Of. W. gwyth, ' a conduit, a channel'; also ' Skir-
beck Gowt,' sic 1593, near Boston, which is a watercourse or
channel. Guyting-Power and -Temple (Glouc.) must be fr. same
root; 814 chart. Gythinge, Dom. Getinge, 1221 Guytinge, with
-ing, q.v., here in its meaning of ' place on a stream.' But
GoYTRB (Glamorgan) may be for W. coed tre, 'wood-house,
dwelling in the wood.'
Grafton (5 in P.G.). Worcester G. 884 chart. Graftune. Two in
Warwick, 710 chart. Graftone, 962 ib. Greftone, Dom. Grastone,
1189 Grafton. Northants G. 1166-67 Pipe Grafton. ' Grove
town,' O.E. grdf. See -ton.
Graham. The orig. Graham prob. was in Northumberland; c. 1195
a David de Graham witnesses a charter re Ellingham (Belford) .
The surname is found a. 1128 as Graeme, and 1139 Graha.
O.E. grd ham, ' grey house.' Of. 1179-80 Pipe Gremrig (Yorks).
Gratnthorpe (Lines). [Dom. Lines has only Greneham.] ' Village
in the forked valley '; O.N. grein, ' division, branch'; Sw. gren.
GEAMPOUND 279 GREAT KIMBLE
' a branch/ See -thorpe and Grain (Sc), also Grain, sb.'' in
Oxf. Diet., found in Eng. a. 1300. This last also means ' arm of
the sea, branch of a stream/ as in Isle of Grain (Medway).
Grampound (Truro). Corn, grawpont, ' great bridge.'
GRAN(D)BORauGH (Rugby and Winslow) . 1043 chart. Greenesburgh,
Greneburga, Dom. Grane-, Greneberge, 1260 Greneborwe,
' Burgh of Green,' not in Onom. Cf. Granby (Notts), Dom.
Granebi, and Dom. Lines., Granham. See -borough.
Grantchesteb. See Cambridge.
Grantham. Sic in Dom. ' Home of Oranta ' or ' Grant,' a name
not in Onom., but we have also Grantley (Ripon), Dom.
Grentelaia. On the meaning of Grant, see Cambridge.
Grasmere (Cumberland). 'Grassy lake'; O.E. grces, 3-6 gras,
' grass.' Cf. Graseley (Wolverhampton), sic 1282.
Grassington (Skipton). Dom. Ghersinton, 1212 Gersinton. ' Town
of Gersent ' or ' Gersendis,' both names in Onom.
(jtRATeley (Andover). Not in Dom. Prob. a. 941 Lett, to Athelstan
Greatanlea. ' Greta's lea ' or ' meadow ' ; but the name is not in
Onom. Cf. Greetham and Gratwich (Uttoxeter), Dom. Grate-
wich, which Duignan thinks 'great, large village.' O.E. great,
3 greet, 4-6 grait, grett.
Graveley (Stevenage and Huntingdon). Hunt. G. chart. Graeflea,
Greflea, Dom. Gravelei, ' grave or trench meadow.' See -ley.
Cf. Graveney (Faversham), 940 chart. Gravenea. See -ey.
Gravesend. Dom. Essex, Grauesanda, 1157 Pipe Grauesent.
c. 1500 in Arnold's Chron. Gravesende — i.e., ' at the end of the
moat.' Cf. Med. Dutch grave, ' a trench.'
Greasborough (Rotherham). Dom. once Gersebroc. One would
expect a man's name here, but on analogy of Garston this is
prob. ' grassy brook,' O.E. broc, altered to -borough (q.v.). O.E.
for ' grass ' is goers, gross. But it is also in Dom. Grese-, Gresse-
burg, prob. 'burgh, castle of Grese' or ^ Grise' — i.e., 'the Pig!'
See Gristhorpe. So Gersebroc is prob. an error.
Great Ayton (Yorks). Dom. Atun, 1179-80 Atton. Perh. ' village
of Mtta, Mtte,' or ' Mtti,' all forms in Onom. If so, not= Ayton
(Sc). It may well be =Eton; O.E. ea-tun, 'town, village on
the stream.'
Great Bookham (Leatherhead). Chart. Bocham, Dom. Bocheha.
Cf. 1224 Patent R. Bukeham (Norfk.). Prob. 'beech-built
home.' See Bockhampton.
Great Bradley (Newmarket). 1341 deed Bradeleghe; M.E. for
' broad lea ' or ' meadow.' See -ley.
Great Kimble (Bucks). Dom. Chenebella, chart. Cunebelle, 1291
Kenebelle. Cf. 903 chart. Cynebellinga-gemsere. Perh., as Dr.
GEEAT TEY 280 GRETTON
Birch suggests, called after Cunobellinus, the British King, said
to have been buried here. There is also a Cynebill or Cynobill,
brother of the Bps. Cedda and Ceadda, in Onom. Cf. Kemble
(Cirencester), a. 1300 Kenebelle.
Great Tey (Kelvedon). O.E. tih, teah, ' a paddock/
Great Witchingham (Norwich). Dom. Wicinghaha, c. 1444
Wychjrngham. ' Home of Wiching ' or ' W icing '; three of
this name in Onom., really a var. of viking, ' bay-man, sea-rover.'
Prob. here a patronymic. See -ing.
Greenodd (Lonsdale). O.N. oddi, odd-r, 'a small point of land,'
as in Odde (Norway). Cf. Greenhow (Pately Br.). O.N. haug-r,
' mound, cairn ', and Dom. Norfk., Grenehov.
Greenwich. 1013 O.E. Chron. Grenawic, Dom. Grenviz, c. 1386
Chaucer Grenewich. O.E. grene wic, ' green, grassy town or
dwelling.'
Greetham (Oakham). Dom. and 1292 Gretham. Cf. Dom. Hants,
Greteham. Prob. * Greta's home,' as in Grateley. But it may
be ' great house '; O.E. great, grecet, 3-6 gret, 4-6 greet. Greet-
LAND (Halifax) is Dom. Greland.
Grendon (Atherstone, Northampton, Aylesbury). Ath. G. Dom.
Grendon. O.E. gren dun, ' green hill.' Grindgn (Ham and Co.
Durham), H. G. Dom. Grendone, and 1183 Boldon Bk. Grendona
(Durham), is the same name.'
Gresham (Norwich). Dom. and 1426 Gressam. Older forms
needed, but prob. 'Home of Gressa,' a name not in Onom.,
but seen in Gressenhall, and cf. Greasborough, whilst
Dorri. Norfk has also Gresingaha, the patronymic form. See -ham.
Gresley (Burton-on-Trent) . Old forms needed. Perh. ' meadow
of Gresa ' or ' Gressa.' Cf. Gresham. But also cf. 1179-80
Greselea, 1283 Greseleye (S. Lanes), Grizebeck and Grizedale,
which may come fr. O.N. griss, 'a pig.' See -ley. Greis- or
Grassthorpe (Notts), Dom. Grestorp, is prob. 'grassy village';
cf. Garston.
Gressenhall (Dereham). Dom. Gressenhala, c. 1450 Gressenhale.
Prob. as above, ' nook, corner of Gressa.' It does not seem prob.
that it comes fr. grass ; no adj. grassen or gressen is known. See
-haU.
Greta R. (Yorks). O.N. griot a, 'stony, shingly river,' fr. griot,
O.E. great, ' gravel, sand, stones.' The name reappears in Lewis,
the R. Greeta or Creed, in G. Gride. We also have a R. Greet
(Notts), 958 chart. Greota, Great Bridge (Wednesbury) on a
stream called a. 1400 Grete, a. 1600 Greete, and Greet (Glouc),
1195 Greta, a hamlet on a iDrook.
Gretton (Kettering and Winchcombe). Ket. G. not in Dom.
Chron. Ramsey Gretton. Same as Girton, But Wi. G- ia
GEEYSTONES 281 GKITTLETON
Dom. Gretestan, or -stanes, c. 1175 Gretstona, prob. ' great
stone or rock/ Cf. Geeetham; and see -ton, which often inter-
changes with -stone.
Greystones (Sheffield) . Cf. 847 chart. Fram Smalen cumbes heaf de
to grsewanstane ; not this place. There is no Smallcombe in the
Gazetteers.
GmMSABGH (Preston) . Dom. Grimesarge. ' Grim's sheihng ' or
' hut." argh being N. corrup.'of G. airigh. See Anglesabk; and
cf. Sizergh (Kendal), also next.
Grimsby. Dom., and 1156 Pipe Grimesbi, 1296 Grimmesby, 1297
Grymesby. ' Grim's dwelling.'' See -by. Grim was a very
common O.E. name. Grimsby existed from the days of Cnut,
or earlier. Its origin is described in c. 1300 Havelok. There is a
Grimsbury (Berks) and a Grimstock (Coleshill) . See -stock. But
Grimscote (Whitchurch) is said to have been Kilmescote and
Kenemyscote, which, as Duignan says, is prob. ' Coenhelm's ' or
' Kenelm's cot.' There are also several Grimstons — e.g., Dom.
- Yorks and Notts, Grimeston, Grimstun, and a Grimsbury (Glouc.) .
Grim's Dyke, or Ditch op Grim, runs fr. Bradeham (High Wycombe)
to Berkhamstead (Herts). It is an ancient earthwork of un-
known origin, possibly Roman. Cf. above and Graham's Dyke
(Falkirk), which is the old Roman Wall; also Grime's Hlll
(Worcs.), 1275 Grimesput ('pit '). Grim in O.E. means ' fierce,
cruel,' common as a surname. Geimley (Worcs.) is 851 chart.
Grimanleage, ' Grima's meadow/
Grestdleton (CHtheroe). Dom. GretUntone. This seems to be a
corrup. of the common ' GrimcyteVs town,' a name also found as
Grichetel, Grinchel, Grichel. But cf. next, Grindleford (Sheffield)
and Grindalythe (see Hythe), Thirsk; neither in Dom.
Grindley Brook (Whitchurch) . May simply be ' meadow with the
barred gate'; O.N. grind. See -ley. Some would compare
Grendlesmere (Wilts) fr. Grendel, the witch in Beowulf. Cf.
a. 1000 cJmrt. Grendles bee and Grindeles pytt (Wore), and there
is a Grindelay, or ' Grendel's isle ' (Orkney) ; but see, too, above.
Grendley (Uttoxeter) is often in 13th cny. Greneleye, as if
' green meadow.' Cf. Gringley (Notts), Dom. Grenelei.
Gedstdon. See Grendon.
Grinshill (Shrewsbury). Not in Dom. Grin is prob. var. of
Grim, as in Grimsby, etc. Grimthorpe (Yorks) is in Dom. both
Grim- and Grintorp; cf. 940 chart. Grinescumb (Dorset). But
Grind ale (Yorks) is Dom. Grendale, ' green dale.'
Gristhorpe (Filey). Dom. Grisetorp and Griston (Thetford).
Dom. Gris-, Grestuna. ' Village of the pigs,' or, ' of a man Grise ';
O.N. griss, ' a pig.' Similar is Girsby (Yorks), Dom. Grisebi.
Cf. next and Greasbobough; and see -thorpe.
Grittleton (Chippenham). 940 chart. Grutelingtone, Dom. Grete-
linton. ' Village of the sons of Grutel,' a name not in Onom.
19
GEIZEBECK 282 GULVAL
Perhaps it is for the fairly common Orimcytel, var. Gr'icketel,
See -ing.
Geizebeck (Furness) and GmzEDAiiE (Cumberland). O.N. griss,
' a pig.' Cf. above. On beck, ' a brook/ see Beckebmet.
Groby (Leicester). Dom. Grobi, 1298 Grouby. ' Dwelling by the
pit." O.N. grof, Ger. grube. See -by.
Gronant (Rhyl). W. gro nant, ' sand ' or ' gravel valley.'
GxJASH R. (Rutland). Prob. O.W. gwes, 'that which moves or
goes.' Cf., too, G. guaimeas, ' quietness,' and Wash.
Guernsey. Possibly c. 380 Notit. Dign. ' Granona in Armorica.'
If so the first part of this name must be Keltic, or pre-Keltic;
perh. W. gwern, ' plain, moor, and alder tree,' with N. ending.
But it is a. 1170 Wace Guernesi, 1218 Patent B. Ger(n)esie,
1219 Gernereye; 1286 Close B. Gennere, 1447 Guernesey, 1449
Garnyse, 1454 Gernessey. Some think it is also a. 1220 Volsunga
Saga Varinsey. The name is prob. N. ' Isle of Gcerwine ' or
' Gerinus,' names in Onom., or of an unrecorded Gcern, in which
case s in 1218 will be an Eng. gen. and r in 1219 a Norse one.
See -ey.
Guild EN Mobden (Royston, Hunts) and Sutton (Chester), c. 1080
Inquis. Camb. Mordune, 1166 Mordone, 1236 Mordene. ' Moor,
down '; O.E. dun, changed into denu, ' (wooded) valley.' Later,
1255 Geldenemordon, 1317 Guldenemordon, 1302 Gylden, 1342
Gilden, 1346 Gyldene. This also prob., thinks Skeat, means
' Morden of the guild-brother,' O.E. gyldena, gen. pi. of gylda,
' a guild-brother.' But further evidence is needed. It can
hardly be the same as Dom. Goldene (Salop), with which cf.
GoldenhiU (Stoke-on-Trent).
Guildford. Dom. Gilde-, Geldeford, c. 1100 BaVph the Black
Guldedune (O.E. dun, ' hill, hiU-fort '), 1120 Geldeforda, a. 1199
Goldeford, 1298 Gildeforde. ' Ford with the toU '; O.E. ^ield,
^eld, ^yld, ' payment, tribute.'
GuiSBORo' (Yorks) . Dom. Ghigesborg ; but it is also Dom. Giseborne,
1151 Gysebume. Cf. Gisburn, and see -bourne. It is diJBficult
to say what name Ghige- represents, but prob. it is the same as
in Ginge (Berks), which is in O.E. chart. Greging, Geinge, Gainge;
Dom. Gainz, ' place of the sons of Gcega '; also cf. K.C.D. vi. 137,
Geganlege, ' Gega'a meadow.' In Ghiges- we have a strong gen.
instead of the weak -an, and Gise- is a contraction; also see next.
See -boro'.
GuiSELEY (Shipley). Dom. Gisele. ' Gisa'B lea' or 'meadow.'
See above, and cf. Dom. Norfk., Guistune. See -ley.
GuLVAL (Penzance). Sic 1521; 1536 Gulvale alias Lanesleye (1222
Lanesely). Called after (?wc?t<;aZ, Bp. of St. Malo, 6th cny. But
Lanesely must mean ' church of ' some other saint.
GUMLEY 283 GWYNFAI
GuMLEY (Leicester). Dom. Godmundelai, 1292 Gomundele. ' Lea,
meadow of Godmund'; 3 suck in Onom. Cf. Godmanchester
and GooDMANHAM ; and see -ley.
GuNNEESBTJRY (Kew). Not found till the 15th cny. 'Burgh,
town of Gunner/ N. Gunnarr, a common name in Onom. Cf'
next and Ballygunner (Waterf ord) ; and see -bury.
GuNNERSKELD (Shap). 'Well of Gunner' (see above); fr. O.N.
kelda, ' a well, a spring.' Cf. Threlkeld (Penrith).
GiTNNiSLAKE (Tavlstock) . Perh. ' Lake of Gunna '; there is one
such in Onom. On this Norse name, which means ' war,' see
the interesting discussion in Oxf. Diet. s.v. gun sb. Cf.
GuNSTON (Staffs) a. 1300 Gonestone, Gunstone. Guim is still a
common surname. Lake is already found in O.E. as lac, though
rarely. Cf. Filey. But Dom. Devon has a Gherneslete;
? this place, which may be fr. O.E. gelcet{e), ' open watercourse '
or ' jimction of roads ' (see leat, sb.), and so ' leat of Geornn ' or
' Geornwi/ corrupted into Guimislake. Cf.; too, Gtjrney Slade.
GuNTHORPE (Nottingham and Norfolk). Not G. Sic a. 1100 in
grant of 664, but Dom. Gulne-, Guimetorp, 1278 Guntorp. Nor.
G. Dom. Gunestorp. ' Village of Gunna.' See above, and
-thorpe. Possibly the name embedded is Gunhildr ; cf. GuN-
THWAiTE (Yorks), 1389 Gunnyldthwayt.
GuNWALLOE (The Lizard). Named fr. Winwaloe, son of Fragan of
Brittany, c. 550.
Gurney Slade (Bath). This looks as if the same name as Dom,
Devon, Gherneslete ; see Gunnislake. Dom. Somerset has only
Gernefelle, ' Georn's field.'
Gtjyhirn (Wisbech). 'Guy's nook' or 'hiding-place'; O.E.hyrne,
now hern, him. Guy is a common Nor. name in England. But
Guy's Clife (Warwick) is a. 1200 Gibbe- KibbecUve, a. 1300
Chibbeclive — i.e., ' Gibbie's ' or ' Gilbert's cliff.'
Gwaelod-y -Garth (Cardiff). W., 'bottom of the Httle corn-field.'
Garth must be a loan-wood, fr. O.N. gar^-r, ' an enclosure, a
yard '; but in W. it now means ' a ridge, a hill, a promontory.'
GwAUN-OAE-GuRWEN (Glam.). Looks like W. gwaen cae gwr gwen,
' moor with the field of the fair man '. There is also a II. Gwaun
or Gwayne (Pembrokesh.) a. 800 Guoun, or Gvoun; W. gwaen,
' a (wet) moor.' Cf. Waunarlwydd, Glam. (W. arglwydd, ' a
superior, a lord ') .
GwEEK (Helston). Corn, giveek ; L. vicus, 'town, village.' Cf.
Week St. Mary, etc.
GwiNEAR (Hayle, Cornwall) . NotinjDom. 1536 Gwynner. Some
would say. Corn, gwin nor, ' white earth.' Cf. Annor. But
Gwynear was a saint, killed by K. Listewdrig.
Gwynfai or -EE (Llangadock). 1317 Gwynuey. To-day W. gwyn
fai, aspirated fr. mai, ' fair field.' But -uey may= gwy, 'river.'
GYTING 284 HADSTOCK
Gyting and Temple Guiting (Cutsdean, Wore). 974 Gytincgas
^welme, Gytinc, -ges. Gyting seems a patronymic, ' place of
the sons of Gytha, Gytlie, Githa,' or ' Gida/ all forms in Onom.
See -ing. O.E. cewylme is ' a spring, a well/ See Ewelme.
Haoheston (E. Suffolk). Dom. Haces, Hecestuna. ' Town of
Hacca ' ; 2 in Onom.
Haoejstess (Whitby). Bede Haconos, Hakenes ; O.E. vers. Hecanos ;
Dom. Hagenesse. Haco nos is O.N. for ' Haco's ness ' or ' nose.'
Cf. Hackthorpe (Penrith) and Haconby (Bourne). But a farm
called Hack- or Ack-bury (Brewood, Staffs) is a. 1300 Herke-
barewe and 1304 Erkebarwe, ' burial-mound of ' an unidentifi-
able man.
Hackney (London), c. 1250 Hackenaye, Hacquenye; temp.
Edw. IV. Hackeney or Hackney. ' Isle of Hacca, Hacco/ or
* Hacun '; several so-called in Onom. See -ey. Nothing to do
with hackney, the ' horse/ which is O.Fr. haquenee, and not
found in Eng.before about 1330. Of. Hagboubne (Wallingford),
a. 900 chart. Hacca broce, Dom. Hacheborne, 1291 Hakeburn.
Haddenham (Thame and Ely). Th. H. Dom. Hadena; El. H.
K.G.D. vi. 98 Haedanham; c. 1080 Inquis. Gamb. Hadenham,
Hsederham, Hadreham ; Dom. Hadreham; 1300 Hadenham.
* Home of Hceda ' or ' Heada.' The forms with r pro n are due
to a common confusion of liquids. C/. Haden.
Haddon Hall (Bakewell). Dom. Hadun(a), O.E. for 'high hill/
hedh, ' high.'' Cf. a ' Hadune ' (Notts), in Eoll Rich. I.
Haden Cross (Dudley). Named fr. a family long resident here.
A family of Haden is found at Rowley Regis in 1417. (7/. Had-
denham.
Hadfield (Manchester). Not in W. and H. Cf. 778 chart. 'To
hadfelde 3eate.' This cannot mean 'head field,' but will be
' field of Hadd, Hada, Hadde, or Headda/ names all found in
Onom. Cf. Dom. Essex Hadfelda. Not the same as Hatfield.
Hadleigh (Suffk.) and Hadley (Droitwich) . Suf . H., not in Dom.,
a. 1200 Heddele, still the local pron. Dr. H. 1275 Hedley.
Prob. ' Headda's meadow.' But Hadley (Wellington, Salop)
is said to be old Hsethleigh, O.E. hceth, ' a moor, a heath.' It is
Dom. Hatlege, and in Dom. medial th regularly becomes d.
Hadsor. (Droitwich) is a. 1100 Headesofre, Dom. Hadesore, 1275
Haddesovere. ' Bank, edge of Headda/ O.E. ofr, obr, ' bank,
brink, edge.' See -or.
Hadstocb: (Cambridge). 1494 i^a^^/aTi Hadestok. Cf. R.Rich I.
Hadestache (Derby) . Either ' place of Hadde or Headda,' see
Hadfield; or fr. hade sb^ Oxf. Diet, 'a strip of land left un-
ploughed, as a boundary, etc' Found in 1523. Stock is the
same root as stake.
HAGGERSTON 285 HAKIN
Haggerston (London). Dom. Hergotestane. Either ' stone of
Hcergod, Heregod, or Heregyth/ all in Onom. ; or ' stone of the
heriot/ O.E. here-geatu, a feudal service, now commuted to
a money payment on the death of a tenant. See Oxf. Diet,
s.v. HERIOT. But there is or was a Haggerston (Co. Durham),
1183 Agardeston, 1213 Hagardeston, which must be fr. a man
Haggard, O.Fr. Agard, still a surname.
Hagley (Stourbridge). Dom. Hageleia, a. 1200 Hageleg. The
first half is thought to be N., though such names are very rare
in this shire. O.N. hagi, Sw. hage, ' enclosed field, pasture,' not
found in Eng., as hag sb^, until 1589. Moreprob. is derivation
from O.E. haga, with the same meaning, cognate with O.E.
hege, ' a hedge.' The -ley (q.v.) is ' meadow.' Cf. Haglow
(Awre), old Hagloe. See -low. This may be fr. a man Agga,
short for Agamund, a common name, as a form Aggemede is
found for Hagmede, also in Glouc.
Haigh and Haighton (see Hatjghton).
^Saikable (Westmld.) . Said to be High Cop Gill or ' ravine ' ; fr.
O.N. hd-r kopp-r, ' high top (of a hiU).' See -gill.
Hailes (Glouc.) and Hales (Mkt. Drayton). Dom. Hales (?),
a. 1400 Hali, Hales. Glos. H. Dom. Heile, c. 1386 Chaucer
Hayles. O.E. healh, dat. heale, Mercian halh, hale, ' a nook,
corner, secret-place,' with common Eng. pi. Some make it
' meadow-land by a river, a haugh.' See -hall. Hale (Arre-
ton, I. of W.) is Dom. Atehalle, ' nook of Ata/ 2 in Onom.,
where the personal name has fallen away. We have the simple
Hale also at Liverpool, Altrincham, Glostersh., and Chingford.
The pi. s is usually late.
Hailsham (Sussex). Not in Dom. 1230 Close R. Eilesham.
' Home of Mia,' 1 in Onom.
Hainault Forest (Essex). Old Henholt. This old form tends to
bar out connection with Hainhault or Phihppa of Hainhault,
Germany, consort of Edward III. Some think it is, O.E. hkin
(inflected form of heah), holt, ' high wood.' As likely hen
represents Dan. hegna, ' a hedge, an enclosure,' O.N. hegna, ' to
enclose.' Dom. Essex has only Henham.
Hainton (Lincoln), Dom. Hagetone, Haintone, -tun, and Hain-
WORTH (Yorks), Dom. Hageneworde. Prob. fr. same man as
in Haunton (Tamworth), 942 Hagnatun, a. 1300 Hagheneton,
and in Hanyard, 1227 Hagonegate, Hageneyate. ' Town '
and ' farm of Hagene.' See -worth.
Haisthorpe (Yorks). Dom. Aschil-, Ascheltorp, Haschetorp.
' Place of ^s- or Ascytel,' var. Askyl, Aschil. See Asselby and
-thorpe.
Hakin (IMilford Haven). Sometimes thought to be fr. the Norse
Xing Haco{n) (? which). Such an origin would be contrary to
HALAM 286 HALLOUGHTON
analogy. It may be corrup. of haven. Cf. Copen-hagen,
' merchants' haven/
Halam (see Hallam).
Hale (see Hatles).
Halesowen (Worstrsh.). Dom. Halas, 1276 Halesowayn, 1286
Halesowen. See Hailes. The Owen comes fr. David ap
Owen, prince of N.Wales, who married Emma, sister of Henry II.,
in 1174.
Halfoed (Shipston and Stourbridge). Ship. H. 950 cTiart. Halh-
ford, 1176 Haleford. ' Ford at the meadow-land,' or ' haugh,'
O.E. healh ; see -hale, -hall. But St. H. is 1343 Oldeforde.
Halifax. Curious name. It seems always (see below) to have
been so spelt, since the founding of the Church of St. John the
Baptist here soon after 1100. If so, it must be O.E. Mlig feax,
' holy (2-4 kali) locks ' or ' head of hair,' perh. referring to some
picture of the head of St. John. On the strength of a compari-
son with Carfax (see Oxf. Diet, s.v.), it is often said to mean
' holy fork ' or ' holy roads,' converging as in a fork, L. furca.
Carfax is first found in 1357 Carfuks, and not till 1527 as Carf axe,
so this origin seems quite untenable. Perh. the earliest original
document which names the place is a letter, c. 1190, which
speaks of ' ignotse ecclesise de HaHflex,' where the I seems to be a
scribe's error, and -flex must be feax. ' Holy flax ' would make
no sense. In Dom. it seems to be called Feslei. Can the Fes-
be feax too ?
Halkin (Holywell). Dom. Alchene, a puzzling form. But, as the
village now lies at the foot of a hill called Helygen, this is prob.
the origin. It means in W. ' a willow-tree.'
Hallam (Sheffield). Dom. Hallun. An old loc, 'on the slopes,'
O.N. hall-r, ' a slope'; cf. La Haule, Jersey. Halam (South-
well) is also in chart, set Halum, 1541 Halom. For a N. word
taking on an Eng. loc. form, cf. Holme-on-the-Wolds. Hallen
(Henbury), old Hel(l)en, may be fr. W. helen, ' salt '; but this is
doubtful.
Halulford (Shepperton). 969 chart. Halgeford, inflected form of
O.E. haligford, ' holy ford,' 1316 Halgheford.
Hallikeld (Yorks). O.N. heilag-r kelda, 'holy well or spring.'
O.E. hdlig, 'holy.' Cf. Gunnerskeld and 1202 Fines Helghe-
felde.
Hallingbury (Bp's. Stortford). Dom. HaUngheberia. 'Burgh,
town of the sons of ? ' Older forms needed to identify this
patronymic ; ? fr. Halig or Healfdene. See -ing.
Hallington (Corbridge, Northumbld.). Cf. 806 chart. Hahngton,
in the Midlands. Prob. a patronymic, 'Haling or Hayling's
town.' Cf. Hayling I.
Halloughton (see Haughton).
HALLOW 287 HAMEETON
Hallow (Worcester) . 816 chart. Heallingan, Halhegan, Halheogan,
963 ib. Hallege, Dom. Halhegan, 1275 Haliawe. A very puzzling
name. It surely must be meant to represent hallow, * a saint,'
then, ' the shrine of a saint/ O.E. ha^a, hah,e, pi. hah,an, 2 hale-
chen ; whilst Heall- Hal- does look as if it had something to do
with -hall iq.v.),
Ha(l)lsall (Ormskirk). 1224 Haleshal, 1312 Halesale, 1320-46
Halsale, 1394 Halsalle. Prob. ' hall of Hala ' or some such
name; Halga is the nearest in Onom. Were the name late it
might be ' Hal's hall.' Cf. ' Halsam ' in a grant of a. 675, near
Chertsey, Halstead, Halstock, and Dom. Halstune (Salop), also
Halsham (Yorks), Dom. Halsam, -em. For the ending -all cf.
Walsall, etc., and see -hall.
Halton (8 in P.O.). Leeds H. Dom. Halletun. Graven H. Dom.
Haltone, Alton, 1179-80 Pi'pe Aleton. Tring H. Dom. Haltone.
' Village with the hall or mansion.' See -hall and -ton. But
Dom. Yorks, Haltun, is now Great Houghton, and 1160-61
Pipe Nhbld., Haulton, prob. has a similar origin.
Haltwhistle (Garlisle). 1178 Arbroath Chart. Haucwy - Htle
(scribe's error), 1220 ib. Hauetwisel; later in same chart. Haut-
wisil, -twysill, 1553 Hawtwesyll, a. 1600 Hartweseil. Local
pron. Haw-tessel. The first syll. is doubtful. Some say, O.E.
hawe, ' a look-out.' The likeliest origin is O.E. hdwi twisla,
' bluish-grey confluence,' where Haltwhistle burn joins Tyne ;
O.E. hdwi, hkbwi, hcewi, 6-9 haw, ' bluish, greyish, or greenish
blue,' and see Twizel. Cf. chart. ' Hocgetwisle ' (Hants), and
Oswaldtwistle (Accrington) .
Halveegate (Norwich). Dom. Halfriate, 1157 Halvergiata. O.N.
halfr gat (O.E. geat), 'the half gate,' ? one which only closed
the entrance half-way up.
Ham (Hungerford, Richmond, and Essex). Es. H. 969 chart.
Hamme, O.E. for ' enclosure.' See -ham. But Hambrook
(WinterlDourne), Dom. Hambroc, may be O.E. hean broc, ' at
the high brook.'
Hamble, R. (Solent). Bede Homelea, c. 1450 Fortescue Hammelle
Ryce and Hammelle the Hoole. M'Clure suggests that this
may be an aspirated form of R. Gamel ; but the name is doubtful.
Hambledon (Godalming and Cosham). God. H. O.E. chart.
Hamaelendun, Dom. Hameledone, ' Hamela's fort.' Also Ham-
bleton (Selby and Preston). Both Dom. Hamelton, fr. the same
name.
Hamerton (Hunts). Dom. Hambertune, and Great Hammerton
(W. Riding), Dom. Hanbretune, look as if fr. an inflected form
of the common name Heahbeorht — Hanbeorht, Hanbert, or the
like. But Hammerton (Yorks), Dom,. Hamereton, seems
' town oifHaimhere or Haimheardus or Haimerus,' a name still
HAMMER 288 HAMPTON
surviving as Hamar. Cf. Hammersmith and -wich; also Dom.
'Nik., Hameringahala.
Hammer (Haslemere and Prescot). Not in Dom. O.E. heah mere,
' high pool ' or ' lake." Seen inflected in the name Hanmer.
Cf. Abestger Hammer and Emmer; also Hampole.
Hammersmith (London). Seems to have no old forms, and no
history before Chas. I. ' Hermodewode/ mentioned in Enc.
Brit., cannot be the same name. Nor can the place be called
from the artisan hammersmith, found in Eng. fr. 1382. There
is no such place-name in England. Prob. it is ' Hamer's smite/
O.E. smite, a rare word, prob. meaning 'a bog, a morass.'
See Smite, Dom. Smithh. It can hardly be ' Hamer's Mythe '
or river-mouth, as there is none such here. Cf. Hamerton.
Hammerwich (Lichfield) . Dom. Humerwiche, c. 1200 Hamerwich,
a. 1300 Homerwich. ' Dwelling, village of Homer ' or ' Hamar.'
Cf. Hamerton and Homerton (E. London).
Hamose (Anchorage, Plymouth). ' Home (shelter) among the
ooze,"' M.E. oaze, wose, O.E. wos, ' juice.' See -ham.
Hampole (Doncaster). Dom. Hanepol, which is an inflected form
for O.E. hean pal, ' high pool.' Cf. Hammer and Hanley.
Hampshire, O.E. Chron. 755 Hamtfinscire, c. 1097 Fhr. Wore.
Hantunscire. Hamtun is O.E. for ' home town,' which as a
place-name is spelt Hampton. There is a R. Hamps (N.E.
Stafld.), but it seems impossible to guess its origin, though
Duignan connects with the vb. hamper. It is a river so ' ham-
pered ' that it totally disappears undergroimd for a time.
Hampen (GIouc.) is Dom. Hagenpene, ' fold of Hagan.'
Hampstead (London), and Hampstead Marshall and Norris
(Berks). Lo. H. Dom. Hamestede. O.E. hdm-stede, 'home-
stead, home-place or farm.' Cf. Ashampstead (Pangboum),
1307 Ashamsted, and Finchamstead (Berks), Dom. Finchame-
stede, ' homestead with the finches.' Hampstead Marshall
was in possession of Roger le Bygod, Earl of Norfolk and Lord
Marshal of England, in 1307. Norris is fr. the Norman family
of Norreys. There is also a Hamstead (Handsworth), a. 1400
Hamp- and Hamstede, and Dunhampstead (Droitwich), 804
chart. Dunhamstyde, 972 Bunhsemstede. Hampnett (Glouc),
Dom. Hantone, but Kirhy's Quest. Hamptoneth, may be for
' Hampton heath.'
Hampton and Hampton Court (London; 11 Hamptons in P.O.).
781 Synod of Brentford Homtune, Dom. Hamntune, 1402 Hamp-
ton, 1514 7ease Hampton Courte, also Dom. Hantone (Chesh.),
Hantuna (Essex). O.E. ham has as one of its earliest, if not its
earhest meaning, ' village,' so ham-tun will mean ' enclosed, forti-
fied village,' or else ' house, home.' The letter p has a habit of
intruding itself where not needed. Cf. Bampton, Brompton, etc.
HAMPTON-LUCY 289 HANKHAM
Hampton -Lucy (Stratford, Wwk.). c. 1062 chart. Heamtun, Dom.
Hantone, and Hampton-in-Akden, Dom. Hantone, a. 1200
Hantune in Arden, are O.E. hean tun, inflected form of ' high
town/ hmh, ' high/ C/. Hanbuby. H.-Lucy has been held
by the Lucy family from the time of Q. Mary. Hampton Gay
(Oxon.) is also Heantun in 958.
Hamstall Ridwarb (Rugeley). 1004 Rideware, Dom. Riduare,
a. 1300 Rydewar Ham{p)stal. O.E. hamsteall, 'homestead.'
Cf. c. 1200 chart. Whalley Abbey Hamstalesclogh. Ridware
Duignan is prob. right in thinking to be Ridwara, ' dwellers on
the rhyd' ; only that in W. means 'ford' not 'river/ Cf.
Cantebbuby, etc.
Hanbury (Broitwich, Bromsgrove, Burton-on-T., and Oxfordsh.).
Dr. H. 691 chart. Heanburg, 757 ib. Heanbnrh, Hanbiri, 796 ib.
Heanbyrig. Bro. H. 836 chart. Heanbyrg, Dom. Hambyrie.
Bur. H. a. 1300 Hamburi, -bury, a. 1400*^ Hanbury, 1430 Ham-
bury. Ox. H. Dom. Haneberge, 1495 Hanburye. O.E. hkin
byrg is ' high burgh,' even as Hampton is often ' high town.'
But in both cases ham may be ' home ' ; prob. not. Henbuby
(Bristol), 691 chart. Heanburg, Dom. Henberie, is, of course =
Hanbuby. Of. next and Heneield. See -bury.
Hanchubch (Trentham). Dom. Hancese (-cese for -circe), 1296
Hanchurch. O.E. hean circe, ' high church.'
Handbobough or Hanbobough (Woodstock). Dom. Haneberge,
prob. O.E. hean beorge, 'high hill.'; beorgis, 'a mountain, a hill,
a mound,' and heah is ' high,' gen. hean. It may be ' cocks'
hill,' O.E. hana, ' a cock,' han-cred, ' cock-crow.'
Handforth (Manchester). Some think this is 'ford (g.v.) with a
hand-rail across it.' But Handswobth (Sheffield) is Dom.
Handeswrde, fr. a man Hand, while Handsworth (Birmingham)
is Dom. Honeswrde, a. 1200 Hones-, Hunesworth, a. 1300
Hunnesworth, ' farm of Hona ' or ' Hunna.' See -worth.
Hanging Grove (Hanley Child), Hanging Heaton (Dewsbury),
and Hanging Houghton (Nthmptn.). Dew. H. Dom. Etun,
Nor. H. not in Dom. 1230 Close R. Hangadehout. Hanging
is corrup. of O.E. hangra, ' a wood on a sloping hill.' Cf.
BmcHANGER, etc. The -dehout in 1230 seems to mean ' of
Hout,' an unrecorded name. Houghton is always a difficult
name. See, too, Heaton, and cf. Hangerbury Hill (Glouc).
Hankham (Hastings). 947 chart. Hanecan ham, prob. this place,
Dom. Henecha'. ' Home of Haneca.' Cf. Dom. Bucks, Hane-
chedene. 947 cannot be, as some think, Hanham Abbots
(Winterbourne), Dom. Hanun, -on, c. 1170 Hanum, which seems
to be the old loc. common in Yorks, ' at Hana'?,.' See -ham.
But Hankerton (Malmesbury) is 1282 Haneketon. fr. the same
name as Hankham.
HANLEY 290 HARDINGSTONE
Hanley (3 in Wore, and Staffs). Dom. Hanlege, -lie (Upton-on-
Sevem), 817 Heanley (Tenbury), Dom. Hanlege, 1275 Childre-
hanle (Hanley Child), 1332 Hanley (Potteries). Perh. all O.E.
Tiean lege, ' high meadow.' Cf. Hanbury. Childre- is gen. pi, of
child. But it is to be noted that there are 2 called Hana in Onom.
{cf. Honley) ; whilst Hanney (Berks) is 956 chart. Hannige, Dom.
Hannei, 'isle of the cock/ O.E. hana. Cf. Dom. Salop, Hanelev.
Hanwell (Ealing). Dom. Hanewelle. All these names in Han-
are doubtful as to the first syll. Hanwell must be interpreted
as Hanley is, and cf. Hanbuby. But, to show how uncertain
the ground is, Hanyard (Stafford) is 1227 Hagonegate, Hagene-
yate, with which cf. Haunton (Tamworth), 942 chart. Hagnatun,
a. 1300 Hagheneton, Hanneton, ' Hagene'a gate ' and ' town.'
Happisburgh (Norwich). Dom. Hapesburc, 1450 Happysborough.
Local pron. Hazeboro'. The name is sometimes spelt Haisboro'
and Hazebro'. The contractions are interesting; the z sound
is rare in such a case. ' Town of Happi/ though Heppo is
the nearest name in Onom. See -burgh.
Habberton (see Market Harborough).
Harbledown (Canterbury). Not in Dom-. 1360 (letter of a Fr.
chaplain) Helbadonne. 'Hill, down, O.E. dun, of Harble/
which is prob. the O.E. Heardbeald, 1 such in Onom.
Harborne (Birmingham). Dom. Horebome, c. 1300 Horebum,
a. 1400 Horboume; -bourne (q.v.) is 'brook.' O.E. hdr, M.E.
hor{e) is ' hoar, hoary, grey, old,' but har or hare often also
means ' boundary,' and this place is on the border between
Staffs, and Worcestersh. Of. Harome and Hoar Cross; also
Harridge (Redmarley), 1275Horerugge, ' ridge on the boundary '
between Worcester and Hereford.
Harborough, Great and Little (Rugby). 1004 chart. Here-
burgebyrig, Dom. Herdeberge, a. 1300 Herdebergh, -berwe,
Herburburi. ' Hereburh's town.' See -borough. But Har-
bury (Leamington) is Dom. Edburberie, Erbur(ge)berie — i.e.,
' Eadburh's burgh ' (see -borough) ; whilst Harburston (Pem-
broke) is 1307 Herbraundyston, fr. Herbrand, an early Flemish
settler. Harby (Notts) is Dom. Herdebi, cf. Hardwick.
Harbottlb (Rothbury). Sic 1595. O.E. hdr botl, 'hoary, grey
house.' Of. O.N. hdr-r, and Newbattle (Sc).
Harden (Walsall), a. 1400 Haworthyn, -werthyn, -wardyne, 1648
Harden. O.E. heah worthyn, ' high farm.' See -wardine. It
has now the same pron., but has not quite the same meaning,
as Hawarden. Harden (Yorks) is Dom. Heldetone, or ' town
on the slope,' O.E. hylde, helde.
HARDrsTGSTONE St. Edmunds (Northampton). Dom. Hardinge-
stone, but c. 1123 Hardingestroona. Thought to be a corrup.
of * Harding's thorn.' Also Hardington-Mandeville (Yeovil),
HAIiDWICK(E) 291 H ARLINGTON
Dom. Hardintone. Two Hardings in Onom. Cf. Ardington
and Hardington (Lamington, Sc). See -ton and its inter-
change with -stone.
Hardwick(e). There are said to be 26 in England. Cambs. H.
c. 1080 Inquis Cam. and K.C.D. iv. 245 Hardwic, 1171 Herd-
wice, Dom. Glouc, Herdeuuic; Bucks, Harduich, -uic; Yorks,
Hardwic and Arduuic; Durham H. 1183 Herdewyk, 1197
Herdewich; Lines. H. Dom. Harduic, 1204 Herduic. Also
K.C.D. iv. 288 Heordewica, perh. in Northants. Usually de-
rived fr. herd, ' herd's, shepherd's dwelling/ Skeat insisted
that it could be nothing else, pointing to the form Heordewica,
and to the fact that by rule eo in O.E. becomes a in our time.
This is indisputable. There is also a word Jierdwick (see Oxf.
Diet, s.v.) — Dom. 'iii. hardvices,' ? c. 1150 herdewica, 1537 herd-
wyk, which is explained as ' the tract of land under the charge
of a herd or shepherd ... a sheep farm.' But there is this diffi-
culty, that, except occasionally in Northumbld., herd is never
^ pron. hard ; and according to Oxf. Diet, neither O.E. heard,
hiord, 3- herd, ' a flock, a herd,' nor hirde, hierde, ' a shepherd,'
were ever spelt hard. So that the name, in some of its many occur-
rences, must have been thought to be O.E. heard wic, ' hard,
solid dwelling,' hard being given as 2-4 herd. Hahdwick
Priors (Southam) used to belong to the monks of Coventry.
But curiously Duignan can give no early forms for either of the
Warwk. Hardwicks. He, however, gives a. 1300 Hordewyke
for Hardwick (Eldersfield, Worstrsh.). See -wick.
Harewood (Leeds), a. 1142 Wm. Malmesb. Harewode. O.E.
hara-wudu, ' hares' wood.' Cf. Harwell. But Haresfield
(Glouc), Dom. Hersefeld, 1179 Harsefelde, is ' field of Hersa,'
though Onom. has only Heorstan.
Harkstead (Ipswich). Dom. Herchestede. ' Stead, steading, or
dweUing -place of Heorc ' or ' Hark,' still a surname. Onom. has
only one Hercus.
Harlaston (Tamworth) and Harleston (Bungay). Tam. H.
1004 cJuirt. HeorKestun, c. 1100 ib. Heorlaveston, Dom. Horulve-
stune, a. 1200 (H)erlaveston(e), a. 1300 Horlaveston. Bun. H.
K.C.D. 1298 Heorulfes tun, Dom. Heroluestuna. ' Eeoruwulf's '
or * Heorelfs town ' ; 2 in Onom.
Harlech (Barmouth) . W. hardd llech, ' beautiful rock.' So named,
it is said, when Edw. I. built a castle here.
Harley (Rotherham and Much Wenlock). Rot. H. 1179-80 Her-
lega. Mu. H. Dom. Harlege. Prob. North. O.E. for ' higher
meadow,' O.E. Mah, hiera, Angl. hera, in 5 har, her. See -ley.
Harlxngton (Hounslow and Dunstable). Ho. H. Dom. Herding-
ton, but Du. H. Dom. Herlingdone. ' Town of Harding.' See
Hardingstone. There is no name like Harding in Onom., but
cf. Harlton and the N. Erling.
HARLOW HEATH 292 HAREOGATE
Harlow Heath and Cab (Harrogate). Prob. 'grey, hoary-look-
ing hill/ O.E. hdr, O.N. Mr-r, and see -low. Car is either O.E.
can, ' a rock/ or N. kjarr, ' copse, brush wood.' Of. Dom. Essex,
Herlaua.
Harlton (Cambridge), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Harle-, Herletona,
1339 Harleton. Prob. ' Herla's village.' Of. Harlaston and
Harston, also Harlsey, E. and W. (N. Riding), Dom. Herelsaie,
Herlesege, Herselaige, ' isle of Herla.' See -ey.
Harnhill (Cirencester). Dom. Harehille, c. 1300 HarenhuU. Prob.
' grey hill,' O.E. har, -an, ' grey, hoary.' Cf. Harridge in same
shire.
Harold (Beds), old hare weald, and Harold Wood (Romford).
Prob. both O.E. hara weald, ' hare wood ' or ' forest region.'
Dom. Beds, has only Hareunelle, and it is not in Dom.
Essex.
Harome (Nawton, Yorks) . Dom. Harem, Harun, which last must
be a loc. ' at the boundaries,' O.E. Mr. Cf. Hallam, Har-
BORNE, etc.
Harpenden (Herts). 1250 Harpendene, 1298 Harpeden, and cf.
966 in B.C.S. iii. 435 Of fsere grae^an hane and lang hearpdene.
' Dean, woody vale of the harp,' O.E. hearpe. Skeat, however,
prefers to derive fr. a man Herp. Cf. B.C.S. 34, Herpes ford —
i.e., Harpford (Devon). There is also a Harpsden (Henley-
on-Thames). The differing genitives, -en and -es, are against
identifying all three. Note, too, Harpham (E. Riding), Dom.
Harpein, where the ending is prob. a corrupt loc. as in
Hallam, etc., and Harpley (Worcstrsh.), 1275 Arpeley,
Harpele.
Harperley (Co. Durham). 1183 Harperleia. The 'meadow of
the harper,' O.E. hearpere, O.N. harpari. See -ley.
Harrdstgay (N. London), a. 1300 Haringee, of which Hornsey
is a corruption. As in Harrington (Cumbld. and Northants)
and Harringworth (Kettering), Earring must be, surely, a
man's name, possibly a patronymic. There is one Hearing in
Onom., and Herring is still an Eng. surname. See -ing. The
-gee in a. 1300 is perh. the rare O.E. ge, 'region,' which
Skeat thought to be found in Ely, Bede's El-ge. But see
also -ay. Cf. Herringby.
Harrogate. The original name, a. 1600, was Haywra or Heywray,
* hedged-in corner or landmark,' O.N. Mgi (O.E. hege), ' a hedge,'
and wrda, ' comer, turn, landmark.' Cf. Wrawby. Hay and
haw are very near of kin, and both mean ' hedge,' and haw-iora
could easily refine into Harro-; while -gate is O.N. gata, ' a way,
a road,' not the same as the common Eng. gate, ' a door.'
Possibly the first syll. is O.E. heah, 3-5 hei, hey, 'high.' Cf.
Haverah and Wray.
HAEROW-ON-THE-HILL 293 HAETSHILL
Harrow-on-the-Hill. Perh. 767 chart. Gmneninga hergae. Dom.
Herges, later Hareways, 1616 Visscher Haroue on the hill.
Possibly O.E. h(Brg, hearg, 'a heathen temple/ Of. Pepper-
harrow, 1147 Peper Harow. The sb. Jmrrow is not found in
Eng. till a. 1300, as haru, harwe, and so cannot be thought of
here.
Harston (Cambridge and Grantham). Not in Dom. Camb. H.
1291 Hardeleston, 1298 Hardlistone, 1316 Hardlestone. Prob.
' Hardulf or Heardvmlfs village ' (Skeat).
Harswell (York). Dom. Ersewelle. More old forms needed.
Perh. fr. a man Erra, 1 in Onom. Perh. fr. O.E. har, ' a bound-
ary.' Cf. Harome. Hardly = Harwell.
Hartington (Buxton). Not in Dom. ? c. 1150 Grant ' Herte-
dona in Pecco (Peak).' The central r prob. represents a gen.,
'hart's hill,' O.E. herot, heorot, 'a hart, a stag.' The endings
-don and -ton often interchange (q.v.) .
Hartlebury (Kidderminster). 817 and 980 cJiart. Heortlabyrig,
985 ib. Heortlanbyrig, Dom. Huertberie, a. 1200 Hertlebery,
' Burgh of Heortla,' otherwise unknown ; but cf. Harford (North-
leach), which is 779 chart. lorotlaford, not in Dom. ; also Irth-
LINGBORO'.
Hartlepool. Bede Heruteu, id est. Insula Cervi; O.E. vsn., c. 850
Herotea. Herot, herut, or heorut is O.E. for ' hart, stag,' the
ending -eu is a variant of -ey, 'island' (q.v.); whilst ea means
' a stream, water,' which points on to the later ending -pool,
1211 Hartepol, 1305 Hertelpol. The letter I not seldom in-
trudes itself. See p. 82.
Hartley Wintney (Winchfield). Prob. Dom. Hardelie (? fr. a
man Heard), and prob. Grant of a. 675 Hertlys, Hertlye — a
spelling which must be much later than the original grant.
' Hart's meadow.' See above, and -ley. Wintney is ' Winton's
isle.' See Winchester. HLirtlip (Sittingbourne) is c. 1250
chart. Hertlepe, ' hart's leap.' Cf. Birdlip.
Harton (Yorks and S.' Shields) . Yor. H. Dom. Heretun. Cf. Dom.
Haretone (Cheshire). Doubtful. O.E. here is 'an army';
but cf. Harwell. Hartpitry (Glouc), 1221 Hardpirie, Bad-
deley thinks 'pear-tree,' O.E. pirige, ' of ' some unknown man.
Could it not be simply fr. hard, as almost all its old forms seem
to indicate ?
Hartshill (Atherstone). Dom. Ardreshille, a. 1200 Hardredes-
hulle, Hardreshulle. ' Heardred's hill,' regularly in Midland
M.'E. hull{e). This is a name to bid one beware ! But Harts -
HEAD (Liversedge) is Dom. Horteseve, for O.E. heortes heafod,
' hart's head ' or ' height,' while Harthill (Sheffield) is Dom.
Hertil. With this last cf. Hartell or Hartle (Belbroughton),
1275 Herthulle, ' hart hill.'
HARVINGTON 294 HATFIELD
Habvington (Chaddesley Corbett). 1275 Herewinton, 1340 Her-
wynton. ' Hereivine's town/ But H., Evesham, is 709 chart.
Herefordtune, 963 ib. Herefordtun juxta Avene, Dom. Herfer-
thun, 1275 Herrfortune. Here-ford-tune is, of course, ' town
of the ford of the army/ The corruption is very remarkable.
Harwell (Steventon). O.E. chart. Haranwylle, Dom. Harwelle,
Harowelle. Skeat says the man ' Hare or Hara'a well,' O.E.
hara means ' a hare ' ; but the sign of the gen. suggests a per-
sonal name. Hare- or H!arwell (Notts) is Dom. Herewelle,
prob. fr. O.E. here, 'an army.'
Harwich. Not in Dom. a. 1300 Herewica, Herewyck. O.E.
here-wic, ' army-dwelling, camp.' See -wich.
Hasbury (Halesowen), a. 1300 Haselburi. O.E. hasel byrig or
beorh, ' hazel town ' or ' hill.' Cf. Hasler, and Hascombe
(Godalming), not in Dom. But Haseield (Glouc), Dom. Has-
Hesfelde, is prob. fr. O.E. ham, haso, ' grey,' though c. 1300 we
have Hersfelde. Gf. Dom. Wilts, Haseberie. See -bury.
BLaselor (Alcester), Haselour (Tamworth), and Hasler (Solent).
Al. H. Dom. Haselove, a. 1300 Haselovere, Ta. H. a. 1300
Hazeloure, a. 1400 Haselovere. O.E. haesel, haesl ofer, ' hazel
bank ' or ' border.' Cf. Haseley (Wwk.), Dom. Haseleia, and
Asher; also Hasilden (Glouc), Dom. Hasedene, 1274 Hasilton.
See -over.
Haslingeield (Cambridge). Dom. HasHngefeld, 1284 Haseling-
feld. Patronymic, ' field of the HcesUngs ' or ' sons of Hazel,'
still a personal name. O.E. hcesel, hcesl, 'the hazel-tree.' Cf.
Hasltngden (Lanes), Haslington (Chesh.), and Heslestgton
(Yorks), Dom. Hashnton.
Hassocks (Sussex). O.E. hassuc, ' a clump of matted vegetation,'
then ' a clump of bushes or low trees.' Cf. {K.C.D. 655) 986
chart. On one hassuc upp an hrofan hricge.
Hastings. 1011 O.E. Chron. Haestingas, 1191 chart. Barones de
Hastingiis. Patronymic; at first a shire distinct from Sussex,
prob. called after the E. Saxon vildng, Hasten{g), who landed
at the mouth of the Thames, O.E. Chron. ann. 893. Cf. Croix
Hastain, Jersey.
Hatch Beauchamp (Taunton), Dom. Hache, and Hatch End
(Middlesex). Cf. Dom. Nfk. and Salop, Hach(e). O.E. hcec
3-7 hacche, 4 hach, ' a hatch ' — i.e., ' a half-door, gate, or wicket-
then, any small gate or wicket.' Cf. Colney Hatch.
Hatcham (S. London) = Atcham.
Hatfield (Worcstr., Herts, Doncaster, Holderness). Wor. H. 1275
Hathfeld, Her. H. Dom. Hetfelle, later Hethfeld, Don. H. Bede
Hethfeld, c. 850 O.E. vsn. Hse])felda, Hoi. H. Dom. Hedfeld.
O.E. hoB\> felda, ' heath field, open field.' But Great Hatfield
(Hull) is Dom. Haie-, Hai -feld or -felt— i.e., ' hay field,' O.E.
hie^, he^, 2-4 hei, 3-7 hey{e), O.N. hey, ' hay.' Cf. Heathfield.
HATFORD 296 HAVEEAH PARK
Hatford (Berks). Dom. Hevaford (meant for Hevadford), a. 1300
Havedlord, 1420 Hautford. O.E. heafod-ford, ' head-ford, chief
ford/
Hatherleigh (Devon), Exon. Dom. Hadreleia, and Hatherley
(Glouc), 1022 chart. Hegberle (? fr. O.E. hea^ burh, ' high castle
lea'), Dom. Athelai, 1150 Haiderleia, 1177 Hedrelega, 1221
Hathirlege. All except 1022 clearly ' heather meadow.' This
is. interesting, as Oxf. Diet.' 8 earhest form is 1335 hathir, and it
thinks it must be quite Northern, while postulating an orig.
hcedder, hceddre. Cf. Uttoxeter. But Hatherop (Fairford),
Dom. Etherope, 1148 Haethrop, 1275 Hatrope, 1294 Haythorp,
Baddeley makes ' hedged village,' O.E. hege, M.E. heie, ' a
hedge.' See next, -leigh and -thorpe.
Hatherton (Nantwich and Cannock). Can. H. 996 chart. Hagen-
thorndun — i.e., ' hawthorn hill ' — Dom. Hargedone, a. 1300
Hatherdone, -dene, Hetherdon. An instructive list ! See above.
Hatley St. George (Sandy). K.G.D. iv. 300 Hsettanlea, Dom.
" Hatelai, Atelai, 1284 Hattele. Cf. Dom. Hatlege (Salop).
' Hcetta's lea,' See -ley.
Hatton (4 in P.O.). Duignan says, all Midland Hattons are O.E.
hceth-tun, ' town on the heath.' Cf. Hateield. None in Dom.
Haxjghton (Stafford), Dom. Haltone, a. 1200 Halecton, a. 1300
Halechtone, Haluch-, Haleg-tone; Haughton Green (Man-
chester), 1314 Halghton; Haughton-le-Skerne (Darhngton),
a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Halhtun, 1183 Halctona, later Halughton.
This last is also the spelling of a place in Leicester, chart.
Edw. III. Thus Halloughton (Kingsbury) is the same name,
a. 1400 Halghton, Halugh-, Haluton ; the Notts one is 1291 Halton.
O.E. healh, halh, 2-3 halech, 4-7 hawgh, 5-haugh, 'a flat meadow
by a riverside.' Cf. Haigh (Wigan), Halugh (Bolton), Halton
and Haigh ton (N. Lanes), Dom. Hale tun and Houghton ; also see
-hall and -ton. Skerne is a river. But Haughton (Notts),
Dom. Hoctun, 1278 Hockton, Mutschmann derives fr. a man Hoc.
Haunton. See Hanwell.
Hatjxley -ON -Coquet, a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Hafodscalfe, which is
prob. O.E. heafodes scelfe (O.N. skjdlf-r), 'head, of the shelf or
ledge of rock.' The corruption is curious.
Hauxton (Cambridge), c. 1060 Hauekstune, Dom. Havochestun,
1316 Haukestone. 'Village of Hafoc' — i.e., 'the Hawk,' still
a personal name. Gf. Hawkesbury (Coventry), Hawksworth
and Hauxwell (Yorks), Dom. Hauocswelle.
Havant (Portsmouth). O.E. chart. Hamanfunta, 'fountain, font,
well of Hama,' 4 in Onom. The present form is simply a phonetic
wearing down of the O.E. name. Dom. is Havehunte, where
the h is prob. error for/. Cf. Chalfont and Fovant.
Haverah Park. See Harrogate.
HAVERFORD WEST 296 HAY
Haverford West (Pembroke), c. 1188 Gir. Camh. Itin. Haver-
fordia; c. 1200 Gervase Haverforde, 1603 Harford. In W.
Hwlffordd or Cseralun. ' Oats-fjord/ O.N. hafre, pi. hafrar,
Dan. havre, 'oats'; for -ford=N. fjord, cf. Waterford oppo-
site, and MiLFORD. The W. Hwl- must be a corrup. (? of hywl,
' a sail ') ; while ffordd in W. means ' a road, a passage.' The full
form Haverfordwest is found as early as 1603 Owen.
Havering (Romford). Dom. Haveringas, 1160 Pipe Hauering.
Prob. patronymic, 'place of the sons of Haver' or ' H award.'
See Haversgate, and -ing.
Haversgate Island (Orford). Not in Dom. This is prob.
' Haward's road or way,' O.E. geut. Five Hawards in Onom.
But Haverthwaite (Ulverston), 1201 Haverthuayt, will be
' oat-place ' or ' farm.' See Haverford, and -thwaite.
Hawarden (Flintsh.). Pron. Harrden. Cj. Garden. Dom.
Havrdin, Inquis. p.m. Hauwerthyn. ' Hedged farm,' Eng. haw,
O.E. haga, ' a hedge,' and see -warden. Cf. Harden, which is,
N.B., ' high farm.' The Mod. W. is Pennar Lag or ' high en-
closure by the lake,' more correctly, pen arth leg.
BLa-Wes (Earkby Stephen). O.E. and O.N. hdls, 'the neck, a col,'
common in Northern place-names for ' the connecting ridge
between two heights.' See Oxf. Diet. s.v. hause.
Hawksworth (W. Ridg. and Notts). W. R. H. Dom. Hauoc(h)-
esorde. Not.H.Z)om.Hochesuorde,c. 1190Houkeswrthe. 'Hawk's
place or farm,' O.E. heafoc, hafoc, 3-5 Jiauk{e), ' a hawk.' See
-worth. (7/. Hawkridge (Berks). 0.-£^. cAar^. Heafoc hrycg, and
940 chart. Hafuc cnollum (Pewsey, Wilts) ; also Hawkbach, a.
1400 Haukebache, ' hawk valley ' (see Comberbach) . Wherever
you have the -s of the gen. Hawk will be a man's name. Cf.
Hauxton, Hawkswick (W. Riding), Dom. Hocheswic, and
Hawksbury (Foleshill), a. 1400 Haukesbury, Hawkesbury
(Wickwar.), Dom. Havochesberie, also Dom. Kent, Havochesten.
Hawnby (Holmsley, Yorks). Dom. Halmebi, 1201 Fines Halmiby,
1298 Hainleghe. 'Meadow' or 'dwelling ' of Helm or Helma,'
2 such in Onom. Al easily becomes aw, and m often changes
into its kindred liquid n. Cf. Hawton (Notts), Dom. Holtone,
'dwelling in the holt ' or 'wood.' See -by and -leigh.
Hawstead (Bury St. Edmunds). 1298 Haustede. 'Place (Sc.
' steading ') with a hedge or fence,' O.'Ei.haga, 4-9 haw{e). Haw,
O.E. haga, and hay, O.E. hege, are, of course, cognate, and both
mean ' hedge,' but they are not the same words.
Haxby (York). Dom. Haxebi. ' Dwelhng of Hacca,' 2 in Onom.
Cf. Haxey, Doncaster; (see -ej). See -by.
Hay (N.E. of Brecon), c. 1188 Gir. Camb. Itin. Haia, Haya.
O.E. hege, 4-9 hay{e), ' a hedge, a fence,' cognate with haw, and
hedge. Cf. above and Oxhey. In W. it is Tregelli, ' house
HAYDOCK 297 HEBBURN
among the woods/ Haywood, Great (Rugeley) is Dom. Hai-
wode.
Haydock (St. Helen's). 1168-69 Hedoc, 1170-01 Heddock, 1286
Haydok, 1321 Heydok, 1565 Heghdoyk. Seems to be O.E.
hege-docce, ' hedge of dock or docken.' Cf. Docoombe and Hay.
Dock for ships is a late word. W. and H. are quite uncertain,
and suggest a man's name, unknown, for the &st part, and O.E.
dc/ oak,' for the second. Hayden (Glouc), 1220 Heidun, 1222
Heydunn, certainly seems fr. O.E. hege, M.E. heie, 'hedge,'
whilst Hayton (Notts), 1154-89 Haythona, may be fr. O.E.
hcep, ' a heath.'
Hayes (Uxbridge). 793 chart. Haese, Dom. Hesa, later Hease,
Heyse, Hays. Doubtful; perh. for O.E. hasu, heasu, 'grey or
tawny-looMng.' Possibly fr. O.E. ces, 2 ese, 4 hes, ' carrion ' ; for
ending -a or -e= ' watery place,' see -ey.
Hayle, The, or Saltings R.. (Bodmin). Corn, heel, ' a tidal river.'
Hayltng I. (Portsmouth). Dom. Hahngei. Prob. a patronymic,
-" ' isle of the Halings,' though there is no such name in Onom.
Cf. Hallington, and -ey.
Hazlehubst (Cobham). Grant of c. 675 Hasulhurst, c. 1200 Ger-
vase Heselherste. ' Hazel-tree wood,' O.E. hcesel, and see -hurst.
Cf. Haslewood (W. Riding), Dom. Heselewode.
Headless Cboss (Redditch). Curious corrup. 1675 Hedley's Cross.
We find a Wm. de Hedley in this district in 1275.
Healaugh (Tadcaster). Dom. Hailaga, Helage, O.E. heah leah,
' high meadow '; -laugh is a rare form of -leigh or -ley (q.v.).
Cf. next and Headon (Notts), Dom. Hedune.
Healey (Masham and Rochdale), and Healeyfield (Co. Dur-
ham). Dur. H. 1183 Boldon Bk. Heleie, -ey. O.E. hkth leak,
' high meadow.' High is 4-6 hee, he, hie. Cf. above and
Heaton ; and see -ley.
Heapham (Gainsborough). Not in Dom. Cf. 1200 chart. Hepe-
dale. Prob. ' home of Heppo,' several in Onom. Perh. fr. O.E.
heope, ' the fruit of the wild rose,' a hip, 4-5 hepe 5 heepe. Cf.
Hepworth.
Heathfield (Sussex and Newton Abbot) . Sus. H. not in Dom., local
pron. HefEul. Ne. H. Dom. Hetfeld, -felle — i.e., ' heath field.'
See Hatfield and cf. ? c. 1150 Grant Hethcote, Peak District.
Heaton (7 in P.G.). Dom. Hetun, Etun (Yorks), Hetune (Salop).
O.E. heah, 4-6 hee, he, hie, ' high.' Similarly Headon and Hedon
(Hull) are ' high hill.' Cf. Healey ; and see -ton.
Hebburn (Jarrow) and Hebbttrn Bell (hill, Belford). a. 1130
Sim. Dur. Heabyrn and Hybberndune. Heabyrn is certainly
Early Eng. for ' high burn or brook,' O.E. heah, hea. Hybbern-
looks more Hke ' hip-bum,' brook along which the hips grow,
20
HECKFIELD 298 HELMINGTON
4-6 hejpjpe, 6-7 hep. Cf. above. The personal name is usually
spelt Hepburn. See Hepboene. Bell, of course, refers to
the shape of the dune or hill; Oxf. Diet, gives no instances of
such a usage.
Heokfield (Basingstoke). 'Field of Heca' ; one was Bp. in
Sussex, 1047. Gf. 836 chart. 'Heccaham.' Dom. has only
Heceford. We get the patronjonic in Heckington (Lines).
Cj. Dom. Nfk. Hechincham.
Heddington (Calne) . ' Town of Headda ' or ' Hedde/ a common
O.E. name. Cf. 1158-59 Pipe Hedendon (Oxfd.), and Dom.
Essex Hidingeforda. Perh. patronymic. See -ing.
HEDNEsroKD (Cannock), a. 1400 Hedenesford, Edenesford. 'Ford
of Heoden.' Cf. B.C.S. 544 Hednesdene, and Henshaw, Halt-
whistle, old Hedneshalgh. See Haughton.
Hed WORTH (Jarrow). a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Heathewurthe. ' Heath-
place.' The d ending for heath is seen also in the Ger. and Du.
heide, O.N. hei^-r. See -worth.
Heeley (Sheffield). 'High lea or meadow'; O.E. heah, 4-6 hee,
he, hie. Cf. Healey ; also Heigkley Gas. (Staffs). Dom.
Heolle, a. 1300 Helegh, HeUey. Duignan makes this a hybrid
fr. W. heol, ' a road, a way.' See -ley.
Heigham Potter (Norfolk). Dom. Hecham, 1444Heigham Porter
and H. Potter. ' High home,' O.E. heah ham, 4-6 heigh, as
still in Sc. Cf. Heighton (Sussex), and Higham. Potter is a
corrup. of Porter through the vanishing of the hquid r.
Hellesden (Norfolk). 1450 Heylesden, -don, Haylysdon. 'The
woody vale ' or ' the hill of ' some man with a name in O.E.
beginning with HcbI- or Heal-. There are several such. Possibly
fr. the Scandinavian ogress Eel, the Northern Proserpine ; hence
the Eng. hell. Dom. has only Helesham. Cf. Helston; and
see -den and -don.
Hellifield (Skipton). Dom. Helge-, Haelgefeld. Either ' Eelgi'a
or Helga's field'; or fr. O.E. halig, haleg, 3-4 heli, ' holy.' Cf.
Helbeck (Aysgarth, N. Riding), 1230 Close B. Helebec. See
-beck, and HeUaby (S. Yorks), Dom. Elgebi.
Helmdon (Brackley). ? Dom. Elmedene {Oxf. Diet, has no spelling
of elm with h). Prob. O.E. helm-dun, ' top of the hill,' fr. helm,
' top, summit, then, helmet. ' Cf. ' Helm o' the Hill ' (S, of
Felton), and next.
Helmingham (Stowmarket). Sic in Dom. Cf. 838 cJiart. Hel-
manhyrst. ' Home of the sons of Helma ' or ' Helm.' Cf. next,
and Dom. Yorks Helmeswelle, now Emswell; and see -ing.
Helmixjgton (Bps. Auckland), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Hehne, Healme,
which is O.E. for ' top, summit '; taken later for a proper name,
and -ington added. Cf. above.
HELMSLEY . 299 HENDON
Helmsley (N. Yorks). Dom. Elmeslac (3 times), Hamelsec (4
times) Almeslai (once). The last form is the present name, the
man ' Helm's meadow/ Cf. above. But the other forms look
like ' Helm's ' or else ' Hamel's oak/ O.E. dc. See -ley.
Helperby (York). Sic 1441, but Dom. Hilprebi, Ilprebi. ' Dwell-
ing of Helpric or Helpericus/ names in Onom. To make it
' dwelling of the helper ' (a word in Eng. a. 1300) would be
contrary to analogy. Cf. Heuerthoepe (Yorks), Dom. Elpe-
torp, and next. See -by.
Heupringham (Sleaford). Dom. Helpericha, -rincham. ' Home of
the sons of HeVperic' Cf. Helperby, and see -ing.
Hbkpston (Mket. Deeping), a. 1100 chart. Helpeston. ' Dwelling,
village of Helpo/ 2 in Onom. Cf. the mod. name Helps, and
Dom. Bucks Helpeswrth,
Helston (Falmouth). Sic 1432, 1200 HeUeston. Possibly hybrid,
fr. Corn, hellas, ' a marsh.' But cf. Hellesden.
Helstry Kingsley (Cheshire). It prob. is the goddess ^ Hel's
tree.' Cf. Hellesdon, Oswestry, and Helsby (Cheshire),
Dom. Helesbe.
Helvellyn ((Mtn., Cumberld.). Prob. Kelt, for 'yellow-looking
slope,' hel felyn. Corn, velen, ' yellow.' But hel is a somewhat
doubtful Kelt. root. There are 3 places in Wales in P.G.
called Velindre or ' yellow house.'
Hemel Hampstead (Herts). Dom. Hamelamestede, Henamestede
(error), 1303 Hemelhamstead. 'Homestead, home place,'
O.E. hdm-stede, ' of Hemele,' several in Onom. Cf. Hemsworth,
also Hemlington (N. Riding), Dom. Himelintun, Himeligetun,
a patronymic fr. Hemel ; Dom. Norfk. Hemehngetun. See
-ing. Hempstead (GIouc), Dom. Hechanestede, c. 1120-30
Heccamstede, 1230 Ehamstede, may mean ' high homestead,'
O.E. heah, ' high,' or may be fr. Hecca, -an, a man. It is often
found in full as Heyhamstede, etc.
Hemingburgh (Selby), Knytlinga Saga Hemingaborg, and Hem-
INGBY (Horncastle), Dom. Hamingebi. ' Fort of Heming,' and
' dwelling of Heming,' 3 in Onom. See -burgh and -by.
Hempnall (Norwich). Dom. Hemenhala. Cf. c. 1490 ' Hem-
nales ' (Suffolk). 'Nook of Hemma,' 3 in Onom. For intru-
sion of p, cf. Brompton, Hampton, etc. Cf. Hempshill
(Notts), Dom. Hamessel, c. 1200 Hemdeshill, Hemsby (Gt.
Yarmouth), and 1166-67 Pipe Heimbia (Devon). See -hall.
Hemsworth (Wakefield). Dom. Hameleswrde, Hilmeword. 'Farm
of Hamele.' Cf. Hemel Hampstead; and see -worth.
Hendon (London). O.E. chart. Hean dun (inflected form) Dom.
Handune. A Keltic origin is out of the question. It is plainly
' high hill,' as it is; or else possibly ' Hean'a hill.' Cf. B.C.S.
HENFIELD 300 HEEEPORD
246 Heanes pol, also Henstill (Sandford, Crediton), 930 chart,
Henne stigel, where henne is either O.E. for ' hen/ or inflected
form of heah, ' high ' ; stigel is ' a step, a ladder, a stile/ Hen-
CASTEB (Wstmld.), Dom. Henneeastre, must be ' high camp/
whilst Hen ACRE (Glouc), c. 1196 Heneacre, is ' high field,' and
Henbareow (same shire), ' high tumulus/
Henfield (Sussex). Dom. Hamfeld. As the Hquids m and n so
often interchange. Ham- is prob. O.E. Man, inflected or loc.
form of hexih, ' high,' so ' high field.' Cf. Hanbtjry and Hen-
knolle, 1183 in Boldon Bk., Durham.
Hengston Hill (Cornwall). O.E. Chron. 835 Hengesterdun. ' Hill
of Hengest,' but not necessarily the comrade of Horsa, a.d. 449.
O.E. hengest means ' a male horse, usually a gelding.' C/.
HnsrcKsEY etc. A Hengest, vassal of the Danes, is mentioned
in Beowulf and other early O.E. poems, Baddeley thinks
Hengaston (Berkeley) may be for O.E. Man gcerstun, 'high
grass-town.' Cf. Wallgaston, near by, 1243-45 Walhamgarston.
Henham (Bps. Stortford). Sic in Dom., c. 1220 Elect. Hugo
Hengham. O.E. hean ham, 'high house,' hean inflected form
of heah.
Henley (R. Thames, and in Arden), Th. H. 727 chart. Henlea,
Dom. Henlei ; Wwk. H. a. 1200 Henlea, a. 1400 Henley in Arde(r)n.
Either O.E. hean ledh, 'high meadow,' heah being inflected, or
henn-ledh, ' hen meadow.' There are also ' Henley ' (Ipswich)
and 'Henlei,' Dom. Surrey. E. and W. Hendred (Wantage).
O.E. chart. Henna rith, is ' hens', water-hens' riU.' Henwood
(Solihull), a. 1200 Hinewud, is more Hkely fr. O.E. hina, 3 hine,
5 heynd, 7 hiend, ' a hind, a servant'; but Heniviarsh (Glouc),
1236 Hennemerse, will be ' moor-hen marsh.'
Hensall (Whitley Br.). Dom. Edeshale, which seems to be for
' Mdan's ' or ' Edan's nook.' See -hall. But Henshaw (Halt-
whistle) is c. 1147 Hethingeshalch; also Hedneshalgh — i.e.,
' Heoden's haugh ' or ' river -meadow,' influenced by North.
Eng. shaw, O.E. scaga, ' a wood.'
Hensteidge (Somerset). Dom. Hengesterich, O.E. chart. Hen-
gestes ricg, O.E. for ' Hengest's ridge.' See Hengston.
Hepborne or Hayborne (Wooler). c. 1330 Hebhorn, 1363 Hib-
burne, 1366 Hebburne. 'Burn, brook with the hips,' the fruit
of the wild rose, O.E. heope. Mope, 4-9 hep{e). Cf. Hebburn,
Hepworth (Huddersfield) . Dom. Heppeword. ' Farm of Heppo/
Cf. Heapham; and see -worth.
Hereford. 1048 O.E. Chron. Herefordseir, 1260 Herford. ' i'ort
of the army,' O.E. here. Curiously, we get much older forms,
s.v. Harvlngton (Evesham), which is 709 Herefordtune, etc.
In 1161-62 Pipe we still read of ' Herefort in Waliis.'
HEEMANSOLE 301 HEVER
Hermansole (farm, Canterbury) . ' Herman's pond or pool/ O.E,
sol, ' mire, a muddy place,' now only Kent. dial. sole. Cf.
Maydensole (Dover) .
Heenb Hill (London) and Herne Bay (Kent) . Cf. K.C.D., iii. 279:
'Eamhylle/ O.E. hyrne, M.E. herne, him, 'a corner, nook,
hiding - place.' Cf. Dom. Hants Heme, and Essex Witbrictes
herna.
Herringby (Norfolk). Dom. Harringebi, c. 1456 Haryngby.
' Dwelling of Herring.' Still a surname, patronymic fr. Heara,
gen. Hearan. C/. Herringswell (Mildenhall). See -by.
Herringeleet (Suffolk). Dom. Herlingaflet, 1361 Herlyngflet.
' River of the Herlings ' ; patronymic, (?) fr. Herlewine, 3 in Onom.
Of. K.G.D. 782 Herlingaham or Hurlingham. See Fleet.
Hersham (Walton-on-Thames) . Not in Dom., but cf. Dom. Norfk.
Hersam. ' Home of ' some one of the many men with names in
Here-, Heremod, Heresic, Hereweald, etc.
Herstmonceux (Pevensey). ' Hurst, forest (of Anderida), belong-
ing to the Norman family Monceaux.' O.E. hyrst means ' a
knoll, a hillock,' as well as ' a wood.'
Hertford. Bede Herutford, 1087 Ordinance Wm. I. Hertfordscire,
1258 Hurtford. ' Ford of the hart.' O.E. heorut, 3-6 hert, ' a
hart.' The mod. pron. of the place-name always has the a
sound. Cf. Harford (Glouc), 743 chart. Heort ford, 802 ih.
Hereforda, Dom. Hurford, 1221 Harford.
Hesblton, Monk and Cotjd (Durham), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Hesel-
dene. ' Dean, den (wooded), valley with the hazels.' O.E. hcesel.
Hesketh Bank (Southport). 1283-92 Heskayth, 1292 Eskayth.
Wyld says, O.N. hest shei^, ' race course.' It seems possibly a
plural form of W. hesg, ' sedges.' Cf. Werneth, ' place of
alders ' ; but the ending -ayth is against this ; also the rarity of
W. names here.
Hesltngton. See Hasltngeield.
Hessle (Hull). Dom. Hasele, which must be O.E. hcesel-liah,
' hazel mead.' {Of. Dom. Salop, Hesleie, and Hesley, Notts,
1217 Heselay.) But it seems to be 1179-80 Pipe Hessewell,
Hesiwald, which corresponds with an Ashwell or Heswell, 1239
in Galend. Pap. Reg., i. 181, ' ash-tree well.' Cf. 1298 ' Gerardus
de Hesebrygge.'
Hetton (Skipton). Dom. Hetune. O.E. heah tun, 'high town.'
Cf. Hewick (Yorks), Dom. Hawie. But Hetton -le -Hole (Co.
Durham) seems to be 1516-17 Durham Ace. Rolls Hett, where
Hett is doubtful.
Hever (Eden Br.). Sic 1327, but 1278 Heure, also Evere. Prob.
for he-over, or he-oure, ' high bank,' OE. heah ofr. Of. Heeley
and Wooler, and see= over.
HEVEESHAM 302 HIGHAM FEREEES
Heversham or Ever- (Westmld.). Dom. Eureshaim, a. 1130 Sim.
Dur. Hefresham. ' Home of Eojor ' — i.e., ' the wild-boar.'
See -ham.
Hewobth (Felling, Durham) . 1183 Ewwrth . Prob . .E . tw worth,
' yew-tree farm ' ; but possibly fr. a man Eva, Eua, or Ewa.
Such names are known. See -worth.
Hexham. Prob. c. 410 Notitia Axelodunum, Bede Hagulstad,
c. 1097 Orderic Haugustalda, a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Extoldesham,
a. 1200 John Hexham Hestoldes-, Hextildesham, c. 1300 Hexe-
lesham, 1421 Hexhamshire. A curious and difficult name. The
Notitia name is not certainly Hexham. If it is, Axelo-dunum
is certainly Kelt, for 'high hill/ and the O.E. name may be a
corruption of this. But O.E. hagosteald is ' a young soldier, a
bachelor.' Cf. B.C.S., i. 97, Haegstaldes cimib (Somerset). It is
often said to be ' home on the Hestild.' Two brooks, said once
to have been called Hextol and Halgut, now the Cockshaw and
Cowgarth bums, meet here.
Hextablb (Swanley). Not in Dom. Perh. ' hatch staple,' O.E.
hcBC, -ce, M.E. hec, hek, ' a hatch, wicket-gate,' and stapol, ' a
pole or pillar marking the boundary of an estate.' Cf. Hexton
(Bewdley), 1227 Hekstane. However, the names Heca, Hecca,
and Heed are common in O.E., and may well be postulated here.
Cf. HexthIoep (Yorks), Dom. Hestorp, Estorp.
Heybridge (Maldon). Prob. Dom. Hobruge {cf. Hoe), ? c. 1250
Visitation Churches belonging to St. Paul's Heubrege. Prob.
' high bridge,' O.E. heah, 3-5 hey, hei; possibly fr. O.E. heg, heg,
3-7 hey, 'hay.' Cf. Roll Rich. I., ' Haiscot ' (Essex). ^ The
Heydons (there are several) are prob. all ' high hill.' Cf.
1166-67 Pipe Hidon (Devon). Cf. Eyam.
Heysham (N. Lanes). Dom. Hessam, 1094 Heseym, 1216 Hesam.
' Hesa's home.' Cf. Hessle, and see -ham,
HiBALDSTOW (Brigg). a. 1100 Grant of 664 Hibaltestow, 1179-80
Hybaldestow, Hibolstowe. ' Place of Hibald ' or ' Hygebeald,'
common in Onom. See Stow.
HiCKLETON (Doncaster). Dom. Chicheltone {cf. Keighley), Ichel-
tone. ' Town of Hicel.' See next.
HiCKLTNG (Melton Mowbray). Dom. Hechel-, Hegelinge, 1298
Hikellinge. Prob. a patronymic. Cf. B.C.S. 862, ' Hiceles wyrfe '
(Salisbury). ' Place of Hicel's descendants.' Cf. above.
HiGHAjM Ferrers (Northants). c. 1060 chart. Hecham, 1465 Rolls
Parlmt. Heigham Feres. ' High house or home,' O.E. Mah,
4-6 heigh. Cf. Heighah. William Ferrers, Earl of Derby,
became lord of the manor here in 1199. But Highnam (Glouc),
old Hynehamme, is ' the enclosure of the hind'^,' or ' servants.'
See -ham.
HILBOROUaH 303 HINDERWELL
HiLBOROUGH (Norfk.) [Dom. Hildeburhwella] and Hillborough
(Stratford, Wwk.). Str. H. 710 chart. Hildeburhwrthe,. Zafer
Hildeborde, Hildebereurde ; a. 1200 Hilburgewrth ; 1317 Hilde-
boreworth. A very interesting corrup. — a woman, ' Hilde-
burh's farm/ Gf. "^Hilston (Holderness), Dom. Heldovestun,
Heldeweston, ? fr. Heldwulf, one in Onom.; whilst Hilcote
(Gloue.) is old Hyldecote, fr. O.E. hylde, ' a slope/
HiLBREE I. and Point (Cheshire). 1577 Hilbery. Possibly W. hel
bre, ' bank on the hill or brae.' Eng. bree sb' ' eye-brow ' {Oxf.
Diet.) never seems used for ' brae ' or hill-slope, though Skeat
says it doubtless had also this sense. Of course, Hilbery could
mean ' hill-fort ' or ' burgh,' only burgh or bury very rarely
becomes bree.
HrLDENBOBOUGH (Toubridge), not in Dom., and Hildenley
(N. Yorks) . Dom. Hildingeslei, Ildingeslei. This last is ' meadow
of Hilding/ patronymic fr. Hilda.' The first name may be fr.
the simple Hilda. Hillesley (Wickwar) is Dom. Hildeslei.
See -borough and -ley.
Htldersham (Cambridge) . Dom. amdichart. Hildricesham. * Home
of Hilderic,' one in Onom. Gf. Hinderwell. Hildebthobpe
(Yorks) is Dom. Hilgertorp, or ' Hildegar's village.'
HiLGAY (Cambs) . c. 1080 Inquis. Gamb. Hehngheie, Ramsey Ghron.
Helingeye. Patronymic. 'Isle of the Hellings.' Gf. Hel-
lingly (Sussex), and see -ay.
Himbleton (Droitwich). 816 chart. Hymeltun, Dom. ffimeltun;
and HiMLEY (Dudley), Dom. HimeHc ;, a. 1200 HumiHleg, Humi-
leg; a. 1300 Humilele, Hymele. Perh. 'town' and 'meadow
of Hemele/ common in Onom. Duignan, owing to lack of all
sign of the possessive, prefers to derive fr. O.E. hymele, ' the
hop plant,' and refers to Hemlington and Hambleton (Yorks),
which are both fr. a man Hamel or Hemel. But there is at
Himbleton a stream, 956 chart, hymel broc, which does seem
' hop-plant brook,' and the early spellings also favour ' the hop-
plant ' origin.
Hinckley (Leicester). Dom. HincheUe. ' Meadow of Hynca,' one
in Onom. See -ley. But for Hincaster, see Hencaster,
' high camp.' Htnchwick, Condicote, 1294 Henewyk, 1307
Hynewyke, is perh. O.E. henge wie, ' steep village. Gf. Hinks-
FORD.
Hinderwell (N. Riding). Dom. Heldrewelle, Hildre-, Ildrewelle;
1179-80 Pipe Hilder-, HirderwaUe. ' Well of HiU or Held.*
The r may be the N. gen., but we also find 3 Heldreds and a
Hilderic in Onom. The liquids I and n do interchange. Gf.
Hn^DERSHAivr and Hinderskelf, now Castle Howard (Yorks),
Dom. Hildreschelf, Ilderschelf . Shelf often occurs for ' ledge
of rock.'
HINDLIP 304 HISTON
HiNDLip, Hestlip (Worcester). 'Hind's leap/ O.E. hlyf, 3 lijp, ' a
leap/ Cf. BiBDLip.
HiNGHAM (Norfolk). Dom. Hincham, often, 1452 Hengham. Pos-
sibly contracted fr. ' Hengest's ham' or 'home.' Older forms
needed. Onom. has one Hength.
Hjnksey (Oxford). O.E. c^arMIengesteseie, -ige; 1297 Hencsei.
'Hengest's isle.- Of. Hengston and Hinxworth. Hinks-
FORD, Kingswinsford, is 1271 Henkeston, 1300 Hinkesford,
more prob. fr. Hynca, as in Hingkley.
Hesttlesham (Ipswich). Dom. and sic 1157. Puzzling. The
nearest name in Onom. is Hinwald or Hinieldus. Possibly
Hintel is dimin. of the known name Hunta. See -ham.
HiNTON Waldrist or Waldridge (Berks; 10 Hintons besides in
P.G.). Dorset H. chart. Hine-, Hyneton; Ber. H. B.C.S.,
iii. 228, Heantunninga, Dom. Hentone ; Cambs H. Dom. Hintone ;
Glouc. H. 1303 Henton. The B.C.S. form means ' dwellers in
Heantun ' — i.e., ' high town/ O.E. Man, dat. of heuh, ' high/
But the Hintons are not all the same, and come most of them
fr. O.E. hina, gen. of hiwan, ' domestic servants, hinds,' or else
fr. hind, ' a female deer.' See -ton. Waldrist is fr. O.E.
WeaUric. He was King's Chancellor 1100-35. See Chron.
Ahing., ii. 127.
Hints (Tam worth and Ludlow). Tarn. H. Dom. Hintes, a. 1300
Hyntes. Duignan thinks W. hynt, ' a road, way,' with Eng. pi. s.
Henxton (S. Cambs). and Hinxworth (Herts) Ramsey Chron.
Hengestone, 1277 Hengeston, 1341 Hyngeston. Dom. Hain-
geste uuorde. ' Hengest's farm ' and ' village.' Cf. Hinxton
(Essex) and Hinksey, and see -ton and -worth.
Hipperhouvie (Halifax). Dom. Huperun. It seems hard to ex-
plain Huper or Hipper. There is nothing likely in Onom. unless
it be Hygebeorht or Hubert ; but it may be a dissimilated form
of hippie, 5 hupple, see next, and mean ' at the little heaps,'
-un being an old loc, which either becomes -holme, ' riverside
meadow,' or -ham, q.v.
HiPSWELL (Richmond, Yorks). Dom. Hiplewelle, c. 1538 Leland
Ipreswel. There is no name at all likely here, so this must be
' well at the hippie,' or ' little heap,' first recorded in Oxf. Diet.
in 1382 as hypil, heepil, and derived fr. O.E. * hiepel, hypel,
cf. Ger. hail f el.
HmwAiN (Aberdare). W. hir gwaen, 'long plain' or 'meadow/
It anciently stretched for ten miles.
HissiNGTON (Herefdsh.). Dom. Hesintune. Prob. ' town of Hesa,'
a name not in Onom. Cf. Dom. Bucks, Hesintone.
HiSTON (Cambridge), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Hestitona, Dom.
Histetone, Histone, 1 165 Hestona. ' Village of Hesta or Hcesta.'
HITCHIN 305 HOCKWOLD
HiTOHiN. Dom. Hiz, 1210 Hiche, 1303 Huche, 1346 Hicheyn, 1541
Hechjm. Dom.'s Hiz = Hits. The name, it would seem, can
only mean Hicca's (place) ; a Hica and a Hicca in Onom. Had
the -in been early it would prob. have represented an old loc,
but it seems quite late. For similar names (which are rare)>
cf. Beedon, Brailes, Coven, etc. The R. on which it stands,
formerly the Hitche, seems to have been rechristened Hiz after
Dom. HrrcHAM, Ipswich and Maidenhead, ' Hicca's home,'
show what the normal forms of this name would have been.
HixoN (Stafford). Dom. Hustedone, a. 1300 Huntesdun, Huhtes-
Hucste-, Hucces-, Huncesdon; a. 1600 Hickston, Hixeton. It
is on a ' hill,' and the ending is clearly -don, q.v. The proper
name which comes before is a puzzle. Huch, Hucco, and Huctred,
var. of U hired, are the nearest in Onom. In Dom. st usually
stands for guttural ch or gh.
Hoar Cross (Burton-on-T.). 1248 Harecres, 1262 La Croiz, 1267
Orcross, 1268 Horecros. 'Boundary cross,' O.E. Mr. See
Harborne. This Hoar- in later spellings of place-names is
often corrup. into Whore. Cf. the Hoarstone (Bewdley), 1275
Richard o' th' horeston. Another in Glouc.
HoARwiTHY (Ross). 1Q05 chart. To ]jam haran wifie, ' to the old
withy or willow,' O.E. withig.
HoBOROUGH (Kent). 838 chart. Holebeorh; also Holenbeorh,
-beorge, ' hill, mound of Hola.' See Barrow.
HoBY (Leicester). Dom. Hobie. ' Dwelling on the Hoe ' or ' hill.'
Cf. HuBY, and see -by.
Hockerhj^ (Herts and Wore). He. H. c. 1250 Hokerhuka, 1491
Hokerelle. ' Hill of the hooker,' or ' thief who steals with a
hook.' Not in Oxf. Diet, till 1567. So Skeat. Perh. Hocker-
TON (Notts), Dom. Hocre-, Ocreton, may be the same, and not fr.
a man Hoc with N. gen. r. All is doubtful.
Hockley (Birmingham and Essex). Bi. H. 1327 Hockele, 1332
Hockelaye. Cf. Dom. Surrey, Hoclei. Prob. ' meadow with
the hocks, holly-hocks, or mallows,' O.E. hoc. Skeat thought
Hoc- a M.E. hardening of O.E. hoh, ho, ' promontory, abrupt
height. Hoe,' though the Oxf. Diet, does not confirm this. Still,
next is very possibly so derived; so, too, O.E. chart. Hants,
Hocgetwisle. See Twizel: also cf. Dom. Leicr. and Notts,
Hoches, ?=' heights,' and Beds, Hocheleia, and Hocberry
(=-bury), Glouc.
HocKLiiTB (Beds). Old Hocclyve. Seen also in the name of the
15th cny. poet Occleve or Hoceleve. Prob. ' promontory chff,
projecting cliff.' See above and Cleveland.
HocKWOLD (Brandon). Not in Dom. c. 1460 Hokehold. Doubt-
ful. It may be ' high wold ' — i.e., ' wood ' or ' hilly district,'
cognate with weald, or ' high hold ' — i.e., ' fortress.' See
HODDLESDEN 306 HOLBTJEN
Hockley. But it may be fr. a man Hocca. Cf. Hockwobthy
(Wellington), see -worthy, 1160 Pipe, Hochelai (Northants) and
HuCKNAIiL.
HoDDLESDEN (Darwen). C/. 1297 a ' Hodleston/ Prob. ' den or
DEAN of Holdwulf or ^Holdulf/ one in Onom. Wyld and Hirst
omit. But HoDDESDON is fr. a man Hod or Hoda, both in
Onom. Cf. 940 chart. Hoddes stoc (Wilts).
HoDNET (Market Drayton). Dom. Hodenet. Prob. 'heath of
Hoda/ gen. -an. Cf. Hodcot (Berks), Dom. Hodicote, 963 chart.
Hodan hlsew (= -low or ' hill '), and 1160 Pipe Chesh., Hodeslea.
For -et= heath, cf. Hatfield and Bassett. Dom. Salop has
also a Humet. Hodkell (Southam), Dom. Hodenelle, -helle,
is ' Hoda's nook'; see -hall; while Hod sock (Notts), Dom.
Odesach, 1302 Hodesak, is * Hoda's oak.*
Hoe, The (Plymouth). 1590 Spenser The Western Hogh, 1602
Carew The Hawe. O.E. hoh, ho, ' a heel, a projection, a spur, a
hill, high ground ' ; Sc. heugh. Cf. Hoo, Hockley, Dom. Devon,
Ho (Totnes); 1160-61 Pipe Kent, Ho; Hoe Ford (Fareham);
Mortbhoe, Staplow, etc. Hoe, hoo, is a common ending in Staffs
and Warwk. — e.g., Tysoe is Dom. Tiheshoche, a. 1300 Thysho.
HoGSTON or HoGGSTON (N. Bucks) . Dom. Hochestone. O.E. chart.
Hocgestan, ' stone of Hocca.' Hog, ' a pig,' is not found till
1340. Hogge for Hodge or Roger is found in CShaucer, Cf.
Hogsthorpe (Lines), not in Dom., Hogston (Sc), and Hoxton;
also Dom. Lines. Hogetune.
(La) Hogue Hatbnai (Guernsey) and Hotjgtje Bie (Jersey). These
names are all pure Scandinavian. Hogue is O.N. haug-r,
' mound, cairn.' Cf., Grenehoga, -ehov, Dom. Norfk. See -how.
Hatenai is ' isle of ' some Norseman who cannot now be surely
identified. See -ay. Whilst Bie is the same as the common suffix
-bie or -by, ' dwelling,' q.v. Cf. Cape La Hogue (Cherbourg) .
Holbbach (Spalding). 810 chart. Holebech, c. 1290 Holebec, 1571
Holbich. Nothing to do with beach. May be ' hole, hollow,'
O.E. hoi, 'with the bach or beck or brook.' Hardly 'beck of
Hola,' a name in Onom., for, if so, we should expect Holanbech in
810. O/. a * Holan bsecc,' on Stour (Staffs) in 958 c^«r<. See -bach.
HoLBBCK (Leeds). See above.
HoLBUBN (London), c. 1162 Holeburn, 1513 Holbome. Pron.
now clipped down to ' 'Obun.' J. R. Green says ' hollow bourne,'
or burn or brook. Cf. Langbourne Ward in the City. O.E. hoi,
dial, holl, and 5-9 hole, ' hollow, depressed, lying in a hollow.' It
may be ' Hola's burn.' Cf. Hobokotjqh, and see -bourne. It
may also be 'hole of the burn,' 'hollow with the brook,' O.E.
hoi, hole. Cf. the Holbrook (Warwk.), which Duignan says
is holh broc, ' hollow with the brook.' Holbrook (Winch-
combe) certainly is c. 1170 Holebroc.
> HOLCOMBE 307 HOLME
lIoLCOMBE (Painswick and Manchester). Pa. H. 1166 HoUecumbe;
Ma. H. c. 1215 Holcumbe hevet (head). Combe is ' valley/ q.v.,
but Hoi- must be interpreted according as one interprets HoL-
BXJRN. C/. HoLDEN (Yorks), Bom. Holedene; and Holfoed
(Winchcombe), Bom. Holeforde.
HoLOOT (Northampton). Bom. Holecote, ? c. 1220 ElexA. Hugo.
'Philip de Holkotes.' This last prob. means 'hovel-like cot-
tages/ fr. O.E, hulu, ' a husk, a hull/ found a. 1225 meaning
' a hut, a hovel.' Cf. Hull. But Bom.'s form points to ' cot
of Hola/ a known name.
HoLDERNESS (E. Yorks). Bom. Heldrenesse, Heldemesse; c. 1097
Orderic Hildernessa; c. 1100 Holdernese; 1208 Holdernesse.
Prob. ' cape of the High Reeve/ an officer of rank in the Dane-
lagh, O.N. hold-r, O.E. hold. But in its earlier forms fr. Eeld-r,
Hild-r, on which names see Hindebwell. See -ness.
HoLKHAM (Wells, Norfk.). Bom. and 1157 Pipe Boll Holeham.
Seems to be fr. O.E. holh, 'a hollow, a hole, a cave,' 'dwelling
at or in the hollow.' See -ham.
HoT.TiAT^TD (S. Lincoln). Bom. Holland, 1216 Hoyland. The Dutch
Holland is prob. ' holt-land,' woodland, see Oxf. Bid. s.v. ;
whilst the Eng. name is usually thought to be O.E. hoi land,
* hoUow or low-lying land.' But Holland suggests Dan. hoi,
' high,' which does not seem very applicable. Of. Hoyland.
HoLLTNGBOTniNE (Maidstone) . c. 1018 Holingburne. ' Bum, brook
of the holly -trees,' O.E. holen, hole^n, 3 holin, 5 holiitg. Cf.
K.G.B. 722 Holungabuma, prob. in Dorset; and Bom. Bucks,
Holendone. We get a curious corrup. of this root in Holdfast
(Upton-on-Sevem), 967 chart. Holenfesten, prob. ' holly fastness/
Cf., too, HoLUN, Upp. and Low. (Bewdley), 1332 HoIjti.
HoLLOWAY (Feckenham, London, and Matlock Bath). Lon. H.
sic 1576, but Fe. H. Bom. Holewei, a. 1200 Holowei; Ma. H.
Bom. Holewei. Also Holloway or Holewey (For. of Dean).
' Way which is deeply excavated or depressed, lying in a hollow,'
O.E. hoi, infl. hole, 4-9 holl, cognate with hollow, not foxmd till
c. 1205 Layamon holh, 3-4 holewe, 3-5 holwe. The a. 1200 form
cited by Duignan is earher for hollow than anything in Oxf. Bid.
Holme (7 in P.O.), a very common name — found, e.g., in Bom.
Yorks 17 times as Holme or Holne. It is O.E. holm, ' low, flat
land by a river, river -meadow.' It often interchanges as an
ending with -ham, and as ending is also found as -hulme, as in
Davyhulme, and as -om, in Millom (probably). Holmttbth
(Huddersfield) is Bom. Hohie. The -firth is O.E. fyrhp, Z-frith,
4 ri ht, ' a wood, wooded country, unused pasture-land.' Holme-
ON-THE-WoLDS is Bom. Hougon, which must be a loc. ' at the
hows ' or ' mounds,' O.N. haug-r. Cf. Howsham, and for a
Norse word taking an Eng. loc. form, cf. Hallam. The Nor.
HOLMPTON 308 HOMEESFIELD
family of Pierrepont or ' Perpunt ' is found at Holme Pierrepo nt
(Notts) in 1302. In Channel Is. holm becomes -hom, Brecqhon,
Jethon (1091 chart ' quae vulgo Keikhulm vocatur'), etc.
HoLMPTON (Hull). Dom. Holmetune. ' Town on the holm or river-
meadow.' See above. For intrusion of p, cf. Hampton.
HoLNE (Ashburton, Devon). 8ic in Dom. O.E. holeyn, hollen,
' hoUy-tree.' Cf. 847 chart. JEthelwulf, To tSaem beor3e Se mon
hatet5 ' set Ssem holne/ also Hollandbtjsh (Sc).
HoLNHURST (Glouc). 940 cAarf. HolenhvTst. ' Holly- wood.' See
above and -hurst.
HoLswoRTHY (Budc). Not in Dom. Prob. 'farm of Hola.' Cf.
HoLBEACH, and see -worthy.
Holt (Norfolk and Worcester). Dom. both Holt. O.E. and N.
holt, ' a wood, a copse.' So also Holton (6 in P.O.). Newark
H. Dom. Holtone. ' Town by the wood.'
Holyhead. Pron. Hollyhead. a. 1490So<owerLeHolyhede. But
in W. Caergybi — i.e., ' fort of St. Oybi.' The parish church
occupies an elevated site where once stood a monastery dedi-
cated to this saint. And the ' Mountain of Holyhead ' is called
Pen-Caer-Gybi. Gybi or Cybi was a British saint who, after
visiting Gaul and opposing Arianism, returned c. 380, and
founded this monastic estabUshment here.
Holy Island (Northumbld.). c. 1130 Hali eland, c. 1330 R. Brunne
Holy Eland. So called because the Columban monks from lona
planted the monastery of Lindisfarne here in the 7th cny.
Cuthbert was its great saint.
Holywell (Flint). In W. Treffynon. So called from the famous
well of St. Winefride, to which many R.C. pilgrims still come.
Winefride is a dubious saint, reputed to have been a noble
maiden whose head was cut off by Prince Caradog because she
scorned his lustful advances. The head rolled down a hiU, and
where it stopped this spring or well gushed forth ! She is said to
have been daughter of Prince Teuyth of N. Wales in the 7th
cny., but there is no mention of her doings until Robert of
Shrewsbury, c. 1140.
Homer (Much Wenlock) . Not in Dom., but old Hohnere, which is
O.E. for ' hoUow lake,' lake in a hollow. Cf. Cromer and
HoLBTJRN; but for HoMERTON (London), see Hammerwich.
Homersfield (Harleston). Dom. Humbresfelda, Red Bk. Excheq.
Humeresfeld, also Humorsfeld. Doubtful. Perh. . ' field of
Humberht, Humbertus, or Hunbeorht,' all forms in Onom., the
last most correct. Cf. Hubberstone. It might be fr. Hormcer.
Cf. B.C.S. 622 Hormseres wudu. The liquid r could easily dis-
appear, and a spelHng Hornersfield is found. Skeat votes for a
man Hunmcer, a name admittedly not on record.
HOMILDON 309 HOOTEN PAGNELL
HoMiLDON (Northumbld.) . c. 1230 Homeldun. 'Hill of Homel.'
Cf. Homeliknow (Coldstream), 1198 Homelenolle. Rommel is
still a personal name in Germany, but is not found in Onom.
Cf. HUMBLETON.
HoNEYBOiJRNB (Evesham). 709 chart. Huniburne, 840 ib. Hunig-
burn, Dom. Huni-, Honey burne. ' Brook with honey-sweet
water/ O.E. honig. Of. next, and see -bourne. There is a
HoNEYBBOOK in the same shire, 866 chart. Hunig broc; also a
HoNEYBOBOUGH (Pembksh.),1307 Hounteborch, 1327 Honiborch.
' Burgh, castle of Hunta ' or Hunto/ several in Onom. See -burgh.
Honey CHURCH (Devon). Dom. Honecherche. The connexion
between a ' church ' and ' honey,' O.E. huni-^, 4-7 honi, is not
very obvious, and this is prob. ' church of Buna.' Cf. Honiley
(Warwk.), a. 1200 Hunilegh, plainly fr. honey, even as is HoN-
NiNGTON (same shire), 1043 chart. Huniton, Dom. Hunitone.
On Honey Child (Romney Marsh), 1227 Honi Child, see
Bapchild.
Honicknowle (Crown Hill, Devon). Prob. ' knoll, hill of Honoc/
a name in Onom. Cf. Dom. Devon, Honecherde (-erde prob.=
-worth, ' farm), and Knowle.
Honing (Norwich). Honingham (Norwich), and Honington (3 in
P.O.). Dom. has only Honincgetoft. Honing is c. 1160
Haninges, ' place of the sons of Hana ' or ' Rona.' Cf. Dom.
Kent, Honinberg. See -ing. But Honley (Huddersfield) is
Dom. Haneleia, prob. ' mead of Rana/ 2 in Onom. Cf. Hanley.
Hoo (Rochester), c. 700 chart. Hogh, Dom. Hou, How=Hoe.
Stanhoe was orig. Stanhoghia. There is also a Hoo Faem
(Kidderminster), 1275 John de la Ho.
Hook (7 in P.O.). Where these are fr. hook, O.E. hoc, 'a hook,'
then ' an angle or bend' in a river, etc., thej'^ must be late, as
Oxf. Diet, has nothing in this sense till late in 16th cny. But
some of the Hooks (those in Norse regions) are prob. of the same
origin as the Hog and Hough of Lines, and Hook (Goole) . See
Houghton. The numerous Hooks in Pembk. will have this
origin. 1603 Owen, ' South hooke,' etc., and in older charts. Hoch.
Hook Norton (Banbury). 917 O.E. Chron. Hocneratun, Hoc-
ceneratun; late chart. Hokenarton; c. 1115 Ren. Runt. Hoche-
neretune. An interesting and puzzling corrup. Rocnera must
surely be a gen. pL, and the name mean ' town of the Rocs '
or ' sons of Roc.'
Hoole (Chester). Sic 1340. O.E. hoi, 5-6 hoole, ' a hole, a hollow.'
Cf. ' Hammelle the Hoole,' s.v. Hajmble R. ; also cf. Much Hoole.
HooTON Pagnell and Roberts (Doncaster and Rotherham).
Dom. H. Dom. Hotun, 1203 Hoton. ' Village on the Hoe ' or
' hill.' Hoton is very frequent in Dom. Yorks, usually for some
HUTTON.
HOPE 310 HOENINGSHAM
Hope (4 in P.G.). Dom. Hope (Salop). This is hope sb^ in
Oxf. Diet., ' a place of refuge/ O.E. hop, ' a piece of enclosed
land, an enclosed little valley '; O.N. hop, ' a small, land-locked
bay, an inlet,' as in St. Margaret's Hope (Sc). Cf. Hopehotjse
(Hartley), 1275 ' John de Hope.' Hope (Denbigh) is now in
W. Yr Hob, ' the hope,' or Hoben, ' 2 hopes.' Hope-Mansel
(For. of Dean) is 1263 Hope Maloysell, an O.Fr. proper name.
HoPTON (Mirfield and Great Yarmouth). Mi. H. Dom. Hoptone;
Ya. H. sic c. 1080. The plant hops is not found till c. 1440.
This is prob. for hope, as above; or it may be, like Hop-
wooD (Alvechurch), 848 chart. Hopwuda, fr. O.E. hop, ' the
privet.'
HopwAS (Tamworth). a. 1100 Hopewaes, Dom. Opewas, a. 1200
Hopwas. O.E. Jiop wase, wees, ' valley of the swamp or marsh.'
Of. Albewas ; and see -hope.
HoEBUHY (Wakefield). Dom. Orberie. Doubtful. There seems no
likely name in Onom. It may be as next. See -bury. Horfield.
(Bristol), Dom. Horefelle, Baddeley derives fr. O.E. horh, M.E.
hore, ' mire.' Cf. Hormead, same shire.
HoRHAM (Eye, Suffolk). Sic c. 1150, but Dom. Horam, -an. Prob.
like HoBEHAM (Sussex), ' home of the whore ' or ' harlot/ O.E.
hor, O.N. Mra. Dom.'s Horan may be an old loc, ' at the
whore's.' See -ham.
HoBNBLOTTON (E. Somerset). Dom. Horblawetone, a. 1145 Wm.
Malmesb. Homblawerton, ' Horn-blower town.' Already in the
Corpus Glossary, c. 725, we find horn blauwere.
Hornby (Lancaster). Dom. Hornebi, 1278 Horneby; also more
than one in Yorks, Dom. Hornebi. ' Dwelling of Horn.' Cf.
Homcastle, and King Horn, perh. orig. Horm, a Dan. Viking
of the 9th cny., who fought for the Ir. King Cearbhall. But
Hornby in Smeaton (Yorks) is Dom. Horenbodebi, Horebodebi,
where the man's name is now hardly recognizable. See -by.
HoRNCASTLE (Lincs). Dom. Hornecastre, 1161-62 Pipe Horne-
castra. ' Camp of Horn.' See above. The ending -caster,
q.v., rarely becomes -castle.
HoRNiNGSEA (Cambridge), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Homingeseie.
' Isle ' and ' home of the Homings ' or ' descendants of Horn.
Cf. Hormer (Berks), B.C.S., iii. 520, Horninga msere (lake, mere),
Chron. Abing. Hornigmere; also Horninglow (Burton-on-T.),
sic a. 1300, See -low, ' burial-mound.' Cf., too, Dom. Essex
Horminduna, and Norfk. Hornincgetof t ; also Hornington
(Ainsty), Dom. Horninc-, Hornin-, Horni- tone. See -ing. On
Horn, see above.
HoRNnsTGSHAM (Warminster) . Dom. Horningesha. ' Home of the
sons of Horn.' See above, and -ing.
HORNSEY 311 HOUGHTON
HoENSEY (N. London), a. 1300 Haringee, with the hard g still
preserved in Harbin gay. Hornsea is a corrup. which has
arisen through softening of the g into Harnjy, and then Hornsea.
But Hornsea (E. Riding) is Dom. Hornesse, ' isle^ peninsula of
Horn.' See Hornby and -ay.
HoRRiDGE (Glouc). Prob. 'hoar, grey ridge/ O.E. Mr/ 'hoary,
grey, old,' 3-5 hor. But c/. Horton. Dom, Glouc. has only
Horedone.
Horseord (Norwich) {Dom. Hosforda, also Horsha) and Hors-
EORTH (Leeds). Le. H. Dom. Horseforde, Hoseforde. There
are coins of K. Alfred which seem to read Orsnaforda as well as
Oksnaforda (Oxford). ' Horse ford." See -forth.
Horsham (Sussex). Prob. 'home of Horsa'; perh. the Jute who
came over with Hengest, 449 a.d . There is also one in Worstrsh.
sic. 1275, which may be the same, or else ' horse's enclosure ' ;
O.E. hors hamm. See -ham 2, and cf. Dom. Bucks Horsedene.
Dom. Sussex has only Horselie and Horstede.
HoRSLEY (8 in P.G.). Leatherhead H. perh. 871-89 chart. Horsa
leh, Dom. Horslei, ib. Derby, Glouc . and Sussex Horselei. Rather
' Horsa's ' than ' horse meadow.' See above, and -ley.
HoRSMONDEN (Kent). Not in Dom. 1570-76 Lamharde Hors-
mundene. ' The Dean or (woody) vale of the ward of Horsa.'
O.E. mund, ' protection.'
HoRSTED Keynes (E. Grinstead). Dom. Horstede. Prob. as in
Horsham, 'Horsa's place'; O.E. stede. Keynes is the Nor.
family, de Cahanges.
Horton (10 in P.G.). 972 chart. Horton (Wore), Dom. Yorks,
Salop, Worcr., Bucks, Hortone, -tune; a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Hore-
tun. Doubtful. It might be ' hoary, grey -looking town.' See
Horridge. Duignan prefers O.E. horh tun, ' dirty, muddy town,'
and says c/. Hormead (Herts), which Skeat makes ' muddy mead.'
HoRwiCH (Bolton and Stockport). Cf. Dom. Wore. Horwich.
= Horton. See -wich.
HoTHAM (Yorks). Dom. Holde twice, Hode 5 times. O.E.
heald is only found in sense of ' holding, keeping, possessing.'
Holde, ' a lair, lurking-place,' is not found recorded till c. 1205,
and as ' fort, fortress ' not till a. 1300. The -ham has been
added after Dom. But Dom. has once Hodhu'. With Dom. 'a
Hode cf. the Sc. hand, hod, for ' hold.'
Houghton (11 in P.O.). A difficult name, with several origins.
Those in the N. seem often to be fr. North. Eng. how, ' hill,
hillock, tumulus, barrow'; O.N. haug-r, 'cairn, mound,' in
7 hough. E.g., H., Heddon-on-the-WaU, is 1200 Yorks Fines
Houton, while H. (E. Riding) is Dom. Houe-, Oueton. Cf., too,
Hougon, a loc, ' at the mounds,' name in Dom. for Holme on
HOUNSLOW 312 HOXTON
the Wolds. Glass Houghton (S. Yorks), Dom. Hoctun, Hough-
ton-le-Side, 1200 Yorhs Fines Hoctona, H. (K's. Lynn) Dom.
Hodtune, and the many Hohtones in Dom. Northants, are
prob. fr. Hoe, ' height, promontory/ 3-6 hogh. See Hockley.
Houghton (Beds and Hants) will be the same, being both
Hou8ton(e) in Dom., st being Dom.'s regular ' avoidance ' of
guttural gh. Qreat Houghton (Barnsley) is Dom. Halton, and
so= Houghton or halhtun, 'river-meadow town'; whilst Hanging
Houghton may possibly be fr. a man Hout. Old forms are
always needed.
HouNSLow (London). O.E. chart. Hundeshlaew, Dom. Honeslowe.
' Burial-mound of Bund ' or ' Hiinda.' See -low. But Hound -
HILL (Uttoxeter) is a. 1300 Hogenhull, a. 1400 Howenhull, as
well as Hunhyle, Hounhull, suggesting origin fr. a man Hoga,
-an, ' the prudent.'
Howden-le'-Weab (Co. Durham). 1130 Houendena, and Howden
and Howden Dyke (Yorks), Dom. Houeden, c. 1200 Hoveden,
1635 Hovenden (prob. not a. 1130 8im. Dur. Offedene). Doubt-
ful. Very hkely fr. an unrecorded Hofa. Cf. Hovingham
(Yorks), sic. in Dom., giving its patronymic; only Ojfa and Ofa
in Onom. It might \)Q ' wooded vale of the plant hove ' (spelt
so c. 1440), O.E. hofe, which may be the violet or ground ivy.
A EroUof Rich. I. has Houedensir', or Howdenshire. Of course,
in North. Eng. how is ' a hill,' found in Eng. fr. a. 1340 (see
-how), whilst HowTHOKP (Yorks), Dom. Holtorp, is ' village in
the hollow ' or ' hole.' See -den.
HowLE Hill (Ross, Hereford). W. hywel, 'conspicuous.' C/.
Cbicesowell.
HowsHAM (E. Riding and Lincoln). E. Ri. H. Dom. Huson, O.E.
loc. huson, ' at the houses.' Gf. Hallam and Newsham.
Housen (Cotheridge) is just the M.E. pi. ' houses.' See -ham.
Howtel (N.W. of Wooler). 1525 Howtell Swyre (O.E. swira
'neck'; cf. Manor Swaee, Sc). How will be O.N. haug-r,
' mound, hill ' ; the -tel must remain doubtful. Cf. Houghton.
Hoxne (Eye, Sfk.). Dom. Hoxana, Hund. Roll Hoxene, 1473
Hoxon. Doubtful. O.Fris. hoxene,. hoxne is ' a hamstring '
(see Oxf. Diet. s.v. hox sb.); but this seems unlikely. Skeat
adopts the suggestion of Mr. Anscombe, that here we have an
O.E. Hoxena, gen. pi. of Hoxan, possibly the name of some small
tribe of settlers, just as we find mention of the tribe Wixan
and' the famous tribe of Seaxan or ' Saxons.' The name in any
case seems abnormal.
HoxTON (London). Dom. Hochestone, c. 1350 Hoggeston, later
Hog&ton, 1610 jB. Jonson Hogsdon. ' Town of Hocca' (R.oga is
found once). Cf. Dom. Bucks Hochestone, and 1179-80 Pipe
Hokesgarth (Yorks).
HOYLAKE 313 HULL
HoYLAKE (Birkenhead). Dom. Hoiloch. The 'HoyleLake' was
formed by the ' Hoyle Bank/ sic a. 1600, still visible at certain
states of the tide. Hoyle is an inflected form of O.E. Jiol, ' hole,
hollow place/ given in Oxf. Diet, as 5-6 hoil{e), and Yorks dial.
hoil. The Oxf. Did. calls lac ' lake' early M.E., but it is found
in O.E. Chron. ann, 656, and once or twice in Dom. The Sc.
form loch is not recorded till Barbour, 1375.
HoYLAJSTD (Barnsley). Dom. Holland, Holant (another in Derby),
1242 Hoyland. Cf.a.l 100 chart. ' Hoylandia ' (Lines) . ' Hollow,
low-lying land.' See Hoylake and Holland. Hoyland
SwAiNE (Sheffield) is Dom. Holan and Holande; but Dom. Holun
and Holam is Hollytn (Yorks), an O.E. loc. holun, ' at the holes.'
Hubberholme (W. Riding) and Hubberstone (Milford Haven),
Dom. Yorks Huburgheha' (for -ham, which often interchanges
with -holm) . ' River -meadow ' and ' stone of Hunbeorht,
Humberht, Hunburh, or Hubert,' all names on record. The
Rubber in Pembroke is said to have been the viking who with
his brother Hingua led the great invasion of 866. But this can
hardly be the same, for the 866 man is in O.E. Chron. Hubba or
Ubba. There is a Hubberst' recorded in Derbyshire, and a
Hobrichtebi in 1167-68 Pi'pe Cumbld.
Htjby (Leeds and Easingwold). Dom. Hobi. 'Dwelling on the
Hoe ' or ' hill.' C/. Hoby; and see -by.
HuccLECOTE (Glouc). Dom. Hochilicote, 1221 Hukelingcote,
later Hokelin- and Hokelcote. ' Cot of Hocel ' or his sons.
Onom. has only Hicel (see Hickling) ; and c/. 1231-34 Close R.
Hukels-, Hucliscot (Leicester). See -ing.
Hucknall Toekabd (Nottingham). Dom. Hochenale, 1160 Pipe
Hochenhala, 1287 Hokenale Torkard. .E . H ocean heal, ' nook of
Hocca.' Cf. Hockwold, and Dom.Bncks Huchdene and Hucheha.
The Nor, family of Torkard is found here ia 1284. See -hall.
Huddbrsfield. Dom. Oderesfelte, Odresfeld. ' Field of Odhere '
or ' Oderus,' one such, and one Northern Udardus, 12th cny.,
are found in Onom. Htjd swell (Richmond, Yorks), Dom.
Hudreswelle, is prob. fr. the same name. But Huddiknoll
(Glouc), old Hodenknole, is fr. Hoda or Hudda.
HuiSH Champflower (WiveHscombe, Smst.). Huish is O.E. hig-,
hivnsc, 'a household, then, a hide of land.' Cf. K.C.D. 107.
On Cotenes felde an hywysce, and Melhuish. Champflower
is a Nor. name, Fr. champ fleuri, ' flowery field.' We find
Richard de Hywis of Lod Hywis (Smst.), in time of K. John;
1253 Hywish, 1298 Hyuhyshe.
Hulam (Hartlepool), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Holum, a loc, 'at the
holes,' O.E. hoi. Cf. Hallam.
Hull (formerly Kingston-on-Hull). Nam« of a small river.
Prob. connected with O.E. hoi, mod. dial, holl, howl{e), ' hollow,
21
HUMBEE 314 HUNSTANTON
depressed, lying in a hollow/ Named Kingston-on-H. by
Edw. I. 1299; in a. 1552 Leland simply Kingston.
HuMBER. Bede Humbra, Hymbra, c. 890 Alfred Humbre (in Lat.
vsn. Abus fl.). Prob. aspirated form of cumber, 'confluence^
of Ouse and Trent, W. cymmer, G. comar ; the -ber is prob. the
same root as in Aber. Cf. Combebbach, etc., also Cumber-
nauld (Sc), and Dom. Sffk. Humbresfelda. This last, with
HuMBERSTONE (N. Lincs and Leicstr.), will be fr. Humbert or
Hunbeorht. See Homers field and Hubbebstone.
HuMBLETON (Hull). Dom. Humeltone. 'Town of Humel/ var.
of Homel (see Homildon). The letter b readily intrudes itself.
Cf. Dom. Norfk. Humiliat (-iat=yet, ' gate ').
HuNCOAT (Accrington), Dom. Hunnicot, and Hundcot (Leicester).
Dom. Hunecote, 1124 O.E. Chron. Hundehoge (see -how). ' Cot,
dwelling of Hunda ' or ' Huna.' O.E. hund means, of course, ' a
hound.' Cf. ' Hunditone ' (Cheshire) in Dom.
HuNGEREORD. The oldest (14th-15th cny.) forms all have Hunger-,
Hungre-, but this can have nothing to do with Eng. hunger. It
is O.E. hongra, hangra, ' a hanging wood on a hillside.' Cf. Clay-
[ HANGER (1300 Cleyhunger), Hungerfield (Glouc), old Hanger-,
HuNGERHTTiT., and also ' Hungrewenitune ' (Chesh.) in Dom.
HuNGERHTLL (Nottingham, Henley - in - Arden, and Somerset) .
Nott. H. old HongerhiU. O.E. hangra, hongra, ' a wood on a
hill slope.' Cf. BiRCHANGER, Clayhanger, and above. There
[tare also 2 Hungry Hills in Wore, and a Honger Grove
(Puddleston).
Hunmanby (Yorks). Dom. Hundemanebi, 'Dwelling of Eune-
man,' one in Onom. See -by.
HuNNiNGHAM (Leamington). Dom. Huningeham, a. 1200 Honyng-
ham. ' Home of the sons of Huna ' or ' Hun,' a common name in
Onom. C/.HuNNiNGTON (Halesowen), 1402 Honyngton. See-ing.
HuNSiNGORE (Wetherby). Dom. Holsingoure. More old forms
>.:??; needed ; but the Hquids I and n not uncommonly interchange.
•j;^ The ending is prob. not Gore, ' triangular wedge of land,' but
rather ' bank,' O.E. ofr, obr, M.E. oure (see -over), ' of Hunsige,'
a common O.E. name.
Hunslet and H. Carr (Leeds). Sic Dom., but 1202 Hunesflet.
' River of Huna.' See above and Fleet. The same man's
name is seen in Hunshelf (S. Yorks), Dom. Hunescelf. Shelf
in names often has the meaning ' ledge of rock.' For Carr
'rock,' cf. Rbdcar; also cf. Hunscote (Wwksh.), 1327 Hun-
stanscote, a. 1400 Huntscote. But Hunsley (N. Yorks) is
Dom. Hundeslege, ' meadow of Hund ' or ' the Dog.'
Hunstanton (The Wash). 1038 and c. 1150 cJuirt. Hunstanestun.
Local pron. Hunston. ' Town of Hunstan.' There are 5 such
in Onom.
ADDITION TO PAGE 316
HuRSTMONCEAUX (Pevensey) is called after a Nor., Monceaux, who
came over with the Conqueror.
HUNTINGDON 316 HUTTON
Huntingdon (also near Chester, Dom. Hunditone.) O.E. Chron.
ann. 656, Huntendune, 921 ib. Huntandune, 1011 ib. Hunta-
dunscir, c. 1175 Huntedune. ' Hill, down, of the hunter,'
O.E. hunta, 2-6 hunte. Cf. Huntington (Cannock), 1262 Hun-
tingdon, 1300 Huntyndon, and Dom. Yorks Huntindune.
Hunta and Hunting were also men's names. See -ing, -don,
and -ton.
HuNTiNGTRAP CoMMON (Hadsor, Wore), a. 1300 Hounting-
thrope, Huntingdrope, ' hunting village.' See -thorpe.
HuNTON (Bedale and Maidstone). Be. H, Dom. Huntone. ' Town
of Huna.' See Htjnslet and next. So Hunworth (Melton
Constable), Dom. Huneworda. See -worth, ' farm.'
Htjntspill (Highbridge) . Dom. Hunespil, a. 1500 Honys-, Hons-
pill. ' Pool of Huna,' as above. Pill is often found in S. Wales
for ' pool,' and the Dom. form here shows it is an O.E. variant,
and not W. Cf. Htjntsham (For. of Dean), c. 1145 Honsum,
c. 1200 Hunstone, 1298 Hondsum. ' Huna's home.' See -ham.
HtniLEY (Atherstone arid Marlow). Ath. H. cMrt. Hurnlega, 1199
Hurnlege, -lei. Mar. H. Dom. Herlei, 1316 Hurle. Skeat
derives both fr. O.E. Tiyrne, ' a corner, a nook.' The Marlow H.
is doubtful. See -ley. Hukcot (Kidderminster) is also puzz-
ling. Dom. Worcote (W for H), a. 1200 Hurchote, -cote, 1275
Horecote, a. 1600 Hurdcote. Here Duignan prefers ' cot of
the herd or shepherd,' O.E. Jiyrde. Much more likely is O.E.
horh or hore, ' dirt, filth,' 4 hoore, here used adjectivally as in
Horton.
HuRLiNGHAM (Putney). K.G.D. 782 Herlinga ham. 'Home of
the Herhngs.' ? descendants of Herlewin. Cf. Roll. Rich. I.
HurUngebure (Notts).
Hurstbourne (3 in Hants). Not in Dom. Winchester H. 961
chart. Hysseburna. ' Brook of Hyse,' 3 in Onom., var. of Husa;
the corrup. is unusual. Of course. Hurst is O.E. hyrst, ' a wood,
a grove, and also a sandy place.' See -bourne.
Hurworth-on-Tees. 1183 Hurdewurd, 1344 Hurreworth. ' Farm
of Hyrde ' or ' Hirde/ 2 in Onom. See -worth.
Husthwaite (Easingwold). Not in Dom. Prob. 'farm, croft of
Husa,' or ' Husi,' names in Onom. C//Huthwaite (Mansfield),
no old forms, and Dom. Bucks Huscott. See -thwaite.
HuTTON (13 inP.G.). Dom. Somst. Hutone, Dom. Yorks Hoton,
Hottune over 40 times, nearly all for some Hutton, while 1202
YorJcs Fines has Hoton, Hottun, a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Hotun,
1183 Hotona — i.e., Hutton Henry. ' Town, village on the Hob
or projecting height.' Cf. Hooton and Sheriff Hutton.
Huthwaite (Mansfield and Sheffield) prob. has the same origin;
but perh. fr. a man Huti or Hutto, seen in 'Hutisted ' (Staffs),
Roll. Rich. I. The Sheff. H. is not in Dom. See -thwaite.
HUXLEY 316 ICKNI(E)LD STEEET
Huxley (Chester) . Said to be cTiart. Hodeslea. ' Meadow of Hod '
or ' Hoda.' Cf. B.C.S. 1282 Hodes ac. But this is abnormal.
The names Hue, Huch, or Hucco, all in Onom., seem more likely
origins. See -ley.
Hyde (Cheshire, Staffs, Wwksh., and Glouc). Hyde Heath (Bucks),
and Hyde Park (London). O.E. higid, later hid, hide, hyde,
an O.E. measure of land, orig. as much as would support one
family and their dependents. The spelling of the place-name
seems almost always Hyde, and the London H. goes back to
Dom. The hida or ' hide ' is often referred to in Dom,
Hydon Heath (W. Surrey) is wrongly spelt High Down, as it is
1453 Hyddeneshethe, ' heath of ? Hyddan/ Onom. has only
Hidda and Hiddi. On the Heath is Hydons Ball.
Hylton (Sunderland). Prob. ' town on the slope or incline.' O.E.
hylde, helde, cognate with hyll, ' a hill.'
Hythe (Kent). 1051 O.E. Chron. HitSe, 1228 Close B. Heth, Heia,
1234 ib. Hee. A hithe is ' a landing-rise, a quay,' a. 700 hydde,
later hy^. Cf. Rotherhithe, etc. The old forms are exactly
paralleled by those of O.E. rith, ' a stream.' See Rye, Ryde, etc.
Ibstone (Wallingford). Dom. Ypestan. Prob. ^ Ipa's stone.'
Onom. gives Ibba, Ibc, Ipa, Ipo, Ippa. Possibly ' look-out
stone, fr. O.E. yppe, ' a raised or look-out place.' Cf. Ibstock
(Leicester) — see Stoke — and Ipstones. See -ton.
IcKENHAM (Uxbridge). Dom. Ticheham, also Tykenham. 'Home
of Tica ' or ' Tican,' a name in Onom. O.E. ticcen, Ger. zieJce,
is ' a goat, a kid.' Cf. Titchbobne. The loss of the initial Ms
curious; but Norm, scribes regularly softened c into ch. But
IcOMBE (Stow-on-Wold) is 781 chart. Icancumb, ' Icca's valley.'
IcKHAM (Canterbury). 785 chart. loccham, Dom. Gecham, ' Home
of locca,' a name not in Onom., but lea, Icca, and Ycca are.
The O.E. charter name of R. Ock (Berks) is Eoccen.
IcKLEFORb (Hitchin) and Ickleton (S. Cambs). Bamsey Chart.
Icklingford, Bams. Chron. Iclesforde. B.C.S. iii. 630 Icelingtun.
Dom. Hichelintone, Inchelintone, 1210 Iclintone. Patronymics.
' Ford and village of the sons of Icel.' Cf. next and Giggles-
wick. We get the same name in Icklesham (Winchelsea),
1160-61 Pipe Ichelesha, 'home of Icel.' Kickle (Bucks) was
1236 Close B. Ykel'. See -ham, -ing, and -ton.
Ickni(e)ld Street or Way runs fr. ibsLiNGHAM (Bury St. Ed-
munds) to Wantage. 854 chart. Icenhilde weg, 903 ib. Iccen-
hilde wege, a. 1200 Ad regalem viam quae vocatur Ikenhilde-
strete; Stratam regiam quae appellatur Ykenild; via regia vel
le Ricnelde strete, a. 1300 Rikehnge strete, a. 1^00 Rykenylde-
strete. Also a. 100 chart. Cinges strsete. Commonly said to
come fr. the tribe Iceni {\k7)voI), who occupied all E. Anglia in
1st cny. a.d. This is denied by Duignan in his full and valuable
IDDESLEIGH 317 ILFORD
arts. s.v. The ending -hylt, -hilde, -ild may be O.E. TiyUe, ' the
slope of a hill/ The rest of the name must remain doubtful.
IcKWORTH (Bury St. E.) will be like Ickham (Canterbury),
' farm of lea,' not fr. the Iceni ; whilst Icklingham will be ' home
of the sons of Icel.' See above.
Iddesleigh (Winkleigh, Devon). Dom. Edeslege. 'Meadow of
Eda ' or ' Ida,' or ' Iddi,' all in Onom. Cf. 836 chart. Iddeshale
{i.e., nook), and Idbuby (Oxon), Dom. Ideberie. See -bury and
-leigh.
Idle R. (Notts, trib. of Trent). Bede Idla, c. 1120 Henry Hunt.
Idle, 1200 chart. Yddil. There seems no likely W. root, so
possibly it may be fr, O.E. idel, 'idle,' in its orig. meaning,
' empty.' Cf. Elstree. There is also an Idle (Bradford), not
in Dom. Idlicote (Shipston) is actually Dom. EteUncote, or
' Mthelwyn'^ cot' ! Idelsbuby (Pinswick), a. 1125 Idelberge,
is fr. a man Idel ; the name is found in 1199, and Rhys thinks
it may be orig. W. Ithel for Juddhael, found on one of the
Llantwit stones as Juthahels. Thus the man's name will be the
same as in Giggleswick and Ickleeob,d.
Ieithon E,. (Radnorsh.). Anwyl thinks this is perh. the Keltic
goddess of speech.
Iffley (Oxford). 1004 chart. Gifetelea, Dom. Givetelei, 1165
Ivittelai, 1233 Iftel', 1234 Ghyitele, 1316 Yiftele. H. Alexander
says origin unknown. Certainly it is not likely to be ' gift-
meadow,' O.E. gift, gyft. Curiously there is in B.C.S. 834 an
* Yffeles leah.'
Ilam (Ashbourne). 1006 chart. Hilum, Dom. Ylum, a. 1300 Hylum,
Ilium. Prob. O.E. loc. Ylon, ' at the Yl,' old name of the
brook Manifold, trib. of R. Dove, on which it stands. Perh.
same root as R^ IsiA (Sc), which Whitley Stokes thought perh.
cognate with Old High Ger. Hen, mod. Ger. eilen, ' to hurry.'
However, Duignan thinks Ilam is O.E. hyllum, ' at, among the
hills.' ' The whole manor is hill and dale.' Cf. Hallam,
HtTLAM, etc. Oxf. Diet, gives only one reference to a spelling
of hill without h, and that c. 1580 ; so Duignan's origin is doubt-
ful. Illey (Halesowen), a. 1200 Hilleley, Yleley, 1250 HiUeleye,
is prob. ' mead of Tlla,' one such known. Cf. an Illey ge or
lUanley in Kentish charters, and Monks Eleigh.
Ilchester (Taunton). Perh. Ptolemy's IskaHs. Dom. and 1155
Givelcestre, c. 1097 Flor. W. Givelceastra, 1158 luelcestre.
' Camp on the R. Ivel, He, or Isle,' O.E. geafol, geafl, G. gahhal,
*a fork' (of a river). Cf. Yeovil. Contraction began early,
because already in Dom. we have I vie, and even Ile-minstre.
See -Chester.
Ilford (Essex). Dom. Ilefort, 1166-67 Pipe Heford. Prob. 'ford
of Ilia, Illo,' or ' Ilo,' all names in Onom. Ile= isle, O.Fr. He, is
not inEng. till 1290. But see above; it may be ' ford at the fork,'
ILFRACOMBE 318 INGATESTONE
iLrnACOMBB (N. Devon). Dom. Alfreincome, 1233 Close R. Afiride-,
Aufredecumbe, 1234 ih. Alfridecumbe. ' Valley of Ealhfrith,' a
common O.E. name, spelt later Alfrith and Alfrid. See -combe.
Ilkerton (Devon). Dom. Incrintona. Prob. 'village of Ilgcer/
one in Onom. The Inc- in Dom. will be due to the common
interchange of liquids.
iLKETSHALii (Buugay). Dom. Ilchesteshala. M'Clure thinks
' Ulfketel's hall or mansion.' More old forms needed. It may
be 1225 Patent B. Kilketeleshal. ? Ki error for U or Wi.
Ilkley (Yorks). Thought to be Ptolemy OUcana. Dom. Illicleia,
nuclei, IllecUve {i.e., 'cUff'). 'Meadow of ? ' If the name
be O.E. it may be fr. Ulfach, Ulfeg, Willac or Willoc, all these are
in Onom. See -ley.
Ilmington (Shipston-on-Stour). c. 1010 chart. Ylmandune, Dom.
Edelmitone, llmedone, a. 1200 Illamedone, 1326 llmyndon.
' Hall, down of Eadhelm,' though some of the forms suggest
JElmin, also in Onom. Endings -don and -ton often inter-
change, q.v.
Ilminsteb, (Somerset). Dom. Ileminstre. 'Church on the He' or
' Isle.' See Ilchester and -minster.
Ilsington (Newton Abbot). Dom. has only Ilesham. Cf. Dom.
Nfk. Ilsinghetuna. ' Town of the Ilsings/ ? ' sons of Ylla,'
one in Onom. Cf. Elsing and next. See -ing.
Il(s)ton (Swansea). 1340 Iltwiteston; in W. Llanilltyd, a. 1400
Lanyltwyt, -iltwyt. ' Town ' or ' church of St. IlUyd/ 5th cny.
Cf. Llajsttwit. But Ilsley (Berks) is Dom. Hildeslei, ' Eild's
mead,' and Ilton (N. Yorks) is Dom. Ilche-, Hilchetun, where
the man's name seems already corrupted beyond recognition.
Immingham (Grimsby). Dom. Imungeha. Patronymic. 'Home
of the sons of Imma.' See -ing. The same man's name is seen
in Impney (Droitwich), a. 1200 Imney, a. 1300 Ymenege,
Imeneye, ' Isle of Imma.' See -ey.
Ince (S. of R. Mersey). Dom. and c. 1380 Inise, a. 1200 Ynys,
W. ynys, ' an island/ ;] or, as it does not seem ever to have been
an island, G. innis, ' an inch,' ' a meadow by a river.' It seems
to have this meaning in W. too, though not in the ordinary
dictionaries. Cf. ' Ynichebeche ' (For. of Dean), cited by
Baddeley, s.v. Inchbrook, which has no old forms.
Ingatestone (W. Essex). The original name in Dom. is simply
Ginge, Ing. It is regular for initial g to fall away (see I 'passim).
Thus originally this must be the same as Ginge (Hendred, Berks),
B.C.S. iii. 257 Gseging, later ib. iii. 173 Gainge, iii. 67 Gaincg,
i. 506 Geinge, Dom. and Pipe (1155-56) Gain3, 1125 Estgeyng.
Patronymic. 'Place of the sons of Gcega.' Cf. Gaydon.
Gate is presumably O.E. geat, 'gate.' See -ing. Inglestone
INGBIRCHWORTH 319 INSKIP
(Hawkesbury) is also spelt Ingateston, and 1610 Inguston. Older
forms unknown.
Ingbirohworth (Sheffield). Dom. Berceworde, which also stands
for Rough Birchworth. ' Farm of Ingebiorg/ or ' Ingelbeorht/
Long names readily contract. See -worth.
Ingestbe (Stafford). Dom. Gestreon, a. 1300 Ing-, Yngestre, Inge-
straund, -trent. Prob. ' Inga'a tree/ O.E. treo, treow. Cf.
Oswestry. But -straund is O.E. strand, ' shore, bank of a
river/ here the Trent, which accounts for Ingestrent. The Dom.
form is corrupt, but represents a pi. of treo.
Ingham (Lincoln and Norwich), Inqwobth (Norwich). Dom. Lin.
Ingeha; Nfk., Ingewrda. 'Home' and 'farm of Inga,' 2 in
Onom. See -ham and -worth. Duignan thinks Ingon (Strat-
ford, Wwk.), 704 chart. Ingin, must be O.E. in gin, ' in the gap ' ;
while tfGTHOiiP (Yorks) is Dom. Ucnetorp, or ' Ycca'a village ' ;
the -ne represents the .E . gen. -an, ne sounding en. See -thorpe.
LsroLEBOBOUGH (hill, W. Yorks). Said to be 'beacon-borrow or
hill.' Only inghj ' fire,' is not found till 1508, and in the 16th
cny. only in Sc. Ingle -is prob. for Angle, O.E. Engle, ' barrow
of the Angle,' or 'Enghsh' man. Cf. next, -borough is O.E.
biorg, beorh, 2 beoruh, 4 borw, burgh, 7 barrough, ' hill, mound-Uke
hill, barrow. Cf. Barbow and Whitbarrow (N. Lanes).
Ingleby Cboss and Gbeenhow (Yorks) and Ingleton (Darlington
and Kirby Lonsdale). Dom. Englebi, 1179-80 Ynglebi. Dar
I. a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Ingeltun. 'Abode of the Angle,' O.E.
Engle, or ' Englishman.' See -by and -ton. The -how will
mean 'hill.' See Houghton. Cf. Inglestone (Hawkesbury).
Inglewhite (Preston). This must surely be the same name as
Dom. Yorks Ingulf vestuet, ' Ingulph's village' or -thwaite, q.v.
Ingoldisthobpe (King's Lynn), a. 1300 chart. Ingoldesthorp, and
Ingoldsby (Grantham). Dom. Ingoldesbi. 'Village' and
' dwelling of Ingold,' in Onom. See -thorpe and -by.
Inkbebbow (Worcester). 789 chart. Intanbeorgas, 803 ib. Intan-
bergum, Intanbeorgan, Intebeorgas, Dom. inteberge, 1275
Inkbarewe. ' Babbow, mound-Hke hill of Inta,' 3 in Onom.
Cf. Inglebobough.
Inkpen Beacon (Hungerf ord) . 931 chart. Ingepenne, Dom. Hinge-
pene, 1298 Ingepenne, 1316 Tnkepenne. ' Inga'a pen,' O.E.
'penn, ' a fold for cattle,' Cf. Inkford (Wore.) and Pambeb. ,
Inlade R. (N. Kent). Bede Genlade. ? W. gwen, gwyn Hoed,
' white, clear place.'
Inskip (Preston). Dom. Inscip. Prob. 'Zwe's or Ini'a hut,' Da.
kippe, ' hut, low alehouse.' Oxf. Diet, does not give kip, ' a
sharp-pointed hill,' before 1815. Possible also is ' Ine's skep '
or 'beehive.' O.N. sheppa, 'a basket,' is found once in O.E.,
J^INSTOW 320 ISHlM
and, after 1225, is common as skep, aXso 4-9 skipipe), though not
found for ' beehive ' till 1494. Gf. Mtnskip.
Instow (N. Devon). Old forms needed; not in Dom. Perh.
' place,' O.E. stow, ' of Ine or Ini.' Cf. Dom. Bucks Instofald.
Ipplepen (Newton Abbot). Dom. Iplepene, 1230 Ipelepenn.
Prob. 'pen, enclosure (O.E. penn) of Ipele,' var. of Ypwine,
the base name of Ebbsfleet, called in Life of St. Mildred Ypples
fleet. The liquids I and n not seldom interchange.
Ipsley (Redditch). 963 chart. Mpa leage, Dom. Epeslei, a. 1200
Ippeslei. Either 'aspen-tree (O.E. ceps) meadow'; cf. Apps
Couht and Apsley. Or perh. 'Mppa'a mead.' Cf. Epsom.
Ipstones (Cheadle). a. 1200 Yppestan, a. 1300 Ippestanes. May
be fr. a man as above. Duignan prefers ' look-out stones,' fr.
O.E. yppe, ' a raised or look-out place.' Cf. Ibstone.
Ipswioh. 993 O.E. Chron. Gipeswic, Dom. Gyppeswik, Guppewicus,
c. 1097 Orderic Gepesuicum, 1455 Yepiswiche, 1463 Ipysweche,
'DweUing of Gipa or Gyppa.' The name of the R. Oipe or
Gipping is a back-formation. Por loss of initial g cf. Ilchbster
and Isleham; also cf. Islip and Gibsmere (Notts), Dom. Gipes-
mare, 1302 Gyppesmere. See -wich.
Irby (Yorks, Burgh, and Birkenhead) and Ibeby (Kirkby Lonsdale
and Carlisle). Yo. I. Dom. Irebi, 1202 Yorks Fines Yrebi.
Kir. I. Dom. Irebi. ' Dwelling of Ira.' Cf. B.C.S. 1297 Yran
ceaster, now Ibchesteb, (Wellingborough) and Ibton (E. Riding),
Dom. Iretune. See -by and -ton.
Ireleth (Askam, Lanes) . Dom. Gerleuuorde. ' Farm of ' ? The
old ending is clear (see -worth), but the man's name quite doubt-
ful. Perh. it is Girweald or Giroldus, perh. Gerl, implied in the
patronymic Gerling, of which Onom. has one case. The present
ending -leth has been influenced by N. hlith, ' a slope.' Cf.
Holleth, also Lanes.
Ibt R. and iBTLma R. (Cumbld.). ? W. iarth, ' a long rod, a goad.'
Cf. next.
Irthungborough (Northampton), a. 1100 chart. Irtelingburge,
1135 O.E. Chron. HyrtUngberi. Presumably a patronymic;
nothing likely in Onom. Cf. above and Haetlebury. See
-borough.
Irwbll R. (S. Lanes), c. 1200 Irewill. Doubtful, prob. Keltic.
Perh. ' vigorous river,' W. ir gwili. Cf. Abergwili and Erewash.
IsHAM (Kettering). Sic a. 1100; not in Dom. It is uncertain what
man's name Is- will represent. The R. Isbome (Evesham) is
709 chart. Esigburn, 777 Esegburn, ' brook of Esig, Ese, or Esi,'
all forms are found; and Isham may come fr. this name too, as
certainly does 1160-01 Pipe Sussex, Eisewrda {Dom. Isiwirde),
' farm oiEse.' Cf Isfield, Uckfield (not in Dom.), and Essendon.
ISIS R. 321 rVEL
Isis R., name of R.. Thames above Oxford. Sic 1537 Leland, but
c. 1387 Higden Ysa, 1603 Yshnyver (see Nevern). It is almost
certain that this is a Keltic name for ' river ' or ' water/ as in
OusE, and G. uisge. Cf. Wisbeach and the Wissey, trib. of Ouse.
Skeat thinks that Ismere House, Kidderminster, c. 757 clmrt.
Usmere, may show the same root. H. Alexander asserts that
Isis is merely a ' fanciful separation ' of the L. name for Thames
— Tarn -esis. This is contrary to our evidence, esp. that of
Higden; and the form Esis never seems to occur.
IsLEHAM (Soham) and Isleworth (R. Thames). Pron. I-zelworth.
Dom. Gisleham, 1284 Isilham, 1321 Yeselham. Dom. Ghistel-
worde, later Yhistelworth, Istelworth, c. 1600 Thistleworth.
' Home ' and ' farm of the hostage,' O.E. gisel. Islebeok
(N. Yorks), Dom. Iselbec, is presumably ' brook of the hostage '
too. But Islehampstead is prob. 1230 Close R. Ysenhamested,
' homestead of Isen-.' There are several possible names, Isenbard,
Isengrim, etc. See -worth.
Isle op Dogs (London). Formerly Stepney Marsh. 1588 Ames'
Map, He of Dogges; 1593 Norden's Map, ' Isle of Doges Ferme.'
The origin of the name is quite unknown to history. See Thorn-
bury and Walford's Grreater London, i. 535-37. Possibly because
so many dogs were drowned in the Thames here.
Islington (London). Old Isendune. The I, as in island, is said to
be quite mod. Prob. ' hill of Isena.' Cf. B.C.S. 144 Isenan
sewylm (' spring '); and see -ing, -don, and -ton.
IsLip (Oxford and Thrapston). Ox. I. a. 1100 chart. Githslep.
Thr. I. Dom. and c. 1240 Islep. ' Githa's leap,' O.E. hlyp,
3 leep, Up, 4-6 lepe. There are 4 GitJuz's in Onom. Cf.
BniDLip.
Itchen R. (Hants and Warwick). Ha. I. 961 chart. Icena; Wa. I.
998 chart, on Ycsenan, 1001 ib. on Ycenan. Some identify the
Hants R. with Ytene, which Flor. W., c. 1097, says is the
Angles' name for the New Forest. If so, we prob. have the
common scribe's error t for c; and origin fr. O.E. etan, 3rd sing,
pres. ytt, ' to devour, consume,' is not to be thought of. Prob.
both rivers are pre-Kelt. Cf. R. Ithon (Radnor), R. Ythan
(Aberdeensh.), Ythancsestir (Essex) in Bede iii. 22, Bp's Itch-
INGTON, and IcKNTELD St. Long Itchington (Southam) is
1001 chart. Yceantune, Dom. Icentone, Itchington (Thombury),
is 967 chart. Icenantmie, Dom. Icetune; whilst Itchington
(Suffolk) is also fr. a R. Icenan. Cf. K.C.D., iii. 316.
Itteringham (Norfolk). Sic 1504, also Iteryngham. 'Home of
Wihthering, Withering, or Witherwine,' all names in Onom.
Dom. has only a Witeingeham. Cf. Withernsea. See -ing.
IvEL (or Ile) R. (Somerset, and trib. of Great Ouse). See II-
chester.
IVEK 322 KEDINGTON
IvER (Uxbridge). a. 1300 Evere, Evre. Not in Dom. Ivor is an
old Brit, name found in Geoffrey of Monmouth and Giraldus
Cambrensis. But here it is prob. O.E. ifig ofr, M.E. ivi-over,
' ivy bank/ It is on a bank. Cf. Asher, Beecher, Hasler, etc. ;
and see -over.
IxHULL (Oakley, Bucks). Not in Dom. 1240 Close R. Yxenhull.
Prob. ' hiU of Ycca/ 2 in Onom. Cf. Ixworth (Bury St. E.).
Dom. Icsewurda', ' Icca'B farm.' Hull is regular Midland Eng.
for hill.
Jackments Bottom (Kemble, Cirencester). Old Jakemans, Jacu-
mans, called fr. a man. A Walter Jakemxins is known in 1355.
Bottom is O.E. hotm, found with the secondary meaning, ' dell,
low-lying land,' fr. c. 1325.
Jacobstow (Cornwall). ' Place (O.E. stow) of Jacob,' brother of
Winwaloe. See Gtjnwalloe.
Jakkow, on Tyne. Bede In Gyrvum, Gyrwum; a. 1130 Sim. Dur.
Girva, 1593 Southe Yarowe. W. garw, geirw, 'rough'; also 'a
torrent.' Cf. G. garbh, ' rough,' and Yarrow (Sc). But M'Clure
thinks fr. Kelt, gyrwe, ' fen, marsh.' Cf. Wear.
Jersey, c. 380 Anton. Itin. Csesarea, c. 1070 Wm. Jumieges
Gersus, a. 1170 Wace Gersui, 1218 Patent B. Geresye, 1219 ib.
Gerese, 1447 Jersey, 1454 Gersey, 1587 larzie. Caesarea is
' place named in honour of Coesar/ the ending being L. -ea, and
not N. -ey. The present form is due to N. influence, and may
be meant for O.N. *gers-ej, ' grass-covered isle ' ; O.E. grces, gross ;
O.Fris. gers ; Dan. grces, 'grass.' But, all the same, it must be
corrup. of Caesarea. Cherburg, close by, is 1237 Close B.
Cesariburg; whilst Caithness — i.e., Norse-blooded — Hps to-day
always call Jews Chews. Cf. Jerbourq, Guernsey. See -ey.
Jervaulx or Joreval (Yorks, N. Riding). Pron. Jarvis. 1297
JerovaUe. Er. val, mod. pi. vaux, is ' a valley'; but Jer(o)- is
doubtfid. Cf. Jarrow. The Cistercian abbey was founded
here in 1156. For the ending -val, cf. the name Furnivall,
found fr. 13th cny., from Fournival, Normandy.
Jesmond (Newcastle). Sic a. 1270. As above, the latter half
seems clear enough, Fr. mont, ' mount, hiU,' but the former is
quite doubtful. Cf. Richmond.
Johnston (Pembroke). Sic 1603. Founded by Flemish settlers
early in the 12th cny. Cf. Jameston, Jordanston (1516
Jordanyston, W. Tref Wrdan), and Williamston, in same shire.
Jump (Barnsley). Modern. The word jwwjp is not found in Eng.
till 1511.
Kedington (Haverhill, Suffolk) . Dom. Kidituna. Cf. Dom. Keding-
ton (Wore.) . ' Town of Cedd, Cedda, or Ceadda,' gen. -an. Cf., too,
Dom. Cedeslai (Wore.) . Kedsley is still a surname. See -ing.
KEEL 323 KELSTON
Keel (2 in Montgomery) and Keele (Newcastle-under-L.) . New. K.
a. 1200 Kiel. Duignan is prob. right in calling all these Keltic.
G. cille, * graveyard, church/ comes very near in sound; but G.
words are unknown hereabouts, so it is prob. W. cil, ' a comer,
a nook.' ' But Kbelby (N. Lines) must be fr. a man, as in
Kelmarsh, Kelloe, etc.; so also Nun Keeling (Yorks), Dom.
Chehnge, plainly a patronymic fr. a man. Keel or Cele.
Keevil (Trowbridge). Dom. Chivele, 1217 Patent E. ELivele. The
ending -ley, q.v., very rarely falls away to I only. But this is
prob. ' meadow of Cifa/ Cf. Chevenage, Kiveton Park,
Sheffield, etc.
Kegworth (Derby). Not in Z>om. ' Farm oi Ceagga/ Cf.B.C.8.
762 Ceaggan heal, and 939 chart. Cagbroc (Shaftesbury). See
-worth.
Keiqhley (Yorks). Now pron. Keithly. Dom. Chichelai, 1300
Kighelye, 1303 Kighley. This is the same name as the well-
known Abp. Chichele (c. 1362-1443), and must be ' meadow of
CyJcell ' (var. of Cytel or Ketel, a common name), a name found
once in Sim. Dur. The present pron. curiously confirms the
fact that Cykell is var. of Cytel. See -ley.
Kekewich or -wick (Runcorn) . See Kenswick, and c/. Checkjley,
and 1286 Close R. Kekaller, ' Cec's alder-tree.'
Keld (Richmond, Yorks). O.N. kelda, 'a well, a spring.' Cf.
GuNNEBSKELD, Thrclkeld, etc.; also Dom,. Wore. ' Celdeslai,'
and ih. Bucks, Celdenuella and Celdestone.
Kelfield (York). Dom. Chelchefeld. The name represented by
Chelche- is doubtful. It may be Ceollach or Cellah, found once
in Onom.
Kellet, Over and Nether (Carnforth) . Dom. Chellet, a. 1400
Keldehth. O.N. kelda-hlith, ' spring, well on the hill-slope.'
How early the name contracted, yet how late the true form
lingered !
Kellington (Normanton). Z)om. Chellinctone, Chelintune. 'Town
of Celling/ a recorded name, or ' of the sons of Ceolla.' See
-ing.
Kelloe (Coxhoe, Durham). 1522 Kellowe. Prob. ' CeoVs hill ' or
' how,' O.N. haug-r, ' a mound, a cairn,' found in Eng. as how
a. 1340. See -how.
Kelmarsh (Northampton). Dom. Keilmersc. 'Marsh,' O.E.
mer{i)sc, ' of Ceol.' Cf. Kelby (S. Lines), Dom. Chelebi, and
above.
Kelston (Bath). Old forms needed. Not in Dow. But cf. Dom.
Bucks Celdestane — i.e., ' stone at the well ' or ' spring,' O.E.
celde, O.N. Jcelda. Cf. Kilham, also Kelmstow, Halesowen,
1327 Kelmestowe, ' place ' of a chapel to St. Kenelm or Coenhelm.
KELVEDON 324 KENILWORTH
Kelvedon (Essex). 998 chart. Cynlaue dyne, Dom. Keluenduna,
1298 Kelwendon. Prob. 'hill of Cynelaf/ 6 in Onom. The
change here is unusual. See -don.
Kemerton (Tewkesbury). Said to be 840 chart. Cyneburgincgtun
{B.C.S. 430), ' dwelhng of the sons of Gyneburh/ a woman. See
-ing. But Dom. Chin-, Chenemertune, ' dweUing of CynemcBr*
Kemmaes Head. See Cemmaes.
Kempley (W. Glouc). Dom. Chenepelei, 1221 Kenepelege, 1239
-pelega. Some think, O.E. cyne-ceppel-leah, ' royal apple-
meadow,' an interesting corruption. Norm, scribes, esp. in
Dom., have a habit of turning c into the softer ch. But it is
already 1195 Kempelee, and Baddeley may be right in making
it ' Gnapa'a lea,.'
Kempsey (Worcester). 799 chart. Kemesei, 977 ib. Cymesige,
Dom. Chemesege (Norm, spelling), 1275 Kemesey. Prob. ' isle
of Ceomma.' A p often intrudes, cf. Bampton, Brompton, etc.
See next and -ey.
Kempsfobd (Glouc). O.E. Chron. 800 Cynemaeresford, 1236
Kynemeresford, 1541 Kamyseford. ' Ford of Cynemcer.' But
Kempston (Bedford), Dom. Cameston (4 times), 1242 Close R.
Kemes-, Kemstun, is prob. fr. a man Ceomma, in Onom. The
letter p is a common intruder.
Kempton (Sunbury). Dom. Chenetone; 1222 Patent R. Kenintun;
1238 Kenni-, Kenyton, Kenet' ; 1331 Kenyngton. Prob. ' town
of Coen or Coena,' both in Onom.
Ken CHESTER (Hereford), c. 380 Anton. Itin. Magnis, Dom. Chene-
cestre. O.E. cyne ceaster, ' royal camp or town.' Cf. Kempley.
Kendal, a. 1199 Kirkeby in Kendal, 1303 Brunne Kendale, 1575
Kirkbie Kendall. 'Dale, vaUey of R. Kent,' which must be
the same as R. Kennet — at least so thinks Skeat. This K.
is not in Dom., but we have there a ' Cheldale ' — i.e., Kendall
Farm (Driffield)— on the R. Kell, trib. of the Hull. The liquids
I and n occasionally interchange. KeU may be W. celli, ' a
wood, a grove.' See -dale and Ktrkby.
Kenfig Hill (Bridgend, Glam.). Chart. Kenefeg. W. cefnyffyg,
' at the head of the swamp,' now mostly buried in the sand, but
once famous. Caen or Ken Wood (Hampstead) might be fr.
cefn too ; but it does not seem mentioned till 1661, which is far
too late for us to be sure of anything.
Kenilworth (Warwick). Dom. Chinewrde, a. 1199 Roll. Rich. I.
Kenilleworhe, 1229 Kenillewurth, 1297 R. Glouc. Keningwrthe,
Kiningwurthe, 1298 Kenilworthe. The true form is found only
in the other and now defunct Kenilworth, near Worcester, 974
chart. Cynelde weorthe, 980 ib. Cinilde wyrthe. 'Farm of
Cynehild,' a woman. Cf. Dom. Salop Cheneltone. The word
KENLEY 325 KENTISBURTFOED
kennel is fr. Nor. Fr., and not found in Eng. till c. 1350. See
-worth.
Kenley (Shrewsbury and Surrey). Shr. K. Dom. CheneUe.
' Coena'a meadow.' Several of this name in Onom. See -ley.
But Kenneblby (Oswestry) and Kennebsley (Wellington,
Salop, and Hereford), Dom. Chenardelei, Oswestry, are fr.
Coenweard. The surname Kenward is still in use.
Kennet R. (Berks) and town and R. (Newmarket) ; also old name
of Marlboro, which is 1223 Kenet. Be. K. is c. 380 Ant. Itin.
Cunetio, 1006 O.E. Chron. and B.C.S., ii. 367, Cyneta; Ne. K.
c. 1080 Kenet, Dom. Chenet. Keltic root of unknown meaning.
Cf. Kennet (Sc), Kent R. (Wstmld.), Kentford (Sussex)
{Chron. Ramsey Chenetheford), and Kintbuby.
Keistnington (London and Berks). Lo. K. Dom. Chenintone,
c. 1390 Kennyngton. Be. K. O.E. chart. Cenintune, Cenigtune;
later Ohenig-, Chenitun; c. 1290 Keninton. Seems to be O.E.
Coenantun, ' town of Coena ' (3 in Onom., and 1 Goen), or else
' of Coena's descendants.' Skeat prefers to derive fr. Keen or
the Keenings, O.E. cene, ' bold, valiant, keen.' Cf. Dom,
Devon, Chenigedone, ' Keening's hill,' and Kensworth (Beds).
KJBNNINGHALL (Thetford), Dom. Cheninchala, Chenighehala, has
prob. the same origin. The -ighe- is the common -incg, sign of
the patronymic. See -ing and -hall.
Kensington (London). Dom. Chenesitune. Prob. 'town of
Coensige ' or ' Gensige ' (2 in Onom.). See -ing.
Kenswick (Worcester). Dom. Checinwiche, a. 1200 Checkingwic,
a. 1400 Kekingwik, Kekingewyke, Kekeswych. Prob. ' dwell-
ing of the sons of Cecca,' cf. Checkley, or ' of Cygincg,' one
in Onom. Cf. Kekewich and Kensworth, Beds (not in Dom.),
and see -wick.
Kent. 55 b.c. Jul. Ccesar Cantium, c. 30 b.o. Diod. Sicul. Kavnov,
? a. 600 Gregory Tours Cantia, JSede Cant-uarii, a. 810 Nennius
Ghent, O.E. Chron. 676 Centlond, Dom. Ghent; also c. 930
Lett, to Athelstan Gantescyre. E. Nicholson conjectured an
O.Kelt, root meaning ' white,' fr. the chalk cHfEs. Cf. W. gwyn,
gwen. Possibly it means ' headland.' Cf. G. ceann, ' head,'
and Gabrosenti, O.Kelt, form of Gateshead. For R. Kent
see Kendal and Kennet.
Kentchubch and Kendebchtjbch (Hereford) are only 1 mile
apart. Not in Dom. Prob. both are=LLANGYNiDE.
Kentisbueyfoed (Barnstaple). Dom. Ghentesberie, Exon. Dom.
Ghentisberia. The Kenti- may represent some such O.E. name
as G entwine or Gintswine, a common name, or perh. Goenstan
or Ghenestan. Cf. Kentchubch. 1160-61 Pipe Glouc. has a
Gantebohhan, which may be for ' Ganta's bow ' or ' arch.' O.E.
bo^a has this sense. There is a Canta in Onom., and this may be
KENTISH TOWN 326 KETTON
the name in Kentisbury too. Cf. Kentisbeare (CuUompton),
Dom. Chentesbere. See Beer, ' a wood/
Kentish Town (London). Old Kanteloues Town, later Kentes-
towne. Named fr. the family of Cantlow, formerly Kaunteloe,
Norm. Chanteloup, or champ de lov/p, 'wolf's field.' Inter-
esting example of ' popular ' etymology.
Kenton (Exeter and 2) . Dom. Devon and Bucks Chentone, Sffk.
Kenetona; 1157 Pipe Chenton (Devon). Older forms needed.
May be fr. a man Coen, in Onom. Perh. fr. the common
name G entwine, contracted.
Keresley (Coventry). 1275 Keresleye. 'Meadow of the water-
cress,' O.E. ccBTse, cerse. Cf. Cresswell and Abbot's Kers-
WELL; also Kersewell (Wstrsh.), 1275 Kersewelle.
Kersey (Suffolk). O.E. chart. Caersige, 1342 Kersey; also 1262
' panni cersegi,' Kersey cloths. ' Isle of watercresses.' See
above and -ey. Dom. has only Keresfelda and -halla.
Kessingland (Lowestoft). Dom. Kessinga-, Kessingeland ; 1225
Patent E. Cassinge-, Casingland. ' Land of the sons of Casa,' one
in Onom. Cf. B.C.S. 341 Kasingburne and Chesham. See -ing.
Kesteven (E. Lines). Dom. Chetsteven, a. 1200 chart. Ketstefena,
1242 Ketsteven'. Looks like ' Cetta's stem or stock,' O.E. stefn,
stemn. But for Chet- cf. also Chetwood.
Kestle Mill (St. Columb Minor, Cornwall). There is in Dom.
Salop a Cestulle, or ' hill of Cest/ an unknown man. But it is
quite uncertain if this is the same.
Keswick (Cumberland, and Taverham, Norfolk) ; also East Kes-
wick, near Leeds {Dom. Chesuic). Tav. K. Dom. Kesewic,
c. 1150 Casewic, and so = Cheswardine and Chiswick, ^cheese
farm,' ' house where cheese is made.' See -wick. Keston
(Hayes, Kent), Dom. Chestan, may be similarly ' cheese stone ' or
* cheese-press ' ; otherwise it will be 'stone of Cis,' a name in Onom.
Ketley (Wellington, Salop). Not in Dom. Cf. 1158-59 Chateleia,
Pipe Norfk. and Suffk., ' Meadow of Cetil, Chetel/ or ' Ketil ';
all forms in Onom. The seat of the Curzons of Keddleston was
a. 1400 Ketilston. See -ley. But Ketford (Dymock), Dom.
Chitiford, is fr. a man Cyta.
Kettering. 963 O.E. Chron. Ketering, 1125 Kateringes (pL),
and Ketteringham (Norwich), 956 chart. iEt Cytringan, Dom.
Ketrincham. Patronymics. ' Abode of the sons of Kater,'
still in use as a surname. See -ing and -ham (where the -an of
956, a possible loc, will be found referred to).
Kettleburgh (Wickham Mket.). 1224 Ketelbergh. ' Burgh,
castle of Cetel or Cytel '; a common name. See -burgh.
Ketton (Stamford). Not in Dom. Cf. 1183 Boldon Bk. Kettona
(Durham). Prob. ' village of Cetta '; one in Onom. Cf. Ket-
EORD ; see -ton.
KEVERNE 327 KIDDERMINSTER
Keverne (Cornwall). Not in Dom. 1536 Keweyn. Prob. fr.
St. Keynwen or Kenew, daughter of Brychan of Brecknock, and
aunt of St. Cadoc. Kenwyn is the name of the parish of which
Truro stands. Cf. St. Keyne (Cornwall), but not Keynsham.
Kew (London) . Old Kayhough, Kayhoo, Keye ; 1749 Kew. ' Pro-
montory, point of land at the quay or wharf '; O.Fr. kay, cai ;
in Eng. 4 keye, and see Hoe, Hoc.
Kewstoke (Weston-super-Mare). Dom. Chiwestoch. Said to be
' place of St. Kew.' St. Ciwg or Cwick was patron saint of
Llangwick, on E.. Tafl, possibly Exon. Dom. Lancichuc. There
is also a St. Kywa or Ciwa in the Exeter Martyrology, Feb. 8.
Cj. Roll Rich. I., ' Kiweshope ' (Hereford).
Keyham (Leicester and Devonport). Lei. K. Dom. Caiham and
Caitorp. Cf. Dom. Surrey and Salop Ceiha. ' Home of ?' perh.
Ceawa. Cf. B.G.S. 833 Ceawan hlaew. There is a well-known
Pict. name Ce or Keth, now Kay. Cf. Key^orth (Notts), Dom.
Caworde, 1200 Kye-, c. 1294 Keword, which Mutschmann takes
for O.E. cy worth, 'cow farm,' O.E. cu, pi. cy, Sc. kye.
Keymer (Hassocks, Sussex). Dom. Chemere. Prob. ^ Ceommn'a
mere ' or ' lake.' Cf. Cromer, etc.
Keynor (Selsea). O.E.Chron. 4:11 Cymenesore, ' Cymen's shore,'
Dom. Coonore, -nare ; where the Saxon ^lle and his 3 sons, Cissa,
Cymen, and Wlencing, landed in 477. Cf. the Cumensora
near W. Wittering (Sussex), mentioned in a spurious charter.
See -or.
Keynsham (Bristol), c. 990 Ethdweard re 871 Coeginesham, Dom.
Cainesham, 1223 Patent R. Keinesham. ' Home of Keigwin,'
a surname, prob. Cornish, still in use. Cf. Caijwell.
KsYNTON (Dorset} Wilts, Salop). Do. K. formerly Chintone, Con-,
Cuntone; Wi. K. Contone; Sa. K. Cantune. O.E. Coenantun,
' town of Coena ' (3 in Onom.).
KiBWORTH (Leicester). Dom. Chiburde. Cf. 1208 Torks Fines
Kybbewordhe. 'Farm of Cybba.' Cf. B.C.S. 1002 Cybban
stan. See -worth.
KroDAL. See Cheadle.
Kidderminster. Dom. Chideminstre, 1223 Elideminstre, a. 1300
Kyder-, Kydelminstr, c. 1350 Kiderminestere. In a grant of
736 lands at ' Chideminstre ' (Norm, scribe's spelling) are given
by K. u3i]thelbald to Earl Cyneberght on which to bmld a
monastery (see -minster). So the name is ' Monastery, monas-
tery-church of Cydda.' There are 3 in Onom,., also a Cyda, a
Cydd, and a Cyddi. The r is a later insertion, so M'Clure's deriva-
tion fr. O.W. cyddwfr {= cyn-dwfr), ' confluence of the rivers,' is
barred out. Besides, the confluence of Stow with Severn is
4 miles away. But there is a Kiddermore Green (Wolverhamp-
KIDLINGTON 328 KILLINGWOKTH
ton), which may have a W. origin. For ' cockney ' insertion of
r cf. Tattershall.
KiDUNGTON (Oxon). Dom. Chedelintona, Cedelintona (also in
Devon), 1149 Cudelyngton, 1214Kedelinton, 1227-28 Cudelinton,
Kedelyngton. ' Town of the sons of Cydel,' or perh. ' of Ceadela.'
But KiDDiNGTON (Oxon.) is Dom. Chidintone, ' town of Cydda.'
See KlDDEBMINSTEE..
KiDSGROVE (Stoke-on-T.)- No old forms; but cf. Dom. Northants
Chidesbi. ' Grove, wood of Cydda.' Cf. above.
Kidwelly (Csermarthen). a. 810 Nennius and a. 1130 Lib.
Landav. Cetgueli; Brut y Twys. ann. 991 Cydweli; Ann. Cambr.
KedweH ; 1401 Kedewelly. In mod. W. Ced-, Cadweli. A little
doubtful; prob. a tribal name fr. a chief Cadwal.
KiELDER (Cheviots). G. caol dobhar (W. dwr). 'Narrow stream.'
In G. ao is pron. ii, but on Eng. lips varies greatly in sound;
with the sound in Kielder cf. Eddrachilis (Sc.)=G. eadar-a-
chaolais, and pron. by English people EddraheeUs.
KiLBURN (London), c. 1134 chart. Kuneburna, Keneburna; later,
Kele-, Keelebum, Caleburn; 1536 Kilnborne. ' Burn, brook
of Cuna or Coena or Coen ' ; several in Onom. But later forms
indicate some comparison with O.E. ceol, ' a keel, a ship.' As
we often see, any liquid may interchange with any other ; hence
the n becoming I. Cf. Killinghall.
KiLCOT (Gloucester). Dom. Chilecot, 1307 Kulkotte. Prob.=
Chilcott (Wells), and so Keltic for ' narrow wood.' It is
difficult to account for the Chile- otherwise, unless it be similar
to KiLHAM, with chile for O.E. celde, ' a spring.' Cf. Killpeek
(Herefd.), 1219 Kilpec. However, there is one Killa, or Cylla,
in a Mercian chart.
KiLHAM (Driffield). Dom. Chillon (6 times), 1179-80 Pipe Chillum.
An old loc, chillon or cyllum, ' at the sources or springs ' of
R. Hull; O.E. celde, O.N. kelda, ' a spring, a well.' Cf. Kelham
(Notts), Dom. Calun, 1189 Pipe Kelum, and Welham. There is
another near Coldstream (Sc).
Killinghall (Harrogate). Dom. Chenehalle, Chilingale. 'Nook
of Coena ' or ' Cilia,' with gen. -an. Dom. is perpetually inter-
changing I and n. Cf. CtttTiTiTNGBam, Kilburn, etc. See -hall.
KiLLiNGWORTH (Newcastle), c. 1330 B. Brunne Kilyngworth,
1424 KyUynworth, and Kilworth, South (Lutterworth), 1288
Close B. Suth-Kevelingwrth, 1307 Kivelingworth. The ending,
of course, is ' farm.' See -worth. The prefix seems a patrony-
mic otherwise unrecorded, perh. fr. vb. kevel, O.N. kejla, ' to
bit or bridle,' and so this might be ' bridling-place.' Cf. above.
But Kilworth is in Dom. Chiveleswordc, which postulates a
man Cifel, or the like.
KILMINGTON 329 KINDER SCOUT
KiLMiNGTON (Bath and Axminster). Dom. Chelmetone, Ex. Dom.
Chilmatona. Ax. K. 1219 Patent B. Kelmeton. * Town of
Gelm/ one in Onom., or ' of Oelm's sons/ See -ing.
KiLNSEA (Spurn Hd.). Dom. Chilnesse. Perh. 'isle, peninsula of
the kiln ' ; O.E. cyline, cyln, O.N. kylna. Cf. Kilnhurst (Rother-
ham). The sign of the gen. in Kilnsea suggests a man's name,
but there is nothing in Onom. except Cylm ; Cyln might be a
variant. Kilnwick (Beverley) is Dom. Chelingewie, Chilewid,
a patronymic fr. Gil or Cele, the name seen in Kelby (S. Lines),
Dom. Chelebi. See -wick, 'dwelhng.'
KiLSBY (Rugby). Not in Dom. 1155-62 c^arf.Kylesbya. 'Dwelling
of CilU or Cilia ' ; several in Onom. Of. 1155 Pipe Cheleswuyda,
' Cille's farm,' and Kelby (S. Lines), Dom. Chelebi. See -by.
KiLViNGTON (Thirsk). Dom. Cheluintun, c. 1190 Kilvingtone, 1200
Kilvintone. Prob. 'town of Ceolwynn'; one in Onom. But
KiLvnsrQTON (Notts), Dom. ChUvintun, Chelvinctun. Mutsch-
mann would make ' home of the sons of Cylfa ' ; one in Onom.)
See -ing. Kilve (Bridgwater), not in Dom., 1221 Patent R.
Kelve, seems to be one of the rare cases, like Goodrich, etc.,
where a place-name is simply a man's name, here Ceolf, short
form of the common Geolwulf.
KiMBERLEY occurs 3 timcs, each a different name, and none fr.
KiMBER, name of R. Pang (Berks) near its source, Kelt, cumber,
W. cymmer, ' a confluence.' K., Nottingham, is Dom. Chi-
nemar(e)Lie, ^ Gynemcer's mead.' K., Warwksh., is 1311 Cyne-
baldeleye, ^ Gynebald's mead'; and K. near R. Yare (Norfk.)
is Dom. Chineburlai, 1237 Kyneburl', 'mead of Gynebeorht,' a
very common O.E. name. Gf. Kilmersdon (Bath), 1235 Kyne-
merdon, and Kimsbury (Gloster), c. 1230 Kinemeresbur.
KiMBOLTON (Hunts and Leominster). Hu. K. Dom. Chenebaltone,
1297 Kynebauton. ' Town of Gynebald ' ; m and n often inter-
change. Gf. Great Kimble, and Kilmeston (Southampton),
Dom. Chenehnestune, ' Kenelm'a town.'
KiMPTON (Andover and Welwyn). An. K. Dom. Chementune. We.
K. Dom. Kamintone, 1210 Kentone, later Kymi-, Kemitone,
1346 Kumynton. Skeat is clear that this last is O.E. Gyman
tun, ' town of Cyma.' It is on the R. Kime, but this must be a
back formation. Gf. Kyme and Dom. Devon Chiempabera,
perh. fr. Gempa — i.e., ' warrior.'
Kinder Scout (The Peak). Scout is Oxf. Diet, sb^, fr. O.N. sJmte,
'a high, overhanging rock.' Kinder is doubtful; old forms,
needed. It looks like G. cinn dobhair (W. dwr), ' at the head
of the stream,' but this would be a very rare type of name for
this region. So prob. it is fr. kind, sic in O.E. and O.N., in
mod. Icel. Jcind-r, ' sheep,' though in older usage it seems to
mean only ' kind, sort.'
22
KINETON 330 KINGSWINFORD
KiNETON or Kington (Warwksh.). 969 chart. CyTigtune, Dom.
Cintone. Plainly ' royal town, town'of the king '; O.E. cyning.
Cf. Dom. Lines Chinetorp, O.E. cyne, ' royal ' village.
Kingsbury (Tamworth). Dom. Chinesburie, a. 1200 Kinesburi,
1322 Kinesbury. ' Burgh, town of Cyne ' — i.e., ' the royal/ Said
to have been a residence of the Mercian kings. See -bury.
Kingsclere (Newbury). See Burghclere.
KiNGSCLiFFE (Wansford, Northants). 1202 Y or Jcs Fines Cunigges-
clive super Teisam, must be the same name.
King's Langley (Herts). 'King's long meadow'; O.E. lang Uah.
The land here was in royal possession from Hen. I. to Cromwell,
and a house was built here by Hen. III. Kjengsnorton (Bir-
mingham), Dom. Nortune, also belonged to the Crown from
the Conquest to Hen. III.
Kjng's Lynn. Dom. Lena, c. 1100 Lun, 1314-15 Lenne, 1450
LjTine. O.E. hlynn means usually ' a torrent running over
rocks,' which does not exist here. Its later meaning, ' a pool,'
is not recorded till 1577-87, Hohnshed's Chron. Cognate with
W. llyn. Com. lin, G. linne, ' a pool '; so the origin here may be
Keltic. The town's history goes back at least to 1100, prob.
earUer. Originally it was a fief of the Bp. of Norwich, and so
called Lynn Episcopi; but it was emancipated by Hen. VIII.,
and at that time received its present name, Lynn Regis or
King's Lynn.
KiNGSLEY (Cheshire and Hanley). Ches. K. sic a. 1128. Han.
K. Dom. Chingeslei, a. 1300 Kynggesley. 'King's meadow.'
See -ley.
King's Nympton (Chulmleigh). 1287 Kingesnemeton. Hybrid.
See Nymphsfield.
KiNGSTHORPE (Northampton). Dom. Chingestorp. 'King's vil-
lage.' See -thorpe.
Kingston (13 in P.G.). Surrey K. 619 Cingestun, 838 Cyningestun.
Camb. K. Dom. Chingestone, 1210 Kingestone. Notts K. Dom.
Chinestan, 1291 Kynstan. Warwk. K. 1327 Kyngestone. ' King's
town.' Sur. K. was the usual place for the consecration of the
Saxon Kings. The Notts name is O.E. cyne stan, ' royal stone.'
Kingston Lisle (Wantage), 1288 Kingeston Lisle, was called
after William de Insula or De L'Isle, in the time of Hen. II.
KiNGSTONE Bagpuize (Berks). Dom. Chingestune in Merceham
(Marcham) ; also in chart. Kingestun, Cingestun. Called after a
Norman Bachepuiz (Chron. Abingdon, temp. Wm. II.), 1316
Bakepus, 1428 Bagepuys. Prob. fr. O.Fr. hache, ' a gulley, a
watercourse,' cf. Eng. bach, and O.Fr. puz, puiz, Fr. puits, L.
puteus, ' a well.' The Fr. place is now Bacquepuis, Eure.
KiNGSwiNFORD (Dudley). 1023 chart. Swinford, Dom. Suinesford.
' Ford of the swine '; O.E. swin. It was a royal manor in Dom.
KINGSWOOD 331 KIEKBY
KiNGSWOOD (5 in P.O.). 1160 Pipe Chingeswuda, Kent. Dom.
Glouc. has only Chingescote, now Kingscote.
KiNGWESTON (Somerset). Dom. Kenwardston, an interesting cor-
ruption. Cyneweard is a very common O.E. name.
KiNNERLEY (Oswestry) and Kinnersley (W. Hereford, Severn-
Stoke, and Wellington, Salop). 1223 Patent R. Kinardeseia
(see -ey), ? which. Wei. K. Dom. Chinardelei, Chinardeseie.
' Meadow of Cyneheard/ a common O.E. name. Cf. next and
1155 Pipe Oxon. Chenewardberge, ' hill of Coenweard ' or
' Kenward '; also Kingerby (Lines), 1218 Patent R. Kyngorby,
prob. ' dwelling of Cynegar ' ; one in Onom. See -by and -ley.
KiNNERTON (Cheshire). Dom. Cinbretune. ^ Cynebeorht's town.'
Cf. above.
KiNTBURY (Hungerford). Dom. Cheneteberie, chart, set Cynetan
byrig, 1316Kenetbm-y. ' Burgh ontheR. Keknet.' See -burgh.
Kesiton (Hereford and Salop). He. K. Dom. Chingtune; also
Kington (Worcester). Dom. Chintune, 1275 Kyngton, 1340
Kynton, which Duignan renders O.E. cyne tun, ' royal town.'
Cf. 1167-68 Pipe Sussex Cunton.
Kinver Forest (Stourbridge). 736 chart, 'the wood called
Cynibre,' 964 Cynefare, Dom. Chenefare, 1222 Kenefer, Testa
de Nevill Kinefar, 1282 Kynefare. M'Clure thinks this may
represent an early Cunobriga, ' high burgh.' The origin is quite
uncertain. It is very Hkely Kelt., ? W. cwn y bre, 'height, top
of the brae ' or ' slope.' O.E. cyne means ' royal,' and cyne
fare (or fcer) ' royal road ' ; but this may have been a Saxon
corrup. of a W. name.
KrppAX (Pontefract). Dowi. Chipesch. The local pron. is Kippis.
O.E. ceap-cesc,' market ash-tree.' Cf. Chepstow and Borrowash.
KiRBY (11 in P.O.). Dom. Leicr. Cherchebi. Contracted fr.
KiRK-BY, ' dwelling by the church.' Kirby Wiske (Thirsk)
is 1212 Kirkeby super Wise. See Appleton Wiske.
Kirby Cross and Kirby-le-Soken (Walton-on-Naze) . See above.
Not in Dom. These are among the most southerly of names
in -by. Soken is a district held by socage, in O.E. socn, fr.
soc, ' the right of holding a court in a district.' All dwellers in a
soken were under the jurisdiction of the lord of the manor there.
KiRDFORD (Petworth). Not in Dom. Cf. c. 1030 ' Cyrdeslea,'
Hereford. ' Ford of Cyrd,' contraction of Ceolred, a common
O.E. name.
KiRKBRiDE (Carlisle). 1189 Kirkebride. ' Church of St. Bride,'
or Bridget or Brigida of Kildare.
KiRKBY (16 in P.G.). Dom. Yorks Chirchebi or Cherchbi 35 times,
and Kirkebi once, all for some Kirkby or Kirby — i.e., ' dwelling
by the church.' Cf. Kendal; see -by.
KIRKHAM 332 KNATTON
KniKHAM (N. of R. Ribble). Dom. Chicheham (r omitted by error),
c. 1141 Chircheham, the name as written by a Norman or
Southern scribe. ' Home, house by the Tcirh,' N. Eng. and Sc.
for church.
KiRKLiNGTON (Bedale and Southwell). Be. K. Dom. ChercHnton,
Cherdinton, 1212 Torhs Fines Kertlinton. So. K. Dom. Cherlin-
ton, Cherluintone, 1291 Kirtelyngton. These may be same as
KniTLiNGTON ; but prob. they are mostly Kirk-linton, ' the Lyn-
TON by the church.'' However, Kirklinton (Carlisle) is c. 1120
Kirklevington, prob. 'church of the village of Lewine' or ^Leof-
wine/ or his descendants. Cf. Livingstone (Sc.) ; and see -ing.
KniKOSWALD (Chimbld.). 1166-67 Pipe Karcoswald. 'Church of
Oswald.' Cf. Oswestry.
KmKSTALL Abbey (Leeds). Founded 1147-52. 1237 Close B.
Kirkestal. c. 1540 Leland Qiristal. ' Kirk ' or ' church place.'
O.E. steel
KJEETLiNG (Newmarket) and Kirtltngton (Oxford), c. 1080
CurteHnge, Dom. CherteUnge, 977 O.E. Chron. Kyrtlingtune,
a. 1130 Sim. Dur. CirtHng, 1230 Close B. Kurt-, KertUnton, 1241
ib. Curlinton. This must be a patronymic, * place of the sons of
Cyrtel' though no name Hke this is given in Onom. Cf. KniK-
LESTGTON ; and see -ing.
Kjeton Lindsey (Lines). 1156 Pipe Chirchetune. 'Kirk or
church town of the Lindsays." Cf. Kirkham. Randolph de
Limesay or Lindeseye — i.e., ' isle of lime-trees ' — came over
with the Conqueror.
Knapton (York and N. Walsham) and Knapwell (Suffk.). Yo.
K. Dom. Cnapetone, others not in Dom., 'town of Cnapa';
whilst Suf . K. is sic 1230, ' well of Cnapa.' Cf. Knapthorpe
(Caunton), Dom. Chenapetorp. But Knap Farm, Cold Knap
Wood, etc. (Wstrsh.), are fr. O.E. cncep, M.E. knap, 'a hillock.'
So also Knappe (Sussex), 1218 Cnappe.
Knabesbobough. Dom. Chenaresburg (5 times) . 1 155 Pipe Chanar-
desburc, 1156 Canardsburc, 1158 Cnardesburc, 1179-80 C!narre-
buri, c. 1180 Ben. Peterb. Chiaresburgus. The orig. name was
' burgh, castle of Kenward ' or ' Cyneweard.' But as it stands
on a rocky slope it seems early to have been thought ' fort of
the rugged rock,' M.E. hnarre, found a. 1250.
Knaves Castle (Lickfield). a. 1300 'a place called Cnaven
castle,' now a small mound. O.E. cnafa, ' a boy, a servant ';
later, ' a knave, a rogue.' Cf. Knavenhtll (Alderminster) .
Knayton (Thirsk). Dom. Cheneve-, Chenivetune, Chennieton,
1235 Cneveton. ' Town of Coengifu,' a woman's name, only
found here. Cf. Kneveton (Notts), Dom. Chenivetone, c. 1190
Chnivetun, which Mutschmann prefers to derive from O.E. cniht,
' a servant,' which explains the Kn-, but not the -ev.
^KNEBWOETH 333 KNOYLE
Knebworth (Stevenage). Dom. Ohenepeuorde, a. 1300 Kenebbes-
wrth, 1303 Knebbeworth. ' Cnehba'a farm.' See -worth.
Kneesworth (Royston, Herts). 1276 Knesworth, 1346 Knees-
worthe. 'Farm of Knee'; O.E. cneo, 'a knee'; not recorded
as a personal name. Cf. Knebsall (Notts), Dom. Cbeneshale,
1189 Pi'pe Cneeshala. See -hall.
Knighton (4 in P.G.) Lei. K. Dom. Cnihtetone. K.-on-Teme
957 Cnihtatune, Dom. Cnistetun {Dom. almost regularly has
st for gh), 1108 Cnihtetun, 1218 Cnigheton. ' Servants' town.'
On Knight see next. Cf. Knightwick (Worcester), 738 chart,
Cnihtwic. See -wick, ' dwelling.'
Knightsbridge (London) . c. 1 150 Cnihtbriga ; later, Knyghtsbrigg.
O.E. cniht meant orig. ' a boy, a lad, an attendant, a servant.'
Its mod. usage as ' knight ' is not recorded till O.E. Chron. 1086.
Knockin (Salop). Prob. dimin. of W. cnwc, G. cnoc, 'a hillock.'
Cf. Knook and Knucexas. One would like to see the old
forms of Knock holt or ' wood ' (Sevenoaks) , It is not in Dom.
KInoddishall (Saxmundham) . Dom. Chenotessala, 1225 Patent
R. Kenodeshal. ' Nook, comer of Cnod, Gnut,' or ' Canute.'
Of. Knottingley and ILnutsford. See -hall.
Knolton Bryn (EUesmere). Tautological hybrid. ' Town on
the knoll.' O.E. cnoll, Dan. hnold, W. cnol, Sc. knowe, and W.
bron, Corn, bryn, 'a hill.' Of. KInowle and Notting Hill.
But Kinoulton (Notts), Dom. Chineltune, 1152 Cheneldestoa, is
' Cyneweald's town.'
Knook -(Wilts), a 800 chart. Nox gaga, Dom. Cunuche, 1236 Cnuke.
W. cnuch, ' a junction ' ; or cnuwch, ' a junction, a bush.'
Knottingley (Yorks). Z)om. Notingelai, 1202 Cnottinglai. Patro-
nymic. ' Meadow of the sons of Cnot ' or ' Gnut.' See -ley.
But Knott in Gumbld. and Westmld. means ' a hill,' as in
Amside Elnott, Hark Knot, Scald Knot, etc. O.E. cnotta, see
Oxf. Diet., knot sb. 14.
Knowl(e) (Birmingham, Bristol, etc.). Bir. K. Dom. Gnolle, a.
1300 La CnoUe, a. 1400 Knole. Wednesfield K. a. 1300 le
Knolle. Alvechurch K. 1275 la Cnolle. O.E. cnoll, ' a round-
topped hillock' or '^hill,' a knoll; Sc. knowe. Two 'Cnolle'
in Dom. Dorset.
Knowsley (Liverpool). Dom. Phenulweslei (P error for C7) . 'Lea,
meadow of Goenwulf,' a name common in Onom. See -ley.
Kjstoyle (Salisbury). 948 chart. Cunugl, Cnugel, 1228 Stepel Knoel.
Gf. B.G.S. i. 240 Cunugl-ae (= ' isle '), which Birch identifies
with CoLNE (Glouc), q.v. This cannot be the same as knoll,
O.E. cnoll, ' hill-top, hillock,' though M'Clure declares that the
Oxf. Diet, says this is the origin of Knoyle. Where does it say
that ? Nor is it likely to be O.E. cnucel, ' knuckle, hill like a
knuckle.' This would not have become Knoyle. Cunugl looks
KNUCKLAS 334 LADBROKE
like W. cwn uchel, ' lofty height ' or ' hill-top/ the O.W. ugl
thus being cognate with Ogle, and Sc. Ochils, and Ogil-vie. It
is only fair to add that the Gazetteers speak of no hill here, so
the name may be pre -Kelt.
Knucklas (Radnor). In W., Cnwcglas, 1246 Patent R. Cnuclays.
'Green hill/ fr. W. cnwc, 'lump, hillock/ and glas (lias), ' green,
blue." Cf. KJNOCKCN and Knook.
Knutsfobd (Cheshire). Dom. Cunetesford. 'Ford of K. Cnut
or Canuti.' Cf. Knuston (Northants), Dom. Cnutestone, and
Knoddishall.
Knutton (Newcastle, Staffs). Dom. Clotone (error), a. 1300
Cnot(t)on^ Kjiotton. ' Village on the hillock '; O.E. cnotta, ' a
knot,' found fr. 14th cny. used as ' a hiU.' See Knott.
Kyloe (Belford). 1272 Kilei, 1561 Kilhowe, Killowe, 1636 Kilo.
Hybrid. G. cill{e), ' church, churchyard,' and howe, O.N.
ha/ug-r, 'mound, cairn'; in Eng. as how, a. 1340, 'a hill, a
hillock.' Cf. Tysoe, etc.
Kyme (Lincoba). Sic 1136, 1233 Kima. O.E. cyme vbl. sb. means
' coming.' But this seems to be the W. C7jme, ' lovely, beauti-
ful.' Skeat thinks that this Kyme and others must all come
fr. a man Cyma, 5 in Onom., but this type of name is rare.
Cf. KiMPTON. There is also a R. Kym, trib. of the Gt. Ouse.
Kynance Cove- (The Lizard). Corn. Kyne sans, 'holy Kyne,' a
Corn, saint who lived c. 490. Cf. ICeverne and Penzance.
Kyndelyn (Wales). Prob. not same word as Cunobellinus (see
Kjmble), though M'Clure thinks so. Much more likely W.
cwn Velyn, ' height of Velyn,' aspirated form of Melyn. Cf.
Helvellyn. Cwn is cognate with the G. ceann, loc. cinn,
' head, height,' so often found in Sc. names as Ken-, Kin-. Cf.
Kinvee. and Knoyle.
Kybb Wyre (Tenbury). Dom. Cuer, Chuer, 1108 Cyr, 1275 Cure
Wyard. W. cwr, ' border, edge, limit ' ; it is on the border
between Worcester and Hereford. The Wyards were its early
Nor. lords.
Laceby (Grimsby). Dom. Levesbi, 1234 Lesseby. 'Dwelling of
Lefa ' or ' Leofa,' common in Onom. See -by.
Lackenby (Redcar). Dom. Lachenebi, Lachebi, 1202 Lackenbi.
' Dwelling of Lacen,' a name still found as Laking. See -by.
Lackeord (Bury St. Edmunds). Dom. Lacforda, Lacheforda.
Prob. 'ford at the pool'; O.E. lace. Cf. Mobtlake, Dom.
Suffk. Lacheleia, and Hants Lacherne.
Ladbroke (Southam, Wwksh.). 980 chart. Hlodbroce, Dom.
Lodbroc, a. 1200 Lodebroc(h). Looks Hke 'brook of Hlod ' or
' Hloth ' ; but Lodbroc or Lothhroc is name of a well-known hero
of the Sagas. Cf. Dom. Chesh. Latbroc. ,
LADOCK 335 LANCHERLY
Ladock or Landoc (Grampound Rd., Cornwall). ' Church/ Com.
Ian, W. llan, ' of St. Cadoc' See Caradoo and Llangadoo.
Laleham (Staines) . Dom. Leleham,1237Estlalham. ' Home of LeZa '
or ' Lilla.' Cf. Lawford, and Laleston (Bridgend). See -ham.
Lambeth (London). 1041 O.E. Chron. Lambhythe, 1088 Lam-
hytha, c. 1130 Eadmer Lambetha, -beta, 1217 Lamheye, -heth,
1588 Lambehith. O.E. lamb-hi^e, ' landing-place for lambs.'
See Hythe. Derivation fr. O.E. Mm, ' loam,' is inadmissible.
Cf. next and Lamcote (Notts), Dom. Lanbecote.
Lambotjrn (Berks). K. Alfred's Will Lamb-burna, 943 cMrf.
Lamburna. ' Lamb's burn or brook.' See -bourne.
Lamorna Cove (Penzance). Corn. Ian mornader, 'enclosure for
the lampreys ' or ' pilchards '; L. murcena.
Lampeter (Cardigan). In W. Llanbedr Pont Stephan. The W.
Llan bedr is ' church of Peter.' Cf. next. On llan cf. Llana-
TAN. We find the Lam- very early — e.g., Dom. Glouc, ' Li Wales
sunt iii hard vices (herds' farms), Lamecare (? llan y caer, ' church
by the castle '), & Porteschivet (Portskewett) & Dinan.'
Lamphey (Pembroke). Old Llandyfei, 1603 Lantfey; forms Llan-
faith and -feth are also found, as if W. llan ffydd, ' church of
faith.' But the name is ' church of St. Tyfai,' seen also in Foy
(Herefd.), Lib. Land. Lanntiuoi, and in Lampha (Glam.).
Lamport (Northampton). 1158-59 Pipe Laport, Cf. Dom. Kent
Lamport. The Lam- is doubtful, but is prob. O.E. lamb, as in
Lambeth; and so 'lamb's gate,' L. porta, in Eng. as port, fr.
c. 950. See also Oxf. Diet, port sb^, ' a town.'
Lanarth (Cornwall). 1285 Close R. Lannarth. Corn.= 'high
enclosure.' The orig. meaning of Ian, llan, lam, lann, in all Kelt,
languages is ' enclosed place.' ' Church ' is a later meaning.
Lancarf (Cornwall). Corn. = 'graveyard '; Corn, corf, L. corpus,
' a body, a corpse.'
Lancarrow (Cornwall). Corn.= 'deerpark,' carw, 'a hart'; L.
cerws, ' a stag.' Dom. has a Lancharet.
Lancaster. Sic 1399, but Dom. and 1198 Loncastre, 1161-62
Lancastria. ' Camp on the R. Lthste.' See -caster. Lancashire
is first mentioned in 1169; in 1523 we have it in its mod. form,
' Lancasshyre.' Till after Dom. Lancashire S- of the Ribble was
in Cheshire, and Lancaster itself in Yorks.
Lancaut (Chepstow). 956 chart. Landcawet, 1221 Langcaut. The
956 form is O.Kelt for ' enclosed land,' W. llan cauad. Kelt
Ian, W. llan, means ' enclosure,' and is cognate with Eng. land.
Lancherly (Somerset). Perh. 801 chart. Lancherpille. LancJier
is 'land share'; K.C.D. 706 Brisnodes Land-share; ib. 419
Hebelmes Landschere. The ledges at Worth Maltravers (Dorset)
are also called Lanchers.
LANCHESTER 336 LANGLEY
Lanohestbr (Durham). 1183 Boldon Bh. Langchestre, 'long
camp/ O.E. and N.Eng. laTig, ' long/ See -Chester.
Lancing (Sussex). Dom. Lancinges. Named fr. WUncing, son of
^lla, O.E. Chron. 4:11. Cf. Keynob, and Dom. Surrey Lanchei.
See -ing.
Land-ahe (Cornwall). Dom. Lander. Corn. Ian dar, 'enclosure of
the oaks.' Cf. O.G. dair, ' an oak.'
Landbeach (Cambridge). Dom. XJtbech — i.e., a little farther away
or out from the old shore of the Wash than Waterbeach —
1235 Close B. Londbech'. Beach is a curious word. It must
mean ' shingle ' or simply ' shore/ but is not recorded in Oxf.
Did. till the 16th cny. Cf. Wisbech.
Landewednack (The Lizard). Dom. has Langenewit, and Lan
wenehoc. Com.= ' church of 8t. Devinicus/ said to be a con-
temporary of St. Columba. Cf. Banchory Devenick (Sc).
Landican (Wirral). Dom. Landechene. Prob. 'church of the
deacon/ referring to Woodchurch near by. W. diacon, in Eng.
a. 1300 deken, ' a deacon/ one not in full orders.
Landicle (Cornwall). Sic in Dom. Com.= ' Church of St. Teela.'
Cf. ' Lantocal/ B.C. 8. 47. Tecla was a Roman abbess in the
days of Gregory the Great. Landkey (Barnstaple) seems to
be 1235 Close R. Landegeye; cf. Keverne.
Landoc. See Ladock.
Land's End. 997 O.E. Chron. Penwiht Steort; a. 1130 Sim. Dur.
Penwithsteort. Welsh Triads Penbryn Penwaeth, Welsh Laws
Pengwaeth or -waed, Myrv. Archaeol. Penwedic yng Ngherniw.
Pen is Keltic for ' head, headland ' ; wiht, with, or waeth must
be W. gwydd, Corn, gwedh, ' woods/ while steort is O.E. for ' tail.'
Of. Start Point. The name Penwith is still applied to this
whole district.
Landtje (Cornwall). Corn, lan dew, ' black, dark church/
Landuit (Cornwall). Corn. = ' church of Ulf or 'St. Olaf/ one
of the most saintly of the Norse Kings, 995-1030, patron saint
of Norway.
Landywood (Walsall). No old forms. Duignan thinks 'launde
i' th' wode,' M.E. launde, O.Fr. land, launde, ' a plain sprinkled
with bush or tree,' then ' a lawn.'
Langeord (Oxford). 1155-58 chart. Langeford. 'Long ford.'
Similarly there are 6 Langtons in P.O., Dom. Yorks Langeton
and Lanton, Lines Langtone. There are also several Langdales ;
one in 1160-61 Pipe Notts and Derby, has the curious reduplica-
tion Langedala Dala.
Langley (Bromley). 862 chart. To langan lea3e. . ' Long meadow.'
So Langley, Henley-in-Arden, 1150 Langelleie, a. 1200 Langeleg,
a. 1300 Langele. But Langley Park (Cumberland) is old Lang-
LANGPORT 337 LASKET
lif erga, ' shieling, dairy hut of Langlif,' a N. woman. For erga
see Arklid. See -ley.
Langport (Central Somerset). Prob. Llywarch Hen Llongborth,
1160-01 Pi'pe Laport. As it stands, ' Long Harbour/ O.E. lang,
long, also 4-5 lang, ' long/ while port is a very early loan fr. L.
partus. But evidently the orig. name was Keltic, the common
Ir. Longphort, ' ship's harbour,' then ' encampment,' seen about
20 times in Ireland to-day as Longford, and also, says K. Meyer,
in the Sc. Luncarty, 1250 Lumphortyn. Ir. and G. long, luing
is ' a ship,' also a loan fr. L. longa (navis), ' a war-ship.' The
meaning in Somerset must be ' encampment.'
Langrigg (Aspatria). 1189 Langrug. Cf. 896 ' Langenhrycge '
(Glouc.) ; this is O.E. for ' long ridge '; in North. Eng. and Sc.
lang rigg. There is a Longridge (Preston).
Langthorpe (Yorks). Dom. Lambetorp, La'betorp, Lanbetorp.
' Lambi's place.' No Lamhi in Onom., but m and n often inter-
change; cf. KiMBOLTON. But Langthwaite (Yorks) is Dom.
Langetouet, Langetouft, ' long place.' See -thwaite and Torr.
Langwathby (Cumberland). 1189 Langwadebi. 'Dwelling by
the long ford.' Cf. Langwith (Notts), 1291 Langwaith, and
Wadeford. See -by.
Lantern Marshes (Orford). Dangerous to mariners, and so a
lantern was once placed here, whilst now there are two light-
houses.
Lapley (Frocester and Stafford) and Lapworth (Birmingham).
Fr. L. 1315 Lappeleye. St. L. Dom. Lepelie, a. 1200 Lapehe,
Lappely. 816 chart. Hlappawurthin {cf. -warden), Dom. Lape-
forde, ' Hlappa's lea ' and ' farm.' See -ley and -worth.
Larkbeare (Exeter). Dom. Laurochebere, Exon. Dom. Lauroca-
bera, 1237 Laverk ber, ' Lark wood,' O.E. Idwerce or Idferce beam.
Of. Beer, and the personal name Conybeare; also 1160 Pipe
Lauerchestoc (Essex), and Larkborough (Worcestersh.), 709
chart. Lauerkeboerge — i.e., ' lark hill.' See Barrow. Lark-
meld (Maidstone) is Dom. Laurochesfel'. The R. Lark, Suffk.,
is a back-formation fr. Lackeord.
Lartington (Barnard Castle), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Lyrtingtun. Cf.
B.S.C. Lortan hlaew. ' Town of ' some unknown man, Lurta,
Lorta, or Larta. Very prob. a patronymic. See -ing.
Lasham (Alton, Hants). Dom. Esseham'. 'Home, house by the
ash-trees.' Cf. Ashby, etc. The L. comes fr. the Fr. la, ' the,'
prefixed by a Nor. scribe, 1284 L-asham. Cf. Lappal, Hales-
owen, 1335 Lappole, ' the pool,' 1342 Thomas atte Pole, also Dom.
Essex, Lassendene, where the La- prob. has the same origin.
Thereisboth anEssendine (Stamford), and an Essendon (Hatfield).
Lasket (Cumberland) and Lasket Grove (Monmouth). Perh. W.
glas'coed, ' green wood '; cf. Chetwood. But Lasboro' (Glouc),
LASTINaHAM 338 LAlTNCESTON
c. 1220 Lasseberewe, is ' lesser mound ' or ' tumulus/ O.E. Icessa,
M.E. lasse, ' less.'
Lastingham (Cleveland). Bede iii. 23 Lestingau, but in pref.
Lsestinga ea. Dom. Lestingeham. Patronymic; ' home of the
Lestings '; ea is O.E. for ' river.'
Latchford (Warrington). Fr. letch sb^, Oxf. Diet. 6-9 lache.
9 latch, ' a muddy ditch, a stream through a bog, a bog/ cognate
with leach v., ' to water, to wet,' prob. fr. O.E. leccan, ' to water.'
Cf. 1138 Newminster Cart. ' Appeltreleche,' and see Lbchlade.
Lathom (Ormskirk). Dom. Latune, 1201-56 Lathun, 1225 Patent
R. Lathum, 1535-43 Latham, Latheham. This is a corrupt loc,
' at the barns,' O.N. hla^a, loaned in O.E. Cf. Hallam, Kel-
HAM, etc., also the common and puzzling Sc. Letham, sic a. 1200,
1284 Latham. Horsfall Turner gives Latun in Dom. for
Amoundemess as now Layton, Ladon in E. Riding as now
Lathom, and Ladon in Cave Hundred (Yorks) as Laytham. All
these names may have a similar origin to what Wyld and Hirst
give above. Cf. Latton. But Lathbuby (Bucks), 1225 Late-
biry, is fr. a man Leot ; that and Leotan are in Onom.
Latimer (Chesham). Not in Dom., a. 1440 Latemer. It would be
a very unlikely thing if formed fr. the personal name Latimer,
sic in Eng. c. 1205, fr. O.Fr. Latim{m)ier, ' an interpreter,' corrup.
of latinier or Latiner. The sb. latimer is already found in Dom.
It may be ' mere, lake of Leot,' a man in Onom.
Latton (Swindon). Dom. Latone; cf. Dom. Essex Lattuna. It
may be ' village of Leot,' one in Onom. ; eo regularly becomes a.
As likely = Lathom, Dom. Latune, ' at the barns,'
Laughabne (W. of Caermarthen). Pron. Larn, 1603 Talagharn.
In W. Tallacharn or Talycoran, ' at the end of R. Coran,' ? W.
corafon, ' a rivulet.' The origin of Laughame is doubtful. One
might guess, ' the low alder tree'; see Oxf. Diet. s.v. low (early
M.E. lah, 4 lagh, 5 lawghe), and am; but prob. it is corrup. fr.
the W. name. There is a R. Latjghern (Worcestersh.), 757
chart. Lawern(e). This is O.W. llawern, Corn, lowern, 'a fox/
Lavemock (CardifE), old Llywernog, is the dimin., 'little fox.'
Laughton (Rotherham, and 3). Ro. L. Dom. Lastone {Dom. regu-
larly replaces a guttural by st). Prob. ' low town,' fr. O.N. lag-r
' low,' early M.E. lah, 3-4 la-^h, 4 laghe, loghe, 5 lough, Sc. laigh.
Cf. Dom. Hereford Lautone. Lastun in Dom. Yorks also stands
for W. Layton.
Latjnceston. Dom. Lanscavetone, Lancauetone, 1154-89 Lan-
ceston, 1199 Lanstaveton, 1220 Lanzavetun, 1224 Lancaveton,
1227 Lanstone (the mod. pron. ; how early it was reached !), 1245
Lanstaueton, Lanceueton, 1260 Launcetton; also said to be a.
1176 chart. ' The town of St. Stephen at Lanstone.' Commonly
said to be ' church (Corn. Ian) of St. Stephen,' but this seems far
LAUNTON 339 LATER MARNEY
fr. certain. Scave or Stave could with difficulty represent
Stephen, a name always spelt in O.E. Chron. Stephne, and prob.
represents some Com. word now lost. An older name was
DuNHEVED. Lansdown (Glouc.) is a doubtful name; some of
its old forms (Launtes-, Lantesdon) look as if they might orig.
be something similar to Launceston.
Launton (Bicester). Dom. Lantone, 1274 Langetun, 1525 Lawn-
ton. O.E. king tun, ' long village.'
Lavan Sands (Conway). A tautology. W. llafan, 'a strand, a
sandy beach."
Lavenham (Suffolk). Dom. Lauenham. Cf. B.C.S. 1288-89 Lauan
ham. ' Village, dwelling of Lafa, Leofe, or Lawa' all forms are
known. O/. Bom. Norfk. Lawendic, and Lavington.
Laverstock (SaHsbury). Bom. Lawrecestokes and Lavertestoch,
1221 Patent R. Laverkestok. ' Place of Lawerce ' — i.e., ' the
lark.' See Stoke.
Laverton (Yorks and Broadway, Worcestersh.). Yo. L. Bom.
Laureton, Lavretone. Br. L. c. 1240 Lawertune. Prob. ' town
of Leofgar or Leuegams,' or 'of Leofweard,' a common name.
More old forms needed. Cf. Laverhay, Wamphray (Scotland).
Lavington (Chichester). 725 chart. Lavingtune, Bom. Laventone.
Patronymic. ' Town, village of the descendants of Lafa ' or
' Leofa.' Cf. Bom. Bucks Lauuendene, and Lavenham.
Lawford (Manningtree and Rugby). Man. L. Bom. Laleforda,
Ru. L. Bom. Leile-, Lelle-, Lilleford, 1086 Ledleford, 1161 Ledes-
forde, 1236 Lalleford. Fine proof of the liquidity of I. ' Ford
of Lil ' or ' Lilla,' names in Onom. Cf. Laleham.
Lawhitton (Launceston) . Bom. Longvitetone, Ex. Bom. Languite-
tona, which is simply ' long white town,' O.E. hwit, O.N. hvit-r,
' white.' Cf. CUMWHITTON.
Lawrenny (Pembrokesh.). c. 1190 Gir. Camb. Leurenni, -eni,
1603 Owen Lawrenny. The first syll. is W. llawr, ' floor, bottom,'
but Enni is unknown. Cf. Ystrad Enni on the Ithon.
Laxheld (Framlingham). Bom. Suffk. and Essex, Laxefelda.
' Field of Leaxa.' Similarly, Laxton, Howden and Newark,
Bom. Yorks and Notts Laxintun, New. L. 1278 Lexington.
See Lbxden.
Laycock (Keighley). Bom. Lacoc, 1237 Close R. Lacok.' Prob.
' low cock ' or ' heap,' O.N. lag-r kokk-r, Norw. kok, ' a heap.'
Cock in the sense of hay-cock, etc., is not found in Oxf. Bict.
till 1598. On Lay- cf. next, Laughton, and the mod. sur-
name Locock.
Layer Marney (Essex). Bom. and a. 1300 chart. Legra, which is
gen. plur. of O.E. leger, 'a lair, a camp/ in M.E. ' a place for
animals to lie down in ' ; cf. 1573 Tusser Husband, ' Borne I
LATTON 340 LEAVEN R .
was ... in Essex laier, in village faier, that Riuenhall hight.'
Marney is fr. Marigny in Normandy. There are also Layer
Breton and Layer de la Haye, near Colchester. One of
these is 1217 Patent R. Lawefare, 1235 Close R. Laghefar, which
must be 'low road.' See Laughton and c/. thorough/are.
Layton (N. Riding). East and West. Dom. Lastun, Lattun. As
Dom. regularly replaces a guttural by st, prob. ' low town/ Sc.
laigh toun, and so = Laughton {q.v.). But Layton (Amounder-
ness) is Dom. Latun, and so it may be= Lathom, ' at the barns.'
Lazonby (Cumberland and Northallerton) . No. L. Dom. Lesingebi,
Leisenebi, Lesinghebi, Leisingbi, 1179-80 Pi'pe Lagenebi, 1203
Fines Leysingeby. ' Dwelling of the Les{s)ings,' a patronymic;
one Lesing in Onom. See -by.
Lea R. (Essex). 891 O.E. Chron. Lyga, 913 ib. Lygea(n), Ligene,
c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Luye. M'Clure connects with the Keltic
river-name Logana^ but the origin is quite doubtful. Hen. Hunt.
gives another R. Luye near Hereford; there is to-day a village.
Lea, near Ross, but very hkely this is the common O.E. leak,
' meadow.' P.G. has 6 places called Lea; For. of Dean L. 1195
La lega.
Lbadenham (Lincoln), a. 1150Langledenham. ' Home of LetZa,'
one such in Onom. Cf. Ledbury.
Lea Marston (Coleshill). Two hamlets, 1257 Waure Merston,
1573 Waver Merstone, The Wavers were lords of this ' marsh
town,' O.E. mersc tun, for a considerable time. For Lea, see -ley.
Leamington. Dom. Lunintone {un error for em), 1242 Leminton.
' Town on R. Leam,' which may be O.E. leom(a), ' a flash, a
gleam,' less hkely fr. O.E. lAm, ' mud,' Du. leem, Eng. loam.
Leamington Priors (of Kenilworth) is Dom. Lamintone, 1327
Lemynton Prioris. Lemington (Moreton-in-Marsh), Dom. Lemin-
ingtune, Limen-, Lemintone, is ' town of (the sons of) Leofman'
common name, found shortened to Leman. See -ing.
Leatherhead (Surrey). Sic c. 1670. Dom. Lered, a puzzling
form. Leather is the O.E. ZetSer, Icel. Mr, O.Fris. leer, Breton
ler ; but it is doubtful if this is the real origin of the name. More
old forms are needed. There is an O.E. loefer, ' a plant,' see
Oxf. Diet. s.v. LEVERS ; and Liverpool is 1222 Litherpool,
whilst Larford (Stourport), was 706 Leverford; so the name is
prob. ' head, height with the rushes or sword-bladed plants,'
O.E. Icefer, leber. It may be fr. Leod-, Leothere, a well-known
name, cognate with Luther, cf. Leatherbarrow. Also cf.
Lbtheringsett .
Leathley (Otley). Dom. Ledelai {Dom. regularly makes th into d).
' Meadow on the slope,' O.E. hlith. Cf. Leith Hill, and Kirk-
leatham (N. Yorks), Dom. Westhdu'.
Leaven R. See Leven.
LEAVENING 841 LEEK
Lbavenino (York). Dom. Ledlinghe, -inge. Dom'a forms seem
corrup. of ' place of Leofwine's or Leofwynn's sons.' See -ing.
Lebbeeston (Filey). Dom. Ledbeztun, -bestun, 1206 Ledbrizton,
1208 Ledbristone. ' Leodbeorhfs town '; this is prob. the origin
of Liberton (IVIidlothian) . Dom. prefers to use z and st instead
of a harsh guttural.
Lechlade (Glouc). 872 chart. Lecche, Dom. Lecelade, 1221 Liche-
lade. 'Way, path/ O.E. geldd, 'by or over' — i.e., ferry over 'the
R. Leach/ whose old forms are seen also in Eastleach, Dom.
Lece, 1347 Estlecche, and Northleach, Dom. Lecce. This is
prob. O.E. Icece, ' a stream/ fr. leccan, ' to water.' Cf. Latch-
ford.
Leck (N. Lanes). Dom. Lech. Prob. N. loecJc-r, ' a brook.' Cf.
Leek and Lucker. It may be Eng. Cf. Latchtord.
Leckford Abbas (Stockbridge, Hants). 947 chart. Legh-, Leaht-
ford. Prob. ' ford in the meadow/ O.E. Uah. See -leigh.
Leckham(p) STEAD (Berks and Bucks). Ber. L. B.C.S. ii. 534
Leachamstede ; Dom. Lecanestede, Lekehamstede, 1316 Leck-
hampsted. Dom. Bucks Lechastede. ' Homestead, Hamp-
STEAD, with a kitchen-garden.' O.E. Uac, 3 lee, is ' a leek/
then, any garden herb. Cf. Leighton. Similarly, Leckhamp-
TON (Glouc.) is Dom. Lechantone. See Hampton.
Leconfield (Beverley). Dom. Lachinfeld, -felt. ' Field of ' some
unknown man, ? Lecca, -can. Laking is a personal name to-day.
Ledbury (Malvern). Dom. Liedeberge, 1235 Lidebir; cf. Dom.
Salop Ledewic. ^ Leoda'a burgh.' Cf. Leadenham, also Lat-
COMBB, Dom. Bucks Ledingberge, a patronymic, and ib. Surrey
Ladesorde. Duignan derives Ledbury fr. the E,. Leaden, 972
chart, and Dom. Ledene, on which it stands, is also does Up-
leadon (N.-W. Glouc). This is doubtful, and the origin of
Leaden is unknown. Perh. connected with W. lledan, ' breadth,'
or Iliad, ' flooding, streaming.'
Leeds. Bede Loidis, Dom. Ledes. Doubtful; ? W. lloed, ' a place.'
There are also Lede Chapel (Tadcaster), Dom. Lede, and a
Leeds (Maidstone), 1235 Close B. Lhedes. Lede or lead,= ' water-
course,' is not found till 1541.
Leek (StafEs). Dom. Lee, a. 1200 Lech, 1284 Leyc. Prob. N.
loech-r, ' a brook.' Cf. Leckford. Leake (Boston), Dom.
Leche, 1216 Leake, 1313 Lek, 1320 Leek, and E. and W. Leake
(Notts), Dom. Lec(c)he, a. 1277 Leyk, must be the same name.
It may be Eng.; see Lechlade. For Leek Duignan prefers
W. llech, 'a flagstone.' Leek Wootton (q.v.) (Kenilworth), is
1327 Lekwottone. There is also a Lee in 1183 Boldon Bh.,
Durham. All these names are doubtful. The forms in Oxf.
Dict.s.y. lea sb^ do not encourage us to call them hardened forms
of O.E. Uah, ' meadow.'
LEICESTER 342 LEONARD STANLEY
Leicester, pron. Lester, a. 800 Legoracensis civitas, c. 800
Nenniibs Caer Lerion, 918 O.E. Chron. Legraceaster, Ligran-
ceaster, 980 ib. Legeceasterscir (here, as in several other places,
this means Cheshire, q.v.), 1120 Legrecestrie, c. 1145 Geoff r.
Mon. and c. 1175 Fantosme Leircestre, 1173 Leicestria, c. 1205
Layamon Leirchestre, but c. 1275 Leycestre, 1258 Henry III.
Leirchestr. ' Camp, fort on R. Leir," old name of R. Soar (1253
Sor) . Leir may be the same as Layer, but this is quite doubt-
ful. Connexion with K.Lear is even more so. In Mabinogion
he is Llyr, and he is first named in Geoffr. Mon. Possible is a
connexion with W. llithro, ' to slip, to glide.' See -caster.
Leigh (12 in P.G.). Dom. Lecie (prob. near Cricklade) and Lege
(Salop and Worcester), O.E. Uah, dat. leage, ' a piece of culti-
vated land, a meadow,' so common in the ending -ley, q.v.
Leighterton (Tetbury) c. 1140 Letthrinton, 1273 Lettrinthone.
Perh. ' village of (the sons of) ^ Leather e.' See -ing.
Leighton (Hunts, Salop, Welshpool). 956 chart. Wilmanlehtune
(see Wormleiohton). Hun. L. 1260 Lechton, 1291 Legheton,
but men of the name Leighton hved in this barony a. 1066. Cf.,
too, 1154-61 chart. Lectona (Lines), and a. 1199 Lecton (Beds).
O.E. leahtun, lehtune, ' a herb garden,' fr. Uac, ' a leek.' See
Leckhamstead ; and cf. next.
Leighton Buzzard. 917 O.E. Chron. Lygtun; later, Lygetun;
a. 1700 L. Beaudezert. See above. The Norm, family Beau-
desert or Bosard were influential here in 14th cny. Cf. Beau-
desert (Henley-in-Arden), c. 1135 Beldesert, and in Cannock
Chase.
Leintwardeste (N. Hereford). Dom. Lentevrde (Salop), which is
' farm of Lenta,' an unknown man. See -wardine.
Leith Hill (S. Surrey). Tautology. O.E. hlith, 'a slope, a hill-
side.' Cf. Lytham.
Lenborough (Bucks). O.E. Chron. 571 Liggeanburh, Lygeanbirg;
not in Dom. Prob. the burgh or fort of some man, whose name
is now unrecognizable.
Lenham, West (Maidstone). 804 chart. Westra Leanham. ' House,
home given as a reward or gift,' O.E. lean.
Leominster. 1046 O.E. Chron. Leomynstre, Dom. Leominstre,
1233 Leminstr', c. 1600 Camden Lemester; in W. Llanllieni.
Said to be ' church of Leof ' or ' Leofric' It is doubtful who he
was ; perh. the W. Mercian earl, husband of Lady Godiva, c. 1030.
Leonard Stanley (Stonehouse, Glouc). Not in Dom., but cf.
Dom . Linor = a Leonard in Devon . Doubtful . There is a Burton
Leonard in S. Yorks. St. Leonard was a confessor of the 6th
cny. at Corbigny (Autun, France), a reputed miracle-worker, but
not otherwise famous, and not likely to be denoted in our Eng.
LEPTON 343 LEVEETON
names. These may be connected with W. llenu, 'to veil or en-
velope/
Lepton (Huddersfield) . Dom. Leptone. 'Town of Leppa/ 3 in
Onom.
Lesnewth (CameKord). Com. les newydh, 'new hall.' W. llys,
' court, hall/ G. lios. Dom. has a Lisniwen.
Letcombe Regis and Basset (Wantage). Dom. Ledencumbe,
Ledecumbe, 1161-62 Pipe Ledecuba; later Letecoumb. ' Deep
valley of Leoda.' Cf. Ledbury, and see -combe. The Bassets
were a Norman family of many possessions. Cf. Bassett.
Lethebingsett (Holt, Norfk.), a. 1300 Eccleston Leveringsot.
Prob. ' seat, residence,' O.E. scet, ' of the descendants of Leofgar.'
For foTv becoming th, cf. Liverpool. See -ing. But Letters-
ton (Pembroke), c. 1300 Letarston is prob. fr. the name Leod-
heard or Leothere, in Onom. However, in 1516 it is Littardiston,
and was then held by a John Littard.
Letton (Hereford). Dom. Letune. Prob. 'town on the leat/
7 let, O.E. gelcet, ' an open conduit, a water charmel '; but it may
be=LATHOM.
Leven (N. Yorks), Dom. Levene, Leven R. (N. Lanes), and Leaven
R. (Yorks) ; and prob. same name, Levant R. (S. W. Sussex), as
t would easily suffix itself. Cf. Darwen and Derwent, both the
same root. W. llevn, 'smooth'; also cf. Leven (Sc). But
Leven (Hornsea), old forms needed, is prob. an O.E. gen. Leofan
' Leofa's' place; cf. Beedon, ' Leventon' (Cumberland) in 1189
Pipe, and Levenhull. Levens (Milnthorpe, Westmorland),
Dom. Lefuenes, looks like another gen., ' Lefwen's, or Leofwen's '
(place), 4 of this name in Onom.
Levenhull (Leamington). A curious name, not in Duignan. Its
form suggests W. llevn hel, ' smooth bank.' But -hull in Mid-
lands stands for hill, 2-5 hull{e) ; cf. Aspull and SoLiBnjLL ; so
that this should be ' hill of Leofa,' gen. -fan ; several named
Leof, Leofa, and Leofe in Onom. Cf. above.
Levebington (Wisbech). 1285 Liverington, 1302 Leveryngtone.
Patronymic. ' Village of the sons of Leof ere or Leof here.' Cf.
Liverpool. See -ing.
Leverton (Boston) may be fr. Leof here or Lifere, 2 such in Onom.
Leverton N. and S. (Notts) is Dom. Legretune, 1189 Leirton,
c. 1200 Legherton, and Mutschmann doubtfully derives fr.
Leofhere ; cf. Layer and Liverpool. But Great and Little
Lever (Bolton) will prob. be fr. O.E. Icefer, some plant, now
'levers,' a rush, an iris, or the like. The forms are a. 1200
Leuer, 1212 Little Lefre, 1227 Leoure, 1326 Great Leure.
Leverton (Boston). Dom. Levretune. Said to be fr. Leofric,
seneschall of Earl Algar the younger, who d. fighting the Danes
in 870. But more prob. fr. Leofhere ; cf. Liverton. Kirk
LEWAN(N)ICK 344 LICKEY HELLS
Levington (N. Riding) is Dom. Levetona, * town of Leofa.' Cf.
Dom. Devon, Levestone.
Lewan(n)ick (Launceston). * Church (Com. Ian) of St. Wethenoc '
or ' Winoch/ brother of Winwaloe. See Gunwalloe.
Lewdown (N. Devon). Prob. Keltic leu dyn, ' lion hill/ hill like a
lion, such as Arthur's Seat (Edinburgh) .
Lewes. Sic Dom. O.E. chart. Loewas; a. 1200 Lib. de Hyda Leu-
wias ; also Loewen, Leswas, Laquis, Perh. fr. an O.E. *hleoiv, M.E.
lewej 'warm, sunny '; found as sb in hus-hleow, 'house-shelter.'
The variants are somewhat puzzhng ; in the last qu will stand for
w, as in old Scots.
Lewisham (Surrey). O.E. chart. Liofshema. ' Enclosure of ' some
man with a name beginning Leof- or Lex)fw-. There were many
such. See -ham, ' enclosure.' But Levisham (Yorks) is Dom.
Lewe-, Levecen, where the ending is prob. a corrupt loc, ' at
Leoveca's/ a known name; cf. Hall am and -ham, also next.
Lewston (Pembrokesh.) is 1324 Lewelestoun, prob. ' Leofweald's
town.'
Lewknor (WaUingford), Dom. Levecanol, -chanole, 1154-89 Leo-
vecachanoran (inflected), 1178 Levechenore, -eckenore, 1224
Leuekenor. ' Shore, bank of Leofeca/ only one in Onom. ; O.E.
era, 'bank, edge'; cf. Windsor, etc. The -ol(e) in Dom. is but
another instance of its constant confusion of the liquids.
Lexden (Colchester). Dom. Laxendena, 1157 Pipe Lexeden(e).
' The den ' or 'dean of Leaxan.' Cf. Laxmeld and O.E. chart.
Leaxanoc.
Leybubn (Yorks). Pom. Leborne. c. 1330 Leyborne. Prob. ' shel-
tered brook,' O.E. hleo, ' protection, shelter,' 4-6 le, 7 ley, lay, our
word ' lee ' ; it is not recorded as an adj. till c. 1400. Cf. Libbery
(Worcestersh.), 972 chart. Hleobyri, ' refuge, shelter town.'
Leyland (Preston). Dom. Lailand, 1140-49 Leilande. O.N. Idg-r,
early M.E. lah, 3 laih, Sc. laigh, ' low land.'
Leyton (Essex) . ? Dom. Leiendune. ' Town on R. Lea.' Leyton-
stone seems modern.
Lichtield. Bede Lyceitfeldensis, a. 900 O.E. vers. Liccetfelda,
c. 800 Nenyiius Licitcsith, 803 chart. Liceidfeld; O.E. Chron.
731 Licetfelda, 1053 ih. Licedfelde, c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Lichfeld;
perh. also a. 700 Rav. Geogr. Le(c)tocetum, and c. 800
Nennius Cair Luit Coyt, mod. W. caer llwyd coed, ' fort in the
grey wood.' This, however, was prob. near Welshpool. The
popular derivation, 'church-yard,' lit. 'field of corpses,' fr. O.E.
lie, 4-5 liche, fails to explain the early f. But lic-cet-feld is O.E.
for ' corpse-hut-field,' field with the mortuary, O.E. cete, ' a cot,
a hut,' as in Datchet, Watchet, etc.
Lickey Hills (BniMrNGHAM) . 1330 Leckheye. W. llechQU, pron.
leckay, plur. of llech, ' a flag or flat §tone/ G, l^ac^
LIDFORD 345 LINCOLN
LiDFORD or Lydford (Bridestowe, Devon). 997 O.E. Chron.
Hlidaford, 1018 cliart. Lidauorde, Exon. Dom. Lidefort, a. 1130
Sim. Dur. Lideforda. ' Ford on B. Lid,' W. lied,' ' broad/
There is no O.E. hlida, whilst hlid means ' a lid ' ; but liye means
'gentle/ which is not impossible.
LiDGATE (Newmarket). Not in Dom. O.E. hlid^eat, 'a postern/
fr. hlid, ' a gate, a lid." Cf. Ludgate and Foxlydiate. There
is a Hlidgeat in 963 chart, re Wasing (Berks).
LiFTON (Devon) . 1157 Pipe Lif tuna, 1283 Lyf ton. ' Town of Leof '
or ' Leof a ' ; common in Onom. Dom. Has only Levestone. Cf.
Kirk Levinqton.
LiGHTHORNE (Warwick). Dom. Listecorne {Dom. scribes hated a
combination like ght), 1252 Lychtehirn, c. 1300 Liththorn,
1327 Lighttethume, O.E. leoht thorn or thyme, ' light thorn.*
? Thorn-bush with a lamp hung on it. But Duignan derives Light-
wood (Cotheridge) fr. O.E. hlith, M.E. lith, lyth, ' a slope, a hill-
side.'
LiLLESHALL (Newport, Salop). Dom. Linleshalle. It is difficult
to say what name is represented here. There is one Lunling
in Onom. But Dom. may be in error, and the man's name be
Lilla, as in next and in Lhjjesleaf (Sc), 1116 Lillescliva,
' LiUa's cHff.'
LiLLiNGTON (Sherborne and Warwicksh.). War. L. Dom. Lillin-
tone, later Liletun. ' Village of Lilla.' Cf. Laleham and 2 Lil-
hngstones in Bucks; also LrLLUNG (Yorks), Dom. Lil(l)inge,
patronymic fr. Lilla. See -ing and -ton.
Limehouse (Stepney) . 1536 Limehowse Reche. Said to be corrup.
of lime-oast, O.E. dst, 4-7 host, 8 ovst, ' a kiln.' Older forms
needed. Cf. Dom. Surrey Limevrde (= -worth).
Limen R. (Kent). Sic 893 O.E. Chron., but a. 716 chart. Limming,
? W. llym, ' sharp, keen,' from the air there. It can hardly be
llyman, ' naked one.' There is also a R. Limin (Hunts), seen in
Limining, old form of Lymage, where -ing {q.v.) wiU have its
meaning, ' place on a stream ' ; -age is usually late and trouble-
some.
Limpley Stoke (Bath) and Limpsfield (Surrey). Not in Dom.
'Meadow, field of Limpa,' an unrecorded man; but cf. Dom.
Norf k. Limpeho (ho ^ ' height ') and Dom. Essex Limpwella ;
also see Stoke and -ley.
Lincoln, c. 150 Ptolemy Lindon; c. 380 Ant, Itin. Lindum;
Bede Lindocolina civitas, a. 900 O.E. tr. Lindcylene; 942 O.E.
Chron. Lindcylene, Lindcolne, 1093 ih. Lincolne; Dom. Lincolia,
Lincolescire ; c. 1100 Flor. Wore. LindicoHnensis ; 1461 Linde-
colnea. In W. Caer Iwydgoed ('castle of the grey wood').
Lindum colonia, says Freeman, is a unique name for England.
As Lindon is found in Ptolemy, it cannot be, as is often said,
23
LlNDISPARl^El §46 LITTLEBUET
fr. O.E. lind, 'lime tree/ but is prob. fr. a Keltic lind, 'water.'
W. llynn, G. linne, ' a pool, a lake ' ; and the name will mean
* Roman settlement by the pool/ Cf. next.
LiNDiSFAHNE 01 Holy Island (Northumberland). Bede Provincia
Lindisfarorum, Lindisfarnenses incolse; a. 800 chart. Lindes-
farona. Doubtful. M'Clure thinks fr. Celt, lind, ' water ' (see
above and next), and, perh., fr. same root as Lombardic fara,
' race, family ' — ' dwellers in the water.' The rivulet opposite
is still called Lind or Lindis. The -fame may come fr. G. fearann,
' land, estate, farm.'
LiNDSEY (Lines). Bede Lindissi; c. 1000 Mljric Lindesig, c. 1190
Oir. Camb. Lindeseia; c. 1300 Lindeseye. Quite possibly this
may contain the same root as Lincoln, and so be ' isle in the
water ■" ; see -ay. But here it is more likely to be ' isle of the
lime-tree, or linden,' O.E. and O.N. lind. Lindley (Hudders-
field) is Dom. Lillai, prob. a corrupt form. But Lindridge
(Tenbury) is Dom. Linde, 1275 Linderugge.
Lineord (Stanford-le-Hope). Not in Dom., but cf. Dom. Bucks
Linforde. This must go with Linton.
LiNKiNHOBNE (Callington, Cornwall). Not in Dom. Said to be
corrup. of Ian tighern, Kelt, for ' church of the King ' or ' lord ' —
i.e., St. Melw, son of Melyan, prince of Devon. One would like
a little more proof of this.
Linton (5 in P.G.). K.C.D. iii. 368 Lin tun, Dom. Yorks Linton,
Devon Lintone. Prob. O.E. lin tun, ' flax-enclosure/ L. linum.
Cf. Eng. Unseed; also Linfobd, Linehill Green, Penkridge,
a. 1300 LynhuU, and Linton (So.)., 1127 Lintun.
LiSKEABD (Cornwall). Dom. Liscarret, a. 1199 Liscaret, -chared,
1474 Leskirde, 1536 Lyscarde. Les-, Lis-, or Lys- is Kelt, for
' court, haU, enclosure ' ; the second part is doubtful, but cf.
W. cariad, ' a lover, a sweetheart,' G. caraid, ' a friend, a rela-
tion.' G. caraid is 'a pair, a couple.' The meaning quite
possibly is ' lover's hall.'
LiTHERSKEW (N. Riding, Yorks). Not in Dom. Lither- is perh.
Eng. adj. litTier, O.E. ly^re, ' bad, foul, pestilential,' while -skew
is fr. O.E. sceaga or O.N. skog-r, ' a wood, a copse.' Cf. Askew,
' ash-wood,' now only a personal name, and Shaw. Lither- is as
likely to be O.E. Icefer, ' any sword-bladed plant.' Cf. Liver-
pool, etc. ; V can become th.
LiTLENGTON (Roystou, Hcrts). c. 1080 Lidlingtone, Litlingtona,
Dom. Lidlintone, 1316 Lutlingtone. ' Village of the LitUings/
or sons of the ' Kttle ' (O.E. lytel) ' man.'
Little Bbedy. See Bridport.
Littlebury (Saffron Walden and Notts). Saf. L. Dom. Litelbyria.
Not. L. Dom. Liteiburg, ' Little burgh.' See -bury.
LITTLE HAY 347 LIVE ETON
Little Hay (Lichfield), a. 1300 Luttelhay, 'little hedge/ or
' fence/ See Hay.
LiTTLEPOBT (Ely). Dom. Litelport. O.E. 'port is rarely fr. L.
porta, ' a gate/ generally as here fr. L. partus, ' a harbour.' The
sea once came right up past here.
Little E-lbston (Wetherby). Dom. Ripestain, -sten, c. 1505
Rybstone. ' Stone of Rippa,' one in Onom. See -ton.
Little Salkeld (Cumberland). 1167-68 Pipe Aide (Old) Sale-
child, 1189 Salekil. The latter part is O.N. kelda, ' a spring.'
Cf. Threlkeld (Penrith) ; the former perh. represents some man's
name in Sele- or Sal-; there are several such in Onom. But it
may be O.E. seel, sal, 4-7 sale, O.N. sal-r, ' a hall, spacious
chamber, castle.' Sale- could hardly represent salt.
Little Snobing. See Snoreham.
Littleton (7 in P.G.). Dom. Surrey Liteltone. ' Little village.'
Littlewob-th (Faringdon, Wstrsh., and Staffs), no old forms in
Duignan, is presumably 'Httle farm.' But L. in S. Yorks is
Dom. Scitelesworde, ' farm of Scytel ' or ' Sceotweald ' ; 1 in
Onom. See -worth.
Litton (Bath, Buxton, Skipton). a. 1067 chart. Hlytton (? Bath),
Dom. Yorks Litone. ' Town on the slope ' or ' hill-side.' O.E.
hli^. But Litton Cheney (Dorset) is 940 cMrt. Lidentune,
' town of Lida '; 1 in Onom.
LrvERMEBE Pabva and IVIagna (Bury St. Edmunds). 'Rushy
lake.' See next. Parva and Magna are L. for ' Little ' and
' Great.'
Liverpool. 1189-99 Leverpol, 11 90-94 Liuerpul, 1222-26 Litherpol,
1229 Leverpul. In W. Llerpwll. Nothing to do with any
imaginary bird called liver. Not impossibly W. llyvr pwl,
' expanse or confluence at the pool.' But it is prob. Eng., mean-
ing ' rushy pool ' ; fr. O.E. Icefer, leber, ' any rush-like or sword-
bladed plant.' See Oxf. Diet. s.v. levers. This is confirmed
by Livermere, also by Larford (Stourport) in 706 chart, (of
really later date) Leverford, and by Leatherhead, Dom. Lered,
which gives the same contraction as W. Llerpwll, whilst in its
mod. form we get a th corresponding to 1222 Litherpol {cf.
Litherskew). W. and H. are confident it is ' pool of Leofhere,'
which is certainly possible, and is confirmed by Leverington ;
prob. also by Leverton and Liverton. Cf. K.G.D. vi. 243
Leofereshagan, near the Thames. But this cannot be the same
as LrvERSEDGE (Yorks), Dom. Livresec and -sech. This last
must be simply (place of) ' rushy sedge,' O.E. soecg, secg, sech,
seic; 1222 Patent R. has a Livredal.
LrvERTON (Newton Abbot) and Liverton Mines (Loftus, Yorks).
Lo. L. Dom. Livreton, Liureton, 1179-80 Pipe Liuerton.
LIZARD PT. 348 LLANDDOGGET
' Village of Leofhere.' Dom. Devon, has only Leovricestone,
somewhere in the S., fr. Leofric, but prob. not Liverton. See
above, Levebton and -ton.
LiZAUD Pt. Dom. Lisart. Corn, lis arth, 'court, hall on the
height.' C/. W. llys, G. lios; also WESTON-imDEii-LizARD.
Llanapan (Aberystwith). W. llan A fan, ' church of St. Afan
Buallt, disciple of St. Padarn, 6th cny., and himself a bp. and
brother of King Dogged. W. llan, O.W. Ian, ' enclosure,' then
' church/ Corn. Ian, Ir. land, lann, G. lann (c/. Lhanbeide,
Sc), is the same root as Eng. land and Bret. Icunn, ' a heath,'
seen also in the Fr. Landes. The earhest instance we have noted
in England is in a Grant of 680 (copy later), to the Abbot of
Glastonbury, B.C. 8. 47 ' Lantocal,' ? = ' church of St. Tecla.'
Cf. Landicle, also Lampeter. In some W. names llan or Ian
is ioiglan, ' a bank,' as in Llanhaithog (Kentchurch, Hereford),
which is prob. Ian haiddog, ' bank of oats.'
Llanabmon (Ruabon) and Llan aemon-yn -Yale (Mold). W. llan
Oarmon, ' church of St. Germanus,' Bp. of Auxerre, sent to
Britain by Pope Celestine, c. 430. Cf. Maes Gabmon. The
yn Yale is better yn lal, fr. ial, ' an open space or region.' Cf.
Yale.
Llanbabo (Anglesea). ' Church of St. Pabo.' Cf. M'Clure, pp. 57
and 59. Pabo Post Prydain was a great warrior, who latterly
became very devout.
Llanbadabn (Aberystwith and Radnor). ' Church of St. Padarn,'
a Breton, companion of St. David. Cf. Llanaean. L. in
Radnor is L. Mawr, ' the great L.'; there are at least 2 others,
Llanbebis (Caernarvon). ' Church of St. Peris,' said to have been
a cardinal sent as a missioner from Rome in 6th cny. Close by
there are Llyn Peris and Llyn Padarn. Cf. Llanbadabn.
Llanbol (Anglesea). Old Llanvol. 'Church of St. Bol.' Cf.
Cors y Bol (' marsh of Bol ') and Rhos y Bol (' heath of Bol ')
near by. The Diet. Christ. Biog. records only a Bolcan, who was
baptized by St. Patrick, and was one of his helpers.
Llancabfan (Cowbridge). c. 1145 Geoffr. Mon. epil. Lancarvan.
' Church of St. Carfan or Corbagni '; said to be corrup. of Ger-
manus, who is said to have built the first monastery in Britain
here. Cf. Llanabmon. The church is now dedicated to St.
Cadoc.
Llandaff. c. 1130 Lib. Land. Landavia. * Church on the Taff.'
Llanddewi (4 in P.G.). 1346 Llandewivrevi, or L. Brefi (Cardi-
gansh). ' Church of St. David,' Bp. of St. David's, d. 601,
patron St. of Wales. Cf. Dewchtjbch.
Llanddogget (Denbighsh.). Founded by K. Dogged, who died
c. 542. See Mabinogion, and cf. Llanafan.
LLANDDUW ' 349 LLANGROVE
Llandduw or -ddew (Brecon), g. 1180 Gir. Camb. Landu. W. llan
duw, ' dark church/ and not ' church of St. David ' or Dewi.
Llandegfajst (Menai Br.). Fr. St. Tegfan, of whom little seems
known.
Llandeilo (Caermarthensh.). c. 1130 Lib. Land. Lanteliau Penn
litgart ('head, end of the grey ridge/ now Llwydabth).
'Church of St. Teilo/ Bp. of Llandaff in 7th cny.; also called
Tiliaus; a very popular saint. Cf. Llanthjo, also Llandeilo
Tref y Cernyw {Lib. Land. Cemiu), where the latter part means
' house of Cornishmen.'
Llandovery (Caermarthen) . c. 1550 Leland Llanameueri. In
W. llan ym Ddyfri, ' church beyond or among the waters.'
Llandeindod Wells. W. = ' church of the Trinity.' It was
dedicated in 1603.
Llandudno. 'Church of St. Tudno,' son of Seithengu; he was
a W. saint early in the 6th cny.
Llandyssul (Cardigan). Lib. Communis Llandowssuld, -dussuld.
See St. Issell's, and cf. Llandyssil (Mont.).
LLANELLA.N (Colwyn Bay). Here also is Elian's Well. Elian
Geimiad was a saint of 6th cny.
Llanelly (Caermarthen and Brecknock) . Caer. L. 1788 Llanelhw.
From St. Elliw, granddaughter of Brychan of Brycheiniog.
There is also a Llanelieu (Breck.).
Llanerchymbdd ( Anglesea) . This has nothing to do with church,
though there has long been a church here. It is W. llanerch
y medd, ' forest glade or clearing where they drank mead.' Cf.
Lanark (So.).
Llanfair (8 in P.G.). 'Church of Mary,' the Virgin. Such
churches show the rise of Latin influence. Cf. Builth.
Llanfihangel Din Sylwy (Anglesea). The first part is ' church
of the Archangel' (Michael). The second seems to mean 'on
the hill of the wide view,' fr. syllu, ' to gaze.'
Llangadoc (Caermarthen). 1285 CZose -R. Lancaddok. 'Church
of St. Gadoc,' c. 500, who lived on an islet in the Bristol Channel,
but d. in Brittany. Cf. Caradoc.
Llangefni (Anglesea). 'Church on R. Cefni,' prob fr. W. cefn,
' a ridge.'
Llangollen. ' Church of St. Collen/ son of Gwynawc, abbot of
Glastonbury, and then an austere hermit; 7th cny.
Llangovan (Monmth.). Fr. St. Cofen, of whom httle seems known.
Llangrove (Ross, Herefd.). A post-oflS.ce and ignorant local
corruption. In all old documents ' Long grove,' which exactly
describes the place as seen from a distance.
LLANGRWYNEY 350 LLANTWIT MAJOR
Llangewyney (Crickhowell) . 1603 Owen lion y grwyne. ' Church
of Grewyn.' But who was he ? ? Gwrwan or Gurvan, bp. of
Llandaff, who excommunicated Tewdwr, K. of Dyfed.
Llangynidb (Crickhowell). It has an Eng. form Kender church ;
' church of St. Gynidr/ or in O.W. Lanncinitir. The saint was
of the 5th cny. Also old Lannicruc, W. llan y Crug, ' church at
the heap or barrow.'
Llanillty (Glamorgan), c. 1150 chart. Landiltwit, c. 1350 ib.
Launlltwyt. ' Church of St. IlUyd/ or Iltutus, orig. a Breton
knight, who came over to the court of K. Arthur, and nephew
of St. Gannon. Cf. Ilston and Llai^twit. Llantyd (Pembroke)
gives the same name in a contracted form.
Llanoveb (Monmouth). 'Church of St. Govor' or Gower, a W.
saint, of whom little seems known.
Llanehian (Pembroke), c. 1190 Gir. Camb. Lanrian. * Church of
St. Rhian,' who seems unknown. Can it be fr. Reafhun or
Hrethun, abbot of Abingdon and bp. of Leicester, who died
c. 835 ?
Llansatntfeaidd (Monmouth). 'Church of Saint Bride/ or
Bridget of Kildare, 453-523.
Llanstadwell (Pembroke). Sic 1594, but c. 1190 Gir. Camb.
Lanstadhewal. W. llan ystad hywel, ' church of the conspicuous
stadium or furlong,' which seems a curious name. More ex-
planation is needed. Cf. St. Tudwall's I., Caernarvon.
Llanstinan (Letterston, Pembroke). Sic 1594. 'Church of St.
Justinian/ said to have come fr. Brittany to Wales in the time
of St. David.
LLANTH02«ry (Abergavenny), a. 1196 Gir. Camb. Lanthotheni. He
also says : * The English corruptly call it Lanthoni, whereas it
should either be called Nanthodeni — i.e., the brook Hodeni —
or else Lanhodeni, the church upon the Hodeni,' now the Hondu,
origin unknown. For change of nxint to Ikm see Nantwich.
The other old forms intermingle with those of the offshoot from
this priory, at Gloucester — 1160-61 Pi'pe Lantoeni, 1221 Laun-
toney, 1223 Lantonay, 1225 Lantoeny.
Llanthjo Ceossekny (Abergavenny). Prob. 1285 Close B.
Lanthelyou, ' church of St. Teiliaw/ of the 6th cny. ; same as in
Llandilo.
Llanteisant (Glamorgan). W.= ' church of the three saints/
— viz., Illtyd, Tyfodwg, and Gwynno.
Llantwit Majoe (Cardiff) or in W. Llanilltud Fawr. ' Church of
St. Illtyd.' Fawr or mawr, ' big,' is the tr. of Major, L. for ' the
greatsr.' There are 2 other Llantwits in Glam., as well as
Llantood (Kernes), Valor. Eccl. Llantwyd. See Ilston and
Llanillty.
LLANWEYNO 351 LONDESBOKOUGH
Llanweyno (Herefordsh.). Fr. St. Beuno, contemporary of
Kentigem, who founded a religious society at Clynnog Fawr,
Carnarvon, c. 616. Eleven churches are dedicated to him.
Llan-y-Gwyddel (Holyhead). 'Church of the (Irish) Gaels.'
Gwyddel lit. means ' dwellers in the forest, or, among the shrubs,'
gwydd. Cf. TRWYN-y-GwYDDEL.
Llithfaen (Pwllheli). ? W. llithr, ' a slide or glide,' and jQPaen, * a
stone.' T. Morgan says llith implies attraction, and that there
is a stone near here of the nature of a loadstone.
Lliw R. (Bala and Loughor). Doubtfully derived fr. W. Uw, ' an
oath.'
Llwydarth (Glamorgan), c. 1130 Lib. Land. Litgart, 1603 Owen
Lloydarch. W. llwyd garth, ' grey ridge ' or ' cape.'
Llyncaws (Denbighsh.). W. = ' pool like a cheese ' ; while LlwyN'-
CELYN (Rhondda) is, 'lake of the holly.' Sometimes llyn
becomes llan, ' church,' as in Llangwathan or Llyn Gwaeddan,
in c. 1130 Lib. Land. Luin Guaidan. This is perh. Gwarthan, who
helped to establish the monastery at Bangor Iscoed, 6th cny.
Llyn Cyri (Cader Idris). W. 'pool of the cauldron or Corrie';
cyri is hardly a Welsh! word, yet see Cyki.
Llyn-yb-afrangc (pool on R. Conway). W. = ' pool of the
beaver.'
Llysfaen (Abergele). W. ='hall, court made of stone.' W.
and Com. maen, here aspirated ; /= v or mh.
Llys Helig (now a sandbank oj5 Conway) . ' Palace of Helig,'
now submerged. He was a great Cymric lord of the Middle Ages.
LocKiNGTON (Derby and Beverley). Dom. Yorks Lochetun,
Lecheton. Cf. Dom. Essex Lochintuna. ' Town, village of
Log,' 1 in Onom. Cf. next. See -ing and -ton.
Lock's Bottom (Orpington, Kent). A bottom, O.E. botm. is 'a
low-lying valley.' Cf. Ramsbottom. Lock is the O.E. name
Log, and is still a surname, Cf. above, 1158-59 Pipe Loches-
wella (Wilts), and Loxwood.
Lofthouse (Pateley Br. and Wakefield). Dom. Lofthuse, -tose.
Lot- and Loct -huse. ' House with an upper room or garret,'
O.N. and O.E. loft. This name has also become Loftus, in
the same county.
Lolworth (Cambridge). Chart. Lulleswyr^, Lollesworth. Dom.
Lolesuuorde, 1284 Lulleworth. ' Farm of Lull' Cf. Lulworth
(Dorset). The patronymic is seen in Lullington (Burton), and
Dom. Kent Lolingestone.
Londesborough (Mket. Weighton). Dom. Lodenesburg, 'Burgh
of Lothan or Lothen,' both in Onom. The o has been nasalized;
whilst Dom, regularly makes medial th into d. See -burgh.
LONDON 362 LOSTOCK GEALAM
London, c. 100 Tacitus Londinium, c. 360 Amm. Marcell. Londinium
vetus oppidmn quod Augustam posteritas appellavit ; c. 610 E,
Saxon coin Lundx)nia, a. 810 Nennius Cair Londein. O.E. Chron.
457 Lundenbyrig (=Londonburgh), c. 1175 Fantosme Lundres,
c. 1250 Layamon Lundene, but * Frensca Lundres heo hehten ' ;
1258-1450 Lunden, 1298 London, a. 1300 Mabinogion Lwndrys
(q.v. p. 89, Everyman's Libry., for an early legend re the origin),
c. 1460 Londyn ; also 1140 O.E. Chron. Lundenisce f olc. Commonly
derived fr. a Keltic Ion din, ' marsh or pool with the fort,' W.
llyn, ' pool, lake,' G. Idn, ' a marsh,' and W. din, G. diln, gen. d'Ain,
' a hill, a fort.' This is quite possible. W. J. Watson identifies
it with So. LxTNDiN and the commoner Lundy, G. lunndan, ' a
green spot,' strictly ' green, wet place,' fr. a nasahzed form of
lod, ' a puddle,' which he thinks is prob. same root as Lutetia
Parisiorum. If so, it is very remarkable that both London and
Paris should originally have names practically the same. The
Saxons, at any rate, early made Lon- into Lun-, which, in pron.,
it has remained ever since. For this there is abimdant analogy.
The sound is retained in Fr. Londres. Cf. Ludgate and Ltjne.
LoNGMYND Range (Salop), c. 1285 Testa de Neville Foresta de
Longe Munede. The -mynd seems W. mynydd, ' hill ' : the
name may be a hybrid and the Long- be the common Eng. adj.
O.E. lang, long. But Oxf. Diet, mentions a doubtful O.Ir. or
Keltic long- in combinations, also meaning ' long.' But cf.
Mtjnet, andMiNDTON. Longdon (Upton-on-Severn) is 972 cliart.
Langdune, ' long hill.' Long Eye (Bromsgrove) is 972 chart.
Longaneye (dat.), ' long island.' See -ey. Longthwaite
(Cockermouth) may be translation of Longoviciimi in c. 400
Notit. Dignit. See -thwaite.
LoNGNOR (Buxton, Shrewsbury, Leek, and Penkridge). Pen. L.
Dom. Longenalre, 1223 Langenalre, 1327 Longenolre. Le. L.
a. 1300 Longenorle. Sh. L. a. 1300 Longenholre, Langenalre,
Longenolre, Longnore. O.E. lang alor, air, ' long, tall alder -tree.'
LoNGNEE-on-Sevem is also the same. Longboro' (Moreton-in-
Marsh), Z)om. Langeberge, is ' long tumulus.' See Barrow ; whilst
LoNGNEY (Gloster) , 972 chart. Longanege, is ' long island.' See -ey.
LoNGSDON (Stoke-on-T.) a. 1300 Longesdon. ' Hill of Lang ' or
' Long,' which have always been Eng. personal names. See -don.
LoNGSHip (off Land's End). 1667 ' the rock called the Longship.'
LoppiNGTON (Shrewsbury). Dom. Lopitone. ' Town of Loppa ' or
' Loppo,' both in Onom. Cf. South Lopham (Thetford), 1225
Luppeham.
LosTOCK Gralam (Nantwi6h), Lostock Hall (Preston). Pres, L.
1205 Lostok, 1296 Loes, -Lestok. Wyld thinks fr. an unre-
corded O.E. hlos, same root as lot, O.E. hlot; and so perh. ' place
where lots used to be cast; 'O.E. stoc, stocc, lit. ' a block or stake
stuck into the ground.' Cf. Hlosstede {B.C.S. iii. 449) and
LOSTWITHIEL 363 LOWESTOrT
Loscombe (both Dorset). This is doubtful. In Dom. Surrey
we have Losele, which rather suggests ' mead of ' an unrecorded
man ' Losa,' though it may be ' lot-nook.' See -hall. Gralam
was son of Hugh de Bunchamp, c. 1080.
LosTWiTMiEL (Cornwall). Pron. Los-withi-el. 1485 Lestwithiell,
1536 Lostuthyell. Many absurd derivations have been given.
It is quite simple. Com. lost withell, 'rump of the lion/ referring
to the shape of a hill here. Cf. Withiel.
LoTHBUBY (London), c. 1515 Cock Lorells Bh. Lothe bery.
' Sheltered town/ fr. O.E. Ueow\, 1554 lothe, ' shelter, warmth.'
Cf. L. Lothing, Lowestoft, and Louth. But, as we already have
Lothingland in Dom., see Lowestoet, Loth- may well be the
contracted form of a man's name.
Lothersdalb and Lothersden (Craven). Dom. Lodresdene, 1202
Lodderesden. A Lothewardus, or Lodewardus, or Erothweard
was Abp. of York c. 925-930. See -dale and -den.
Lothingland (Suffolk). Dom. Ludingalanda, 1158-59 Pipe Loinge-
land, 1237 Patent B. Luddinglond, Ludingeland, 1459 Lodyng-
lond. ' Land, territory of the sons of Luda ' or ' Loda.' See -ing.
Loughborough. Dom. Lucteburne, and -burg, 1298 Luhteburge.
Possibly this may be the same name as Lothbury. Or more
prob. fr. a man's name, ' burgh, castle of LuTita ' or ' Luhha,' the
latter a known form. See -borough.
LouGHOR (Gliamorgan). Possibly c. 380 Anton. Itin. Leucaro. . In
W. Cas Uywchyr. The Cos is said to be for castell, and llwchyr
a word for a lake = G. loch. There is a lakelike expanse of water
here, and a R. Llwchwr or Llychwr. Certainly W. llwch is ' pool.'
LouND (Lowestoft and Retford). Dom. both Lund(a). Re. L.
1302 Lound. O.N. lund-r, ' grove, wood.' But possibly, fr.
phonetic reasons, same as hum or lound, ' calm, sheltered
place '; also of N. origin. See Oxf. Diet. s.v. Lund (Beverley),
Dom,. Lont, 1179-80 Pipe Lund, is the same name. Cf. Dom.
Lines Lund.
Louth (Lines) . Dom, Ludes, 1154-65 c^arf. Luda.' Croxden Chron.
re 1210 Percolude — i.e., ' park of Louth,' 1225 Louth. Perh. fr.
O.E. hlud, 'loud,' 'noisy place.' Much more likely, O.E.
Meow]>, 1554 lothe, now in dial, lewth, ' shelter, warmth ' ; and
so, 'sheltered, warm place.' The letters d and th very often
interchange in old charters, through Norm, scribes.
LowDHAM (Notts). Dom. Ludha, c. 1170 Ludam, 1302 Loudham.
(It is near Ludcerce in Dom.). 'Home of Luda or iJude,'
several in Onom.
Lowestoft. Dom. Lothuwistoft, later Lowistoft, Loistoft. 1455
Leystoft, c. 1600 Camden Lestoffenses. The curious Dom. form
must represent ' toft ' or ' field of HlotTiewig,' a name found as
that of a port reeve in Kent, B.C.S. 1212, same name as that of
LOWESWATER 354 LUDGATE
the famous K. of the Franks, O.Ger. Chlodwig, Ger. Ludwig,
Fir. Lewis or Louis. This name exactly suits the phonetics of
all the forms given above. Tojt is O.N. to^t, N. toft, tuft,^ ' a
homestead, a house-site, a holding.' L. Lotlung, Dom. Lothing-
land, beside Lowestoft, shows us a patronymic fr. Hlothewig, with
its ending dropped, as often happens. Cf. Closworth.
LowESWATER (Cumbld.). 1189 Laweswater. Perh. 'water, lake
of HlcBwa'; 1 in Onom.
LowTHEB R. (Westmorland). Perh. connected with O.Ir. lothur,
' canalis,' Bret, laouer, ' a trench.' Cf. Sc. Lauder and Lowther.
LowTHORPE (Driffield). Dom. Loghetorp, Logetorp, 1161-62 Pipe
Leu-, Luitorp, 1179-80 Luuetorp. Prob. fr. low adj., early M.E.
Uh (O.N. Idg-r), 2-3 hh, la^e. ' Low-lying village.' See -thorpe.
Oxf. Diet, has no example of low, a. 1150.
LoxLEY (Warwick, Uttoxeter, and Sheffield) . Wa. L. Dom. Loches-
lei, 1151 Lochesle. Ut. L. Dom. ib., a. 1300 Lockesleye. A
Warwick chart, of 985 also speaks of ' Locsetena gemsere,'
' boundary of the Loc dwellers or settlers,' here in gen. pi. Cf.
Dorset, etc. This is ' meadow of Loc.' Cf. next, and 1161-62
Pipe Locheswell (Wilts). See -ley.
LoxwooD (Billingshurst). Not in Dom., but cf. Exon. Dom.
Lochesbera, where bera is ' wood.' Perh. 'wood of Loc' There
is one Loc, and there are two Lucas in Onom. Cf. Lock's
Bottom and above.
LucKER (Belford). 1152 Lucre. This must simply be N. loeck-r,
' a brook,' a very rare type of name in Northumberland. Cf.
Leckford and Leek.
Ltjdchurch (Narberth, Pembroke). 1353 Londeschirch, 1377
Londchirch; but in Myv. Archaeol. Yr Eglwys Lwyd, ' the grey
church.' The w is a common intrusion in the early spellings,
due to the nasalizing of the wot u sound, a proceeding not rare.
Some hold that Llwyd means ' the adorable, the blessed one.'
Ltjddington (Stratford-on-A. and Garthorpe). St. L. c. 1000
chart. Ludintune, Dom. Luditone, a. 1100 Ludintime. Ga. L.
Dom. Ludintone. ' Village, town of Luda.' Cf. Ltjtton and
947 chart. Ludanbeorh (Wilts). There are also Ludborough,
Louth, and Ludham, Gt. Yarmouth, sic 1262.
LuDGARS- LuDGERSHALL (Andover, Aylesbury, Gloster). An. L.
a. 1200 Lutgershal. Ay. L. 1232 Close R, Lutegare-, Lutte-
gartshal. Gl. L. 1220 Lutegares-, 1280 Letegareshale. ' Nook
of LeodgcBr, Liutger, Ludegar,' the name occurs in many forms.
See -hall.
Ludgate (London). Sic 1585. It may possibly, though not prob.,
be O.E. hlidgeat, 6 lydyate, ' a postern, a swing-gate, a gate
between meadow and ploughed land.' Lydiate Lane (Hales-
owen) is a. 1300 Nonemonnes Lydegate, 'no man's gate.'
LUDLOW 366 LUXULYAN
But c. 1145 Geoffrey Monm., c. 1205 Layamon, and a. 1300 The
Brut tell that Lud or Lhidd was a British king, brother of
Cassibelaumis, and that London was called from him Caerlud;
also that he was buried near this gate which now bears his name,
called in the British language Porthlud, and in Saxon Ludesgate.
Good authorities hold that Lludd was a Celtic deity. See, too,
Mahinogion (Everyman's Libry.), p. 89.
Lttdlow. Not in Dom., unless it be one of the Ludes — i.e., Lud's
(place), there; 1223 Patent R. Ludelawe, 1497 Ludlowe. In W.
Llwydlo. ' ffill of Lud.' See Ltjdgate and -low.
LurwiCK (Northants). O.E. Chron. 675 (late MS.) Lufgeard,
which is ' yard, court of Lufa/ 2 in Onom. But Dom. Luhwic,
1166-67 Pipe LufEewich, fr. O.E. wic, 'dwelling.' Of. K.C.D.
iv. 288 Lofintune, prob. Northants; and Luffenham (Stamford),
1166 Luffenha.
LuGQ R. (Leominster) . c. 1097 Flor. Wore. Lucge. Perh. connected
with W. llwch, ' a lake, a pool.' As likely this is another case
of river-worship. A god Lugus, li. Lug, seems to have been one
of the ancient deities of the Kelt, family. Cf. Carlisle. For
Ltjqwahdine 1233 Patent R. Lugwurthin, on this river, see
-warden — i.e., ' farm.'
LxTNDY I. (Bristol Channel). Not in Dom. Doubtful. May be
same as Sc. Ltjndy; see London. This scarcely suits the
site, so prob. Norse lund-ey, ' puffin island,' N. lunde, Icel. lundi.
See -ey. For Lund see Lound.
Lune R. (Lancaster and N. Yorks). Lan. L. prob. c. 150 Ptolemy
Alona; also see Lancaster. Said to be fr. a Keltic lounx),
' mud ' ; on Keltic Ion and lod, see London.
LusTON (Leominster). Dom. Lustone. 'Town of Lusa.' Cf. 940
chart. Lusebeorg (Wilts) and Lustleigh (Newton Abbott); the
latter prob. fr. a man Lustwine; 3 in Onom.
Luton (Beds and Chatham). Bed. L. sic a. 1199, but Dom. and
1157 Loitone, 1155 Pipe Luitune. Prob. 'village, town of
Lulia,' a name in Onom. But Lutley (Staffs), c. 1300 Lutteleye,
and Lutley (Halesowen), Dom. Ludeleia, is ' mead of Ludxi ' or
' Luta.' Lutley may be fr. O.E. lyt, 3-4 lut, 3-5 lute, ' little,' as
in Luthebury, old form of Littlebury (Saffron Walden) .
Lutterworth (Leicester). Dom. Lutresurde; also Lutrington
(Co. Durham), 1183 Lutringtona. This must be ' farm ' and
' village of Lutter ' or ' Luther,' or ' Lutter's descendants ' ; but
there is no such name in Onom., only one Lothewardus, also a
Leutherius or Hlothhere. See -ing, -ton, and -worth.
LuTTON (Yorks, Oundle, and Wisbech). Dom. Yorks Ludton; not
in others. ' Town of Luda ' or ' Lud.' Cf. Luddington.
LuxuLYAN (Lostwithiel). Sic 1536 ; also called Lan Sxh^ian.
Said to be corrup. of Corn. Lan lulian, ' church of St. Julian ';
LYDBURT NORTH 356 LTNDHURST
which of this name is doubtful. There are 115 Julians in Did.
Christ. Biogr. It is now dedicated to Julitta ; hence the parish
of St. Juliot, Cornwall. The story of Juhtta and her child
Cjrric was very popular, and St. Basil wrote in praise of her.
Lydbtjby North (Salop). Dom. Lideberie. Prob. ' Lida'a burgh.'
See Lydney and -biiry. But Lydeaud St. Lawrence (Taun-
ton) seems to be fr. a man Lidgeard. Dom. Lidegar, 1285
Lydeyarde. Cf. 963 chart. Lidgeardes beorge, re Wasing,
Berks. Only, of course Lidgeard will itself mean ' Lid's yard '
or ' garth.' LYDBROOK-on-Wye is a. 1300 Luddebrok, and there
is a Dom. Glouc. Ludebroc ; perh. fr. a man Lydda ; but Baddeley
suspects the first part to be a pre-Saxon river name.
Lydd (Kent). 774 chart. Hlid; later, Lyde, Lide. O.E. hlid, ' a
cover.'
Lydpord (N. Devon). See LroroRD.
Lydiard. There are places of this name at Wootton Basset and
Swindon (Wilts). Dom Lidiarde, Lediar, also Lydeard St.
Lawrence (Somst.), and Bp.'s Lydeard (Taunton). Dom.
Lidiard, Lediart. 1224 Patent R. Lidiard is in Wilts. The
name might be ' Lida'sjoxA,' or ' enclosure ' (O.E. geard) ; but is
prob. O.E. Ud-geard, ' boat, ship-yard ' — at least in some cases.
Lydnby (on Severn). 972 chart. Lidan ege, 1224 Lideneia, 1230
Lideneya. ' Isle on R. Leden.' See Ledbury and -ey.
Lydstep (Penally, Pembk.). 1603 Owen Ludsopp, ' Lud's place
of refuge.' See Ludgate and -hope.
Lye (Cradley). Old, Leeh, Lyegh, Lyghe, Lye, Lee, which show it
var. of lea, 'meadow.' See -ley. Lye (Glouc.) has similar old
forms.
Lyme Regis. Mentioned in 774. Dom. and 1234 Lym, 1184: Hist.
Selhy Luma, which last suggests a possible derivation fr. O.E.
leoma, 'a ray of hght, a flash, a gleam ' ; 4 lewme, lime, lym.
But both here and in N. Staffs there is a R. Lyme, the latter
a. 1200 Lima (other forms see Burslem), which seems to be
simply O.E. hlimme, 'a stream, a river'; and this is quite pos-
sibly the origin of this town too. Regis is L. for ' of the King.'
Lyme received a royal charter from K. Edward I. in 1316, when
it was surrendered to the Crown. Cf. Kjng's Lynn.
Lyminge (Shomchffe). 804 chart. Limming, Dom. Leminges.
Doubtful; prob. patronjrmic. There are two namedXwmngr in
Onom. Cf. next ; and see -ing.
Lymington (Hants). Not in Dom. c. 1450 Fortescue Limyngton.
The man's name here is prob. Leofman, var. Leman and Low-
man. Cf. above, and see -ing.
Lyndhurst (Hants), a. 1100 cAar^ Lindhyrst, which is O.E. for
' forest, wooded place with the limes or lindens.' Cf. Lyndon
LTNNE 357 MAER
(Warwk.), a. 1300 Lynden, possibly fr. O.E. lin, 'flax/ as
in Lyncroft (Lichfield). See -den and -don.
Lynne or Lymne or Lympne (S. Kent). 77 Pliny Limnus, c. 150
Ptolemy Portus Lemanis ; Dom. Lymne, 1392 Linne. Prob.
Kelt, linn, ' pool, lake'; but for Lemanis c/. Lomond (Sc.) and
L. Leman or L. of Geneva. Lynn (Lichfield), however, is
c. 1300 la Lynd, Lynde, O.E. lind, ' the linden ' or ' lime-tree.'
Lytham (Preston). Dom. Lidun. Prob. loc. of O.E. hli'6, 'on
the slopes or hiU-sides.' Cf. Hallam, Ktt.wam, etc.; also
Lythe (N. Yorks) , Dom. Lid. The Lyth (Ombersley) is the same.
Mablethorpe (Lines). Dom. Malb'torp. 1202 Mapertorp, Mau-
pertorp, Mautorp, 1318-1469 Malberthorpe, 1591 Mabberthorp.
An interesting corrup., ' village of Malber/ or some such name.
The nearest in Onom. are Marbert and Mcethelheorht or Madalbert.
See -thorpe.
Macclesfield. Dom. Maclesfeld, 1297 Makelesfelde, 1503 Maxfeld.
Looks like ' Matchless, peerless field,' fr. wakeless, a. 1225 make-
lese, ' matchless,' fr. O.E. gemaca, ' a peer, equal, match, a
make.' There seems no name in Onom. which would yield
Makele, but Malton (Cambs) is 1282 Makelton; and so it is
prob. derived from a man's name, as all analogy suggests.
Machynlleth ( Aberdovey) . W. ma Ghynlleth, ' field of Cyn Ueith,'
in Geoff r. Mon. Kinhth map Neton. (7/. Mallwyd (Merioneth),
field of Llywd '; Manest, ' field of Nest,' etc.
Mackney (Wallingford). 957 chart. Maccanige, 1428 Mackeney.
' Island of Macca.' See -ey.
Madehurst (Sussex), not in Dom., and Madeley (Salop and Staffs).
Sa. M. K.C.D. iii. 123 Madan leage, Dom. Madelie. St. M.
975 chart. Madanlieg. Cf. Dom. Suss. Medelei. ' Wood ' and
' meadow of Mada '; O.E. hyrst, ' a wood ' ; and see -ley.
Madeley Uleac (Uttoxeter) is named fr. its Saxon possessor
in Dom.
Madingley (Cambridge). Dom. Madingelei, 1284 Maddingele.
' Meadow of the descendants of Mada.' Cf. above, and Mad-
dington (Wilts) ; and see -ley.
Madley (on Wye, Hereford), c. 1130 Lib. Landav., pp. 323, 324,
Madle, q.v., W. mad lie, 'good place.' Though, of course, some
will hold it must be the same as Madeley.
Madresmeld (Worcester), a. 1200 Medeleffeld, 1275 Madresfelde.
Skeat thinks, ' Mceth-here's field ' ; Dom. regularly writes th as d.
Madron (Penzance). Fr. St. Maiernus of Treves, in Chaucer
Madryan; also Medhran, disciple of St. Piran or Kieran.
Maer (Newcastle, Staffs). Dom. and later Mere, O.E. for 'mere,
lake.'
MAES GAEMON 358 MALTBY
Maes Gaumon (Mold). W.= ' (battle)field of St. Oerman,' Bp. of
Auxerre, France, who came to Britain in 429. We find a
'Maisbeli' as early as c. 1145 Geoff r. Monm. ? = MAESBUBy
(Oswestry). Cf. Llanaemon.
Magor (Newport, Mon.). W. magwyr, 'a wall"; also found in
Cornwall as Magor and Maker, old Macuir.
Maidenhead. 1297-98 Mayden heth, c. 1350 Magdenhithe, 1538
Maidenhedde. ' Maiden's hythe ' or ' landing-place ' — i.e., one
very easy to land at, fr. O.E. hydde, later AytS, ' a haven, a land-
ing-place.' Cf. Hythe. Maiden Castle (Dorchester), not in
Dam., is claimed as a Keltic name, which is quite unlikely.
The Maiden Castle is Edinburgh, found c. 1150 as ' Castellum
puellarum.' Dorset also has Maiden Newton.
Maidstone. Dom. Medwegestun; 1245 Patent B. Maidenestan;
later Meddestane, Maydestan, which will mean ' rock ' rather
than ' town on R. Med way," though its W. name is said to be
Caer Meguaid or Medwig, ' fort on the Medway.' See -ton.
Malden (Kingston, Surrey). Dom. Meldone, prob. ' sword hill ' or
'dune,' O.E. dun; fr. O.E. mcel, 'sword, mark, ornament.'
This wiU be the root also of Maldon (Essex), 993 O.E. Chron.
Maeldiin, 1472 Maiden, rather than O.E. mdl, 3 male, 'tax,
tribute.' But cf. Christian Malford. A man Mai, or the
like, seems implied in such names as Malshanger and Mals-
worth. See Birchanger and -worth.
Malham (Leeds). Dom. Malgon, -un. These are clearly old
locatives of the common Yorks Dom. type. But there seems
no O.E. word to give us malg- ; mcele, mele, ' a cup, a basin,'
seems the nearest — ' among the cup-shaped hollows.' But, then,
the g must be an error. See -ham.
Malling, South (Sussex). Sic 838, a. 1200 MeUinges, 1288 Contin.
Gervase Suthmallinges. Patronymic. Cf. Melling.
Mallwyd (Dinas Mawddy) . W. ma llwyd, ' grey plain ' or ' district.'
Maimesbfry. Bede v. 18, Monasteriimi qnod Maildulfi urbem
nominant, O.E. vers. Maldulfesburh, 940 chart. Matelmesburg,
1015 O.E. Chron. Ealdehnesbyrig ; but, in latest MSS., Meal-
delmesbyri, where the M. prob. stands for In. Cf. Inhrypum=
RrpoN. Dom. Ecclesia Malmsburiensis, c. 1097 Flor. Wore.
Malmesbyriensis, c. 1160 Gesta Steph. Malmesbiria. ' Burgh of
Maldulf,' 7th cny. abbot and teacher here. He was succeeded
by Ealdhelm ; hence arose a very curious confusion.
Mat.p as (Chesh. and Truro). Former pron. Morpus, latter Mohpus.
Same as the Fr. Mauvais pas (O.Fr. malpas), or ' bad path,'
alongside the Mer de Glace.
Maltby (Rotherham). Dom. and 1179-80 Maltebi, 1442 Mauteby.
Perh. ' Malt town,' O.E. and O.N. malt, north dial., etc., mwut.
But more likely it is ' dwelling of Malte,' 2 in Onom. Mallt is
W. for ' Matilda.' See -by.
MALTON 359 MANNINGTEEE
Malton (Yorks). Dom. Maltun, Contin. Sim. Dur. ann. 1138
Maaltun, 1202 Melton. Doubtful. Might be 'malt town'
(c/. Maltby), but prob. ' tax, tribute town/ O.E. mdl, 3 male.
See Maldbn. However, Malton (Cambs) is 1279 Malketon,
1282 Makelton, and may come fr. the same man's name as is
prob. seen in Macclesfield.
Malvern. Dom. Malferna, Ann. Wore. 1085, Major Malvernia
(' Great Malvern ') fundata est per Alwium ' orEaldwine, 1156
Ptjje Maluerna, 1362Maluerne,W. moeZg^iuerw, ' hill of alders,' or
' hill over the moor or plain.'
Mamble (Wore). 957 chart. Momela (gen. pL). Dom. Mamele.
Keltic mam, ' round, rounded,' G. mcLm, ' a round, breastlike
hill'; the ending is uncertain. C/. Mambeg (Sc).
Mamhtlad (Monmouthsh.). c. 1130 Lib. Landav. MamheiUad.
Cf., in same book, Mamilet forest (Herefordsh.), evidently the
same name ; and also Manchester. Mam will mean ' round,
rounded ' ; and there is a W. heledd, ' a salt-pit ' ; but the name
seems more likely to be W. maen heiliad, ' stone, rock for the
serving [of liquor],' referring to some custom now forgotten.
Man, I. OF. J. Ccesar Mona, c. 77 Pliny Monapia, c. 150 Ptolemy
MovaptVa, v.r. MovaotSa (former = Movdnva, Nicholson, and same
as Ptol.'s Mava7rto6, near Wicklow), Bede Mevaniae Insulse, a. 810
Nennius Eubonia, id est Manau, 1000 O.E. Ghron. Mon ege
(=Mona's Isle), c. 1110 Orderic Insula Man; in Manx Eilan
Mhannin. Doubtful. Earle thought 0. Kelt, man, ' a place.'
Cf. Akemanchester, old name of Bath, Akeman Street, Ayles-
bury, and Manchester.
Manacles (rocks near Lizard). Corrup. of Corn, men, mcen eglos,
' rocks of the church,' perh. fr. the Church of St. Keverne on
the high ground behind.
MANCETTER(Atherstone). 1251 Mancestre. An old Rom. station,
and = next. See -caster.
MIanchester. c. 380 Ant. Itin. Mancunio, v.r. Mamucio; 923
O.E. Ghron. Mameceaster; Dom. and on to 1421 Mamecestre.
Perh. a hybrid, ' round hill camp ' (see Mamble and -Chester) ;
but it may be fr. Kelt, man, maen, ' stone.' Cf. above and
Mansfield, and Maumbury Rings, Dorchester.
Manea (March) . This,, says Skeat, must be ' Manna's isle,' as it
once was an island. Cf. Manley (Warrington) and Manton
(Marlborough) ; and see -ey.
Mangotsfield (Bristol). Dom. Manegodes felle. ' Field of Man-
god, Mangold, or Managolt,' all forms in Onom.
Manningtree. Not in Dom. ' Tree of,' Mann, Manna, Manne,
Manni, Manno, Mannig, or Manning. All, except the two last,
common names in Onom. Cf. Braintree, Oswestry, etc. ; and
see -ing.
MAN or WAR 360 MARCHAM
Man of Wab (rock, Scilly) . Corrup. of Corn, men, maen an vawr, run
into one word, Menavawr or Menawore, ' big rock/ C/. Manacles.
Manobbiee (Pembrokesh.). c. 1188 Gir. Camb. says it is ' Mansio
Pyrri/ manor, estate, mansion-house of a man Pyrr. Cf. Caldy.
Some think the ending is the N. boe-r,' dwelling' (see -by), and
so the name a tautology. Cf. c. 1130 Lib. Landav. Mainaur
Garth Benni, and Manob fabon, ' manor of Mabon/ Cmrthnsh.
Note, W. mcenor, ' district,' has nothing to do with Eng. manor.
Mansebgh (S. Westmorld.). Dom. Manzserge. 'Hut, shiehng of
Mann/ here a proper name. On -ergh see Anglesabk. Cf.
Manston.
Mansfield (Notts). Dom. Mamm-, Mamesfelde, 1162-65 cTiart.
MamefEellt, 1189 Pipe Mamefeld, 1278 Man'efeld, Maunsfewd,
1291 Mannesfeld. Difficult. It is on R,. Man or Maun, which
may be a back formation, but not certainly, for we get it 1300
Mainesheued {in prob. error for m), 1332 Mammesheued, ' head
of R. Mam.' It may then be 'field on the Man, Maun, or
Mam,' which according to. all analogy will be Kelt., either W.
mamn, 'a bog,' or, transferred by some ignorant Saxon fr.
some neighbouring hill, and so fr. warn, now only in G. mdm,
maim, ' a low, rounded hill, like a mamm€, or breast.' But it
may be fr. some man, unrecorded in O.E.; cf. Mammendorf,
Bavaria, Mansfeld, Saxony, and Manchesteb.
Manston (W. Riding and Sturminster Newton). Dom. Yorks
Maines-, Manestun. ' Town of Man, Mana, or Mcena,' all in
Onom. Cf. Mansebgh.
Mapledtjbttam (Reading). 1217 Patent R. Mapeldureham. We
have mapuldur as O.E. for 'maple-tree' as early as c. 725
CorptLS Gloss. Cf., too, Maplebobough (Alcester), Dom. Mapel-
berge, 940 cJiart. Mapildore (Wilts), and 1282 Close R. Mapel-
treham (Chesh.) ; also Maplebeck (Notts), Dom. Mapelbec, and
Dom. Kent Mapledescam. See next, and -ham.
Mapledubwell (Basingstoke). Grant of a. 675 Mapeldure — i.e.,
' maple-tree.' Cf. the name Rowantree, and above.
Mappleton (Hull and Ashbourne) . Hu. M. Dom. Mapleton. ' Town
of a man called Maple,' O.E. mapel. Men are often called after
trees — Ash, Birch, Beech, etc. It may be fr. the tree alone.
Mabazion (Penzance). 1250 Marhasgon, 1309 Marhasyon, 1313
Marhasion; c. 1470 Markysowe, Marchasyowe, c. 1540 Leland
Markesju, 1595 Marghas-iewe (often to-day Market Jew — a
curious example of popular etjrmology). The name is Corn.
marhas Diow (fr. De Yew), ' market on Thursday.' But Diow
must have had an older form Dion.
Mabcham (Abingdon). B.C. 8. iii. 427 Merchamme, Dom. Merce-
ham. ' Enclosure,' O.E. hamme, ' on the march or boundary,'
O.E. mere, mearc. Mabch itself is c. 1080 Merc, 1169 Merch.
MAECHINaTON 361 MAKLBOEOUGH
Cf. next. But the cognate Eng. march is O.Fr. marche, first in
Eng. c. 1290 in ' The Marche of Walis/ Cf. Mauk and Mark-
ham (Notts). Dom. Marcham.
Marohinqton (Uttoxeter) . 951 chart. Msercham, 1004 Mercham-
tune, Dom. Marchamtone, a. 1300 Marchynton upon Nedwode.
' Town with the house on the march ' or ' boundary/ between
Staffs and Derby. See above and -ing.
Makden (Hereford). Dom. Mawrdine, 1232 Close B. Maw-, Mau-
worthin. ' Farm of '? perh. Jlfaw, one in Owom. See -warden.
Margate. 1225 Patent B. Meregate; also Mergate; prob. 'road/
O.E. geat, ' by the mere ' or ' lake ', now drained. For e become a
cf. Derby, pron. Darby. Cf. Mahfleet (Hull), Dom. Mereflet,
' river by the mere.' See Fleet.
Mark (Highbridge), Mark Beech (Eden Bridge), etc. O.E.
mearc, Anghan were, 2 marc, 4- mark, ' boundary, frontier,
Hmit, later, landmark.' Cf. 847 Grant (Dorset), on merce
cumb, and Marcham. Markyate (Beds) is ' the boundary
gate ' between Beds and Herts.
Market Deeping (Peterboro') . a. 1100 Grant of 664 Depingge,
c. 1200 Gervase Diepinge. There seems no Eng. sb. ' deeping '
or ' dippimg ' which will suit ; but cf. ' Depenbech ' in Cheshire
Dom., now Malpas. There seems no helpful name in Onom;
but see -ing as denotiug a place on a stream. The ' Market ' in
all names with this prefix seems a late addition, though New-
market goes back to the 12th cny.
Market Harborough. Not in Dom. a. 1300 Haverberg, 1517
Harborow. The Oxf. Diet, says = Market Harbour {q.v., s.v.).
But a. 1300 shows this cannot be; it must be fr. Dan. havre,
' oats.' See Havbrford and -burgh. Harberrow (Hagley) is a.
1200 Hardberwe, a. 1300 Herdeberue, O.E. hierdan beorge, ' herds-
man's barrow or burial mound ' ; also cf. Harberton (Totnes) .
Market Weighton (Yorks). Pron. Weeton. Dom. Wicstun.
1298 Wighton, Wyhton, Wyghton. From some man; Weah,
Wigheah, and Wiht are possible names in Onom. Dom. regularly
changes guttural ch or gh into 5^
Markington (Leeds). Dom. Merchintone. 'Town of Mearca,'
not in Onom., or, of one of the many names in Mearc-.
Marks Tey (Colchester). J. H. Bound has shown that Marks in-
volves the name of the village of March, Pas de Calais, borne
by AdeloLf de Mark, owner of Marks Tey district in Dom. So
this name means ' Mark's paddock,' O.E. tih, teah, teag. Cf.
Great Tey.
Marlborough. Dom. Marleberge, 1110 O.E. Chron. Mserlebeorg,
1158 Merleb'ga. Marl, O.Fr. marie, is not found as an Eng. word
till 1372, nor merle, ' blackbird,' till 1450. So this is prob.
' Barrow, tumulus of Mcerle/ short form of Mo&rleswegen, 4 in
24
MAELEY 362 MAKSTON
Onom. Cf. Dom. Wore. Merleberg. Marl Cliff (Wstrsh.),
c. 872 chart. Marnan Clive, later Maranclive, Mearnanclif , a. 1790
Mar Cleeve, is ' marble cliff/ fr. O.E. marma, here perh. rather
with its meaning ' stifE clay/ which is the meaning of O.Fr.
marne, marie. Maelewood (Thornbury), in its old forms, 1221
to Leland, is always Morle-, and so prob. fr. O.Fr. morele, ' night-
shade/ found so spelt in Eng. fr. c. 1265.
Mabley (Bingley) and Marley Hill (Swalwell, Durham). Sw.
M. 1183 Merleia and Bin. M. 1202 Merlegh, which is prob.
' meadow by the mere ' or ' lake.' 0/. Maklow, etc. But
Marley (W. Riding) is Dom. Mardelei, Merdelai, prob. ' marten's
mead/ O.E. meai%. Dom. regularly makes th into d. Cf.
Martley.
Marlingford (Norwich). Dom. Merlingeforda, 1161-62 Merlingef'-,
1454 Marlyof erthe, 1482 Marlyngf orthe. ' Ford of Merlin/ or
perh. of his descendants. See Caermarthen and -ing. The
-ferthe or -forth'e for -ford {q.v.) is due to Norse influence.
Marloes (Milford Haven). Tax. Eccl. Malros, 1603 Owen Marlasse.
Evidently =Melrose (Sc), O.W. masl rhos, ' bare moor.'
Marlow (Maidenhead). Dom. Merlawe. 'Hill by the lake or
mere/ O.E. mere, 2-3 mcere, 4 marre, 5 mer. Cf. Marley and
Martin. See -low.
Marown (I. of Man). Named fr. St. Buny or Ronan, Bp. of Sodor
A.D. 600. Ma- is the common Kelt, endearing prefix, ' my own/
Marple (Manchester). Not in Dom. Prob. corrup. of merc-
pool, or ' pool, lake at the boundary.' See Marwood.
Marr (Doncaster). Dom. Marra, 4 times, Marie once (error).
Perh. fr. mar sb. ' a hindrance, obstruction,' found first in Oxf.
Diet, in a. 1300 Cursor Mundi, fr. O.E. merran, ' to mar.'
Marrick (Richmond, Yorks). Dom. Marige, Mange {n for ri).
Prob. ' isle in the mere.' Cf. Margate; but -ey {q^.v.) is rarely
seen as -ick.
Marsham (Norwich). Dom. Marsam. Cf. B.C.S. 496 Msersaham.
Perh. ' home of Mcersa.' See -ham. On marsh see next.
Marston Moor (Yorks) is Dom. Merstone, prob. fr. same name.
Marske (2 in Yorks). Dom. Mersc, Mersch. O.E. merisc, mersc,
' a marsh.' Seen also in Little Marsis (Yorks) Dom. Parvo
Merse, and Pickering Marishes, Dom. Oudulvesmersc, etc. But
Baddiley derives Marshfield (Box), Dom. Meresfelde, fr. a
man Mcerwine.
Marston (12 in P.O.). Warwk. M. c. 1000 Merston juxta Avonam,
Dom. Mers(e)ton, two, also near Penkridge ib., 1327 Mershton.
Glouc. M. Dom. Merestune. Cf. 774 cMrt. ' Mersctun,' (Ro-
chester). ' Town, dwelHng by the marsh'; O.E. mersc, mcersc,
merisc, 4 merss, 5- marsh. Cf., too, Dom. Meresberie (Salop).
Duignan gives 5 Marstons in Warwksh. alone.
MARTIN 363 MATLASK
Mabtest (Lines, Dover, Salisbury). Sa. M. (prob. 871 O.E. Chron.
Meretune), Dom. Mertone, 1227 Meretone. ' Town on the
mere.' See Mae-low ; and c/. Merton. Martin (Notts), Dom.
Martune, on the borders of Yorks, is prob. O.E. mearc tun,
' boundary town.' Marton (7 in P.G.), Dom. Lines Martone,
Yorks Martun, -tone, 21 times, Mereton 4 times, may not
always be the same. That near Leamington, 1327 Merton,
seems to be; but in 1179-80 Pijpe Yorks we have a ' Mareton,'
which might be fr. O.E. mare, 'a goblin' (c/. nightmare). In
1157 Pipe Cheshire we have a ' Monte Martin,' prob. fr. St.
Martin of Tours, dth cny.
Mabtletwy (Pembksh.). 1603 Owew Marteltwy. The first part is
corrup. of W. merthyr, ' a martyr,' the second doubtful.
Martley (Worcester). Dow. Mertelai. 1275 Mertelee. No likely
name in Onom., nor can it be fr. mart, ' market,' or mart, ' an
ox' (see Oxf. Diet., s.v.), so prob. 'meadow of the mart,' dial,
name of the marten, O.E. mear^, mer'6. Cf. foumart and
Marley (W. Riding) ; see -ley. But Marthry (Pembk.) c. 1130
Lib. Land. Mathru, some thiak to be W. mai or ma thru,
' field of woe ' {tru). Prob. it is fr. Merthyr.
Marwood (Barnard Castle), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Marawude. Mara-
is doubtful. It may represent a proper name clipped down. C/.
Onom. under Mar-, Marc-, Mear-, Mearh-. Prob. it is fr. O.N.
mura, O.E. mare, ' a gobhn.' Gf. nightmare.
Mary-le-bone (London) . 1742 St. Mary at the Bourne, or brook —
i.e., the Tyburn. The Cockney has caused the liquid r to
vanish.
Maryport. Where, or near where, Q. Ilary landed in her flight
from Scotland, 1568; but till 1750 called Ellenfoot.
Masborough (Rotherham). Not in Dom. Prob. contraction of
' Mcessa's, ' or ' Masso's burgh ' ; both forms in Onom. Cf.
next, andMaisemore (Glouc), 1221 Meismore, later Meyesmora,
which is prob. ' Mceg's moor ' ; one in Onom.
Masham (Yorks). Sic 1296, but Dom. Massan. Prob. as above,
' Jf assa's home'; only Dom.'s form will be an irregular
loc, such as Dom. Yorks is full of, ' at Massa's.' Cf. Hal-
lam, etc.
Mathern (Chepstow). Addit. Lib. Land. Martharne, -erne, later
Matharn; prob. W. ma theyrn, ' field of the king or lord ' {G.
tighearn), and not fr. merthyr, ' martyr.'
Mathon (Gt. Malvern). Dom. Matma, 1275 Mathine, a. 1500
Mathan. O.E. ma^um, mu^m, ' a precious thing, a valuable
gift '; m and n easily interchange. C/. JIedomsley.
Matlask (Norfolk). Dom. Matelasc. 1453 Matelask. Curious
name; looks like O.E. mcete, 'small, poor, bad,' and lisk, a M.E.
MATLOCK 364 MEDWAY R.
word of prob. Scandinavian origin, a. 1200 lesske, 5-6 lasJce, ' the
flank or loin.' Cf. next.
Matlock. Not in Dom. ? O.E. m^te loca, ' small enclosure.' C/,
PoBLOCK and above. But Matford (Berkeley) is c. 1270 Math-
ford, whilst Matson, same shire, is c. 1121 Matesdona, 1199
Metteresd', showing that this is for ' Mcethhere'a down.' See -don.
Mattishall (Dereham). Dom. Mateshala, 1484 Mateshal(l)e.
' Hall ' or ' nook of Mata/ See -hall.
Maughold Hd. (I. of Man). St. Maughold was chief of an Irish
band of robbers converted by St. Patrick and, next to St. Ger-
man, patron saint of the Isle.
Maxinby (Thirsk). Dom. Mannebi, Mannesbi, 1202 Magnebi, 1204
Mageneby. ' DweUing of ' some man with a name in Magen- or
Msegen-. There are many in Onom., Msegenfrith, Msegenheard,
etc. It can hardly be fr. the simple Mann, as in Manseegh, etc.
See -by.
Mayfield (4 in P.G.). Ashbourne M. Dom. Madevelde, a. 1300
Mathelefell, Matherfield, a. 1400 Mathefeld, Mayfield. Prob.
O.E. mcethel felda, ' field of the meeting ' or ' council.' Of.
K.G.D. 1339 Metheltun. Old forms needed for the other names ;
not in Dom. They may be fr. may, ' the hawthorn/ found so
used a. 1548. Meaburn (E. Oambld.) is 1120Maiburn; ? meaning.
Mayeord (Woking). 955 chart. Mse^^e forda. ' Virgin's ford.'
O.E. ?W0B3tS or mce^eb, ' a maid, a virgin.'
Meas-, Meesden (Herts), a. 1300 Mesdune. O.E. meos dun,
' mossy hill.'
Mease E.. (Derbysh. and Warwick) and Mees R. (Staffs). O.E.
meos ; O.N. mose, ' moss,' found in Eng. c. 1639 meese, and still
in S.W. dial, meesh. So, ' mossy ' river. Measham (Ather-
stone) is Dom. Messeham, and Mill Meese (Stone) is Dom.
Mess, a. 1400 Mulneme(e)s, which gives us the old forms of both
river names. Cf., too, Measden and Missenden.
Medmenham (Marlow). Dom. Medemeha. 'Home of prob.
' Moethhelm,' one in Onom. Dom. regularly makes th into d,
and liquid I easily vanishes. Cf. next.
Medomsley (Co. Durham) . 1211 Madmesl'. Prob. ' Meadow of the
valuable gift,' see Mathon; it is found in c. 1200 Ormin. in pi.
as Tnaddmess. If a man's name be preferred, it may be found in
Mceldomen or Meldum, var. of Mailduf, or in McBthhelm, as
above. See -ley.
Med way R. a. 1000 chart. Msedw8e3a, 1016 O.E. Chron. Medew8e3a,
a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Meodewage, 1215 Mag. Chart. Medewaj^e.
Perh. O.E., fr. mcBd, ' a meadow,' and waga, ' deep waters '
(M'Clure) . But some think, W. med gwy, ' water, river which is
extended or full.' Cf. R. Wey and Maidstone.
MEED HAM 365 MELTON
Mebdham (Rochester). 774 chart. Msedham. 'Home on tHe
ineadow '; O.E. moBd, ' a mead '; though Dom. Kent Meddestan
suggests a man's name. See -ham. Meeth (Devon) may also
be fr. meed, but is doubtful.
Meerbeook (Leek). ' Brook on the boundary '; O.E. mcsre ; M.E.
moer, mer. Of. 1241 Newminst. Chart. Usque ad Merethorne.
But Meresbbook (Sheffield) and Dom. Meresbroc (Salop) may
be fr. O.E. mere, ' a lake." Cf. 940 chart. Mserhlinc, Wiley
(Wilts), ' links at the boundary.' Meering (Notts), Dom. Mer-
inge, is a patronymic.
Meieord (Welshpool) . Prob. W. mai fod, aspirated fr. bod, ' field
with the house or hut in it.'
MELBOTJRisrE (Cambs, Derby, and E. Riding). Cam. M. chart.
Meldebume, Dom. MeUebume, 1661 Fuller Meldebum. * Brook
of Melda.' Cf. Meldreth. De. M. Dom. Milebume (3 times),
Somerset Meleburne. There are also 1157 Pipe Meleburna
(Northumberland), and another in 1158 in Wilts. But M., E.
Riding, is Dom. Middelbume, Midelbome, ' middle brook.' Cf.
Melton. See -bourne.
Meldreth (Royston, Herts), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Meldrethe,
Dom. MeLrede. ' Melda'a enclosure.' See Melbourne, and
Shepreth near by.
Melksham (Wilts). Dom. Melchesha, 1155 Pipe Melchesham, 1223
Melkesham. ' Home of Melc,' or the like. No such name in
Onom. See -ham.
Melltng (Carnforth). Dom. Mellinge. Cf. Malling. Prob. a
patronymic.
Mellis (Eye, Suffolk). Dom. Melles, and Mells (Frome), ? Dom.
Mulle. Cf. Dom. Melas and Mele (Chesh.). W. melys, ' sweet,' is
not Kkely; prob. all are fr. O.N. mel-r, *a sandbank,' also 'bent
grass.' Meals or miols are the common name for * sand-dunes '
on the shores of Norfolk, Lanes, etc. See Oxf. Diet., s.v. meal
sb^. Cf. Melford (Sc.) and Meols. Duignan thinks Melly
(Halesowen), a. 1200 Melley, to be a form of mill, O.E. mylen,
1 myll, 4-6 melle ; if so the -ey must be a dimin. Cf. Mtlwich.
Mellor (Blackburn and Stockport). Not in Dom. W. maelawr,
* a place of traffic,' cf. Maelor, a hundred in Flint, is conceiv-
able. But prob. , O.N. mel-r, 'a sandbank,' or 'bent grass.'
The N. nominative ending r seldom survives in a name.
Melmerby (E. Cumberland and N. Yorks). Dom. Yorks Mai-,
Mehnerbi ; 1202 Tories Fines Melmorbi. ' Dwelling of Melmor ' ;
one is known in the days of K. Eadred, c. 950. See -by.
Melsonby (Darlington). Dom. Malsenebi. 'Dwelling of some
unknown man, perh. Mcerleswegen or Merleswain. See -by.
Melton (Brough, Yorks, and Woodbridge) . Dom. Yorks Medeltone
— i.e., * middle town.' M. Constable (King's Ljnm), Dom.
MELVERLEY 366 MEOLE BRACE
Meltuna, was held under the Bps. of Thetford by their hereditary
constables, the de Lyons or de Meltons. Little Melton (Norwich)
is Dom. Meltun parva. M. Mowbray, Dom. Medeltun, is called
after the family who once held lands here. Roger de Morihray,
or Mouhray, is on the Roll of Battle Abbey (1066, or later),
c. 1175 Fantosme Munbrai, 1179-80 Pipe Molbrai, a. 1200 Wm.
Newbury Monbrai ; origin doubtful. There is a Mowbray south
of Silloth. Some of the Meltons — e.g., in Norfolk — may possibly
be as in Mellis, ' village on the sand-dune.' Cf. Dom. Surrey
Meldone. Meltonby (E. Riding) is Dom. Meltebi, ' dwelling of
Melte ' or ' Malte '; 2 in Onom. The n is sign of the gen. Cf.
Meltham (Huddersfield).
Melverley. See Milverton.
MJELYNLLYiir (Llaurwst). W. 'yellow lake'; W. felyn, 'yellow,'
unaspirated. Cf. DimFERMLiNE (Sc).
Menai Straits (Bangor) . There is a Menei in Taliessin, but the name
here seems to date only from the construction of the great bridge.
It is supposed to be W. main gwy, ' narrow water ' or ' strait.'
Mekdham (Harleston). Dom. Mendaham. Cf. 1179-80 Pipe
Mendham (Lanes) . This must be ' home of Menda/ an unre-
corded name. See -ham.
Mendip Hills (Somerset), a. 1100 cMrt. in Wm. Malmesb. Mons
Munidop, 1284 Close R. Munedep, 1290 chart. Menedipp.
Prob. not fr. W. mynydd ; Corn, menit, menyth, ' a hill.'
' Munidop ' prob. means, ' enclosed land in a privileged district ' ;
see Minety and -hope. Menith Wood, Lindridge (Wore), is
1718 Meneth, but a. 1300 Menhey wood, so that the mod. form
must be corrupt.
Menheniot (Liskeard). 1536 Menhynyott. Corn, maen hen Neot,
' old rock of Neot,' eldest brother of K. Alfred. Cf. St. Neots.
Menston (Leeds). Dom. Mersintone. 'Town of McBvsa'; gen.
-san. Cf. Marsham. The liquid r has disappeared !
Mentmobe (Leighton Buzzard). Dom. Mentemore. It looks Kelt.
= W. mynydd mawr. Corn, menit meur or mur, 'big hiU.' Cf.
Mendep and Penmaenmawr. There is no name like Mente in
Onom., but an origin fr. O.E. minte, 3-7 mente, ' mint,' any plant
of the aromatic genus Mentha, is quite possible, and so * mint
moor.' Duignan derives Monmore (Wolverhampton) fr. W.
mawn mawr, ' great bog,' but it is 1327 Monnemere, which must
mean ' lake of Monne, Monna,' or ' Monn,' all fairly common
names in Onom.
Meole Brace (Shrewsbury), Meols (Wirral), and Meols Cop
(Southport). Dom. Salop Melicope, Melela. Prob. not fr. W.
moel, ' a conical hill,' with Eng. plur. s, but fr. O.N. mel-r, ' a
sand dune,' a 'meal.' See Mellis. AsMielle it is common in
Channel Is. Brace is a mining term for 'the mouth of a shaft,'
and Cop is O.E. cop, copp, ' top, summit.'
MEON R. 367 MERTHYR TYDVIL
Meon E. (S. Hants), and Meonstoke (Bp's. Waltham). 932 chart.
To Meone. Thought to contain the same root as Bede's province
of the Meanuari, O.E. vers. Meanwara, ' dwellers in Mean/ We
can say no more. SeeSTOKE. There is also Meon (Glouc), 1164
Muna, 1221 Meen, which must be the same.
Meopham (Gravesend). 940 chart. Meapeham, Meapham; Dom.
Mepeham. ' Home of Mmpa/
Mepal (Ely). 1302-1428 Mephale. 'Nook or corner of Meapa/
Cf. above and -hall.
Mere (Wilts and Knutsford). Wilt. M. Dom. Mere, Mera; 1155
Pipe Mera. O.E. mcere, ^emcere, ' a boundary, a landmark,'
or else mere, ' lake ' ; these have often been drained of recent years.
Meriden (Coventry). 1398 Muridene, 1440 Meryden, c. 1550
Alspathe, alias Myredene. Prob. not ' merry vale,' but fr. miry,
4-6 myry, 6-7 myrie, 6 myerry, 7 merie, fr. mire ; O.N. myrr, 4-6
myr, 4 mure, muyre, 'boggy, swampy ground.' Cf. Mtreield
and the name Merry lees. See -den. Merry Brook, Cropthome
(Wore), may have a similar origin.
Merioneth. Named after Merion, grandson of Cunedda Wledig;
the -eth or -ydd is an enclitic particle, with no very clear
meaning.
Merriott (Crewkeme). Dom. Merret. [? cf. 859 chart. Meritie
stret to Senfeling forde.] Perh. ' island in the lake ' or mere,
fr. AIT {q.v. in Oxf. Diet.), 2-8 eyt,, ' island.'
Mersea (Essex) . 895 O.E. Chron. Meresig ; O.E. = ' isle in the mere '
or 'lake'; Dom. Meresai. Cf. Dom. Mersse (Salop), Merse
(Bucks), and Merestone, now Merston (I. of Wight); also
Merstowa (Somerset), 1231 Patent R. See -ea.
Mersey R. a. 1100 Mserse. Doubtful. Prob. 'river of the
boundary,' from O.E. {ge)mcere, ' boundary, march,' and Sa, i,
1-3 ce, ' river.' The Mers- may be fr. ' marsh,' O.E. mersc,
rtherisc. Cf. Dom. Cheshire Mersham, also name of a village near
Ashford, and 1179-80 Pipe Mershon (Yorks). Cf., too, the
Mearse (Bromsgrove), ? * the boundary,' of which name there are
no old forms; and see Mersea and Merstham.
Merstham (Bed Hill and Ashford). Red. M. Dom. Merstan. Prob.
' stone at the boundary '; O.E. moere (gemcere) stan ; -an easily
becomes -ham {q.v.).
Merthyr Tydvil or Tydeil. W. for ' martyr Tydvil.' She was
daughter of Brychan, Keltic chief in S. Wales in 5th cny. With
her father and brother she was murdered here, and a church
was erected in her memory. Cf. Merthyr Cynog (Brecon).
C, son of Brychan, was murdered by the Saxon pagans. The
same root is prob. found corrupted to Marthrey (Pembrk.), c. 1130
Lib. Land. Marthru, Mathru; c. 1190 Qir. Camb. Martru^
MEETON 368 MIDDLESEX
Merton (Surrey and Dolton, Devon). Sur. M. O.E. Chron. 755
Merantun, is ' town of the mare '; O.E. mere, -ran ; Dom. Mere-
toni. Other Mertons — e.g., Dom. Devon Mertone — will be=
Mabton.
Messingham (Brigg). Sic a. 1100 clmrt. A patronymic, as shown
by Messing (Kelvedon). There is one monk Messa, gen. -san,
in Onom. Cf. Great Massingham (King's Lynn), 1179-80 Pipe
Mesington (Yorks), and K.C.D. 721 Msessan wyrth. Also cf.
Missenden.
Mesty Croft (Wednesbury). Prob. 'field, little farm of Meste.'
Cf. Dom. Derby Mestesford.
Methley (Leeds). Dom. Medelai. As Dom. for Middleton is
Medeltone, this is prob. 'middle meadow,' the Meth. being
influenced by O.N. mith-r, 'mid.' Cf. Middop ('mid hope,'
q.v.), Craven; Dom. Mithope; and Dom. Yorks ' Mith Hundret '
— i.e., ' Middle Hundred.' See -ley.
MEXBOBOUGH(Rotherham). Dow. Mechesburg. Prob. 1202 7or^
Fines Merlns-, Morkisburg ; 1206 Merkesburgh. ' Burgh , fort of,'
it is not certain what; perh. some name in Mearc- or Marc-, if
the latter identification be right. But if Dom. is right, then fr.
some man Mecca, Mecco, or Mecga, aU names in Onom. See
-boro'.
Micheldever (Winchester). Dom. Miceldevre. Looks like O.E.
micel, * great ' ; Sc. muchle ; and Kelt, dever, ' water, river.'
Cf. Dover. There is no river nearer than the Itchen. Cf.
1322 ' le Mikeldor de Yowberg ' (Wastwater), and 1160-61 Pipe
Hants Micheldene. There is another Micheldean, old Muchel-
dene (Forest of Dean).
MiCHELNEY or MucHELNEY (Somerset). Dom. Michelniu, a. 1130
^m.I>Mr.Micelnei,c. \\\4: O.E. Chron. M.jGld.m^Q. O.E.= ' great
island,' O.E. ij. The n is the accus. inflexion.
Mjckleby (Yorks). Dom. Michelbi. Mickxeham (Dorking) . Dom.
Michelham. Micklethwaite (W. Riding). Dom. Muceltuoit,
-tuit, 1202 Fin^ Micle-, Mikelthwaite. Mickleton (Campden,
Glouc). 1005 chart. Micclantun, Dom. Muceltune; whilst
M. (Yorks) is Dom. Micleton. All fr. O.E. micel, micle,
mycel, 'great'; in Sc. muchle. See -by, -ham, -thwaite, and
-ton.
Middlesborough. <S'icl586. Prob. 'ilfai7(Zw/'s town.' C/.Malmes-
bury; and see -borough. But, of course, Middleham (Yorks),
Dom. Middelha', is ' middle house,' and Middlewich
(Chesh.) the same, though, by a scribe's freak, Dom. spells it
Mildest vie.
Middlesex. 1011 O.E. Chron. Middelseaxe, 1087 ih. Middelsex.
' Land of the Middle Saxons.' Cf. Essex, Sussex, Wessex.
MIDDLETON 369 MILWICH
MiDDLETON (21 in P.G.). Tamworth M. Dom. Mideltone, King's
Lynn M. Dom. Middeltona, etc. Cf. Milton. We findMidel-,
Middeltun, 19 times in Yorks Dom., whilst Middleton (Morley)
is Dom. Mildentone, ' town of MiUa.' Cf. Melbourne.
Mtdgham (Berks). K.C.D. iii. 193, 196 Mieghsema gemsera; Dom.
Migeham, 1316 Migham. Cf. 1161-62 Pipe Migehal close by.
' Home of the midges ' ; O.E. mycg, micg. See -ham.
MiDGLEY (Luddenfoot, Yorks). Dom. Micleie. O.E. micel, ' great
ledge ' and Uah, ' meadow.' Migley (Co. Durham) 1183 Migleia,
is prob. the same name. Cf. Mitcham. The dg is palatalized c,
cf. Badgeworthy.
Mildenhall (Suffk. and Marlbro'). Suf. M. Dom. Mildentune and
Mitdenehalla {t for I), 1158-59 Pipe Mildehala. Ma. M. Dom.
Mildenhalle. ' Comer of Milda/ one such woman in Oiiom.
See -hall.
Miles Platting (Manchester) . Miles is presumably a man's name.
Platting is ' a small foot-bridge.' See Oxf. Diet. (s.v.).
MiLFORD Haven, c. 1190 Girald. Milverdicus portus (harbour),
c. 1425 Melyford, c. 1450 Mylford, 1593 Millford Ha von. Milford
is prob.= MELroRD (Sc), 'sandy bay' or 'fjord,' N. mel-r, 'a
sand-dune' or 'sandbank/ and fjord. Cf. Waterford. The
-icus, c. 1190, is adjectival. There was a Rhyd y felin, or 'ford
of the mill/ only a mile away, but this cannot be the origin of
the present name. North Milford (Tadcaster) is Dom. Mileford,
' ford at the mill '; O.E. mylen and myll.
MiLLBANK (London). Sic a. 1560.
MiLLiNGTON (Yorks). Dom. Mileton, 1206 Fines Milington. ' Town
of Mile ' or ' Milo '; 4 of the latter in Onom. See -ing.
MiLLOM (S. Cumberland). Old forms needed. Perh. mill-holm, a
* holm,' O.E. and Dan. holm, O.N. holm-r, is a small island in a
river, and also a flat meadow near a river or the sea, easily
flooded.
Milton (20 in P.O.). Some of these are prob. 'mill-town,' but
M. Kent or Essex is 893 O.E. Ghron. Middeltun, c. 1120 Henr.
Hunt. Middletune. Milton Abbey (Dorset) is also old Middle-
tune, so is Milton (Cambs), while Milton (Abingdon) is Dom.
Middeltune, 1291 Middelton, c. 1540 Milton. Milton (Cumbld.)
is 1230 Muleton, which is O.E. mylen, 3-4 mulle, 'a mill.'
Milburn (Pontefract) is 1201 Milneburn, or ' mill -brook.' Cf.
Middleton.
MiLVERTON (Warwick and Somerset). Wa. M. Dom. Malvertone,
a. 1200 Melv-, Mulvertone. Som. M. c. 1043 chart. Milferton,
Dow. Milvertone. 'Villagejtownof Jfi^/er.' C/. Mel verley (Salop).
MiLWicH (Stone). Dom. Melewiche, a. 1200 Mulewich. 'Village,
dwelling with the mill.' See Milton and -wich.
MIMMS 370 MISSENDEN
MiMMS (Herts). Dom. Mimmise, 1278 Mjaninys. This is simply
' abode of the Mimmas.' Onom. has only Minna. This is an
abnormal name.
MiNAUD (St. Grerman's). Corn, min arth, ' edge of the height.' Cf.
Miniard (Worcs.), where the central i will be the y of the W.
article. Not the same as Minaiid (Sc).
MmcHnnTAMFTON (Stroud). Dom. Hantone, a. 1300 Munnechen-,
Monneken-, Mynchyn-, Munchun- hampton — i.e., Hampton —
'home-town of the monks'; O.E. monec, munec, here gen. pi.
Cf. Grant a. 675, Menechene Rude or Monk's Cross, on borders
of Hants and Surrey.
MiNDRUM or -DB.IM (N. Northumberland). Old Minethrum, 1324
Mundrum. Seems a curious hybrid and tautology. W.
mynydd ; Corn, menit, ' hill ' ; and G. druim, ' hill-ridge.' Drum
is very common in Sc. place-names, cognate with L. dorsum,
' back.' Cf. next.
Mtndton or MiNTON (Salop). Dom. Munetune. Prob. not hybrid,
' town beside the hill ' (the Longmynds) ; W. mynydd ; Corn.
menit, ' a hill.' But, like Minety (Wilts), not in Dom. and not
in a Kelt, region, it will prob. go with Meend, a name common in
Forest of Dean, 1263 Mihinde, 1281 La Mimede, 1303 Miinde,
now derived by Rev. A. L. Mayhew fr. an O.E. or rather Anglo-
Nor. form of low L. munita, for immunitas, ' privileged district,
one free from seignorial rights.' Cf. Mint (Westmld.), Dom.
Munet, and Munet.
MrNSHULL Vernon (Cheshire). Dom. Manessele, -shale. 'Nook,
corner of Manne ' or ' Man{n)a/ a common name in Onom.
This is one of the very rare cases where -hull is really -hall (q.v.).
Minskip (York). Dom. Minescip. Must be rendered like Inskcp.
MiNSTERLEY (Shrewsbury) . Dom. Menistrelie. ' Church meadow.'
Cf. MiNSTERWORTH (Glouc), 1221 Munstreworthe, and Dom.
Notts Ministretone, now and since 1316 Misterton. See -ley,
-minster, and -worth.
MiNwoRTH (Birmingham). Dom. Meneworde, a. 1200 Muneworth,
a. 1400 Myneworth. No name Mene, Mine known; and O.E.
mene, myne is ' a necklace, an ornament ' ; but there is a name
Manne ; see Minshttll. See -worth.
MiRMELD (Yorks). Dom. Mirefeld, -felt; 1202 Mirfeld; ? 1297
R. Glouc. 520. ' The churche founded in a miry place, called
mury felde ' ; fr. Icel. myrr, myri, ' swamp, fen, a (quag)mire.'
MissENDEN, Great and Little (Bucks). Dom. Missedene and
Missevorde. Perh. ' Vale of Missa ' or ' Messa '; one in Onom.
Cf. Messingham; and see -den. However, they are on a little
R. Mise, which, if not a back formation, is prob.= Mees. There
is also a Misson (Bawtry), Dom. Notts Misne, 1278 Misin,
MITCHAM 371 MOLD
which is prob- an old loc. 'at Missa's,' (place). Missebden
(Glouc), old Musardere, -ader, seems to be fr. a foreign family
of Musard.
MiTCHAM (Surrey). Dom. Michleham, later Miecham, Micham.
O.E. micel Mm, ' large house.' Of. Mickleham, Mtdglby, and
Mitcheldean (Glouc). See -dean.
Mitchell (New Quay). Old Modishole. A curious corruption;
certainly nothing to do with St. Michael. Prob. 'Hole of
Modred,' a Corn, name, also spelt Medraut, and name of K.
Arthur's treacherous nephew. But Mitchel (Wolverhampton)
is 1332 Mucheale, ' great hall ' or ' big nook.' See -hall. Much
in M.E. was used for ' great, large,' as in Much Wenlock.
Mite R. Prob. = Mythe.
MiTFORD (Morpeth). Prob. ' ford at the water's meet.' See next;
and c/. MuTFORD and 940 chart. Myjjford (Wilts).
MiTTON (Blackburn, Warwick, Penkridge, Stourport, Tewkesbury).
St. M. 841 chart. Mjrthun, Dom. Methune, 1275 Mutton. Tew.
M. 964 chart. Myttune, 965 ih. Muctone (c common error for t),
1033 Mytune. Wa. M. Dom. Mutone, a. 1300 Mutton. Pe. M.
Dom. Mui-, Moitone ; also Dom. Salop Mutone. O.E. {ge)mythan
or {ge)mythe, ' junction of streams or roads, waters' meet.'
Penk. M. is at the junction of Avon and Learn. The root is the
same as (river's) mouth. Cf. MrrroRD, Mythe, and Myton;
' also see -ton.
MxKEN (Leek), 1219 Mixne, and Mixenden (Halifax), not in Dom.
O.E. mixen, -ne, ' a dunghill, a midden.' Cf. Mixebne (Winch-
combe), 1300 Blakemixeme (O.E. em, ' house '). See -den.
Mobbebley (Knutsford). Dom. Motburlege, 'Meadow of Mod-
beorht ' ; 2 in Onom. See -ley.
MocHDRE (Conway). W. (and Corn.) moch, pi. of mochyn, ' a sow ' ;
dre must be for W. tre, ' house, shed.'
Modbury (Ivybridge). Cf. Dom. Devon Modlei. ' Burgh of Mod,*
or some of the many names in Mod-. Onom. has one Moding,
the patronymic.
MoDDERSHALL (Stouc). Dom. Modrcdcshale. 'Nook of Modred/
a well-known name. See -hall.
MoELFRE (Menai and Oswestry). W.= 'bald hill'; moil, 'bald,'
like a bald head, hence moel, ' a conical hill.' Fre is for hre, ' a
hill, a brae.'
Mold (Flint) . Mold is contracted fr. mo -alt ; Norm. Fr. Mont haut
or MonthauU. The Norman Roger de Montalto is found here in
1244. L. mons alius means ' high hill.' Cf. Melton Mowbray,
and Montgomery. The na^me prob. is a translation of the
W. name Gwyddgrug, ' conspicuous hill.' Also cf. Hainault.
MOLE E. 372 MONTACUTE
Mole E. (S. tributary of Thames). It is a river that burrows like
a mole ; M.E. mulle, molle ; M.Du. mol. Not found in Eng. till
1398. But Mole Cop, hill, N. Stafford, is prob. tautology; W.
moel, 'a bare, rounded hill'; and O.E. cop, 'a summit/ See
Cassop. It may be Dom. Melicope (Salop).
MoLEswoRTH (Huuts). Dom. Molesworde. ' Farm of Moll '; four
in Onom. Cf. Dom. Essex Molesham, ib. Bucks Moleshov, ib.
Yorks Molescroft ; and see -worth.
#
MoLLAJfTD BoTREATJX (S. Molton). Exon. Dom. Mollanda. Prob.
* Land of Moll ' or ' Mole.' See above. The lords of Bottreaux
lived near Tintagel. Moleston or Molleston (Narberth), 1283
Moylhistonne, may be fr. a man of similar name. Certainly it
can have nothing to do with moles !
Mollington (Banbury and Cheshire). Ban. M. a. 1000 chart.
Mollintun; Ches. M. Dom. Mol-, Muhntone; also K.C.D. 759
Mulantun. ' Town of Moll, Mollo, Mul,' or ' Mula '; several
persons of these names in Onom. Cf., too, Moleswobth and
1179-80 Pipe Molebi (Yorks). But Moilgrove (Pembroke) is
for MaWs — i.e., ' Matilda's grove.'
Molton, South (Devon). Dom. Sudmoltone. 'Town of Moll.'
See above. Exon. Dom. also gives ' Molacota.' Cf. Moulton.
Monks Eleigh (Bildeston, Suffk.). 958 cMrt. Uleyge, 972 ib.
Ulan lege, 990 i6. Illege. 'Mead of Ylla'; one in Onom. Cf.
Illey; and see -leigh.
MoNKSiLVER (Taunton) . Dom. Selvra, Selva. Curious name, prob.
fr. L. silva, ' a wood.' Monk's Ktbby (Lutterworth) is Dom.
Chirchberye or ' Churchbury,' but, through Danish influence,
changed by 1198 into Kjrkebi. See -by. The monks of Anglers
(Normandy) had property here.
Monkton (Jarrow). a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Munecatun. ' Town of the
monks ' (of Jarrow) ; O.E. monec, munec, * a monk.' Cf. Bishop
Monkton and Monkwick (E. Riding), Dom. Moncwic. Oxf. Diet.
does not give the contracted form monk or munc until the 13th
cny. Dom. has the full form in Monechetune or Moor Monkton
(Ainsty), and Monuchetone — i.e., Monkton (Barkston Ash),
whilst another, spelt as last, is Nun Monkton (York) .
MoNMORE. See Mentmore.
Monmouth. Dom. (Hereford) Monemuta. 1298 Monemuthe. 'At
the mouth of the E,. Monnow '; W. Mynwy, ? myn gwy, ' kid
river.' Cf. also W. mawn, ' a bog.' The shire only dates fr.
1536 ; before that it was part of the Welsh region of
Gwent.
Montacute (S. of Somerset). 1160-61 Pipe Monte Acuto. Built
by and called after Drogo of Montacute (' sharp hill ') in Nor-
mandy, temp. Wm. the Conqueror.
MONTGOMERY 373 MORNINGTHORPE
Montgomery. Dom. Castellum de Montgomeri, also Muntgmneri ;
c. 1130 Eadmer de Monte Gummeri, c. 1145 Orderic Mons
Gomerici, Rogerius de Monte Gomerici. ' Hill ' (L. mons, -Us;
Fr. mont) ' of Gomeric/ a Norman; this name is imique as an
Eng. or W. comity name. In W. it is Trefaldwyn, ' house of
Baldwin/ its Norman foimder. His castle was taken by Roger
Montgomery a. 1086, and thereafter called by his name.
MoNTON (Eccles, Lanes) . 1478 Mawnton. Prob. O.E. Mawan -tun,
' town of Mawa '; 2 of that name in Onom.
MooRSHOLM, Great and Little (Boosbeck, Yorks) . Dom. Morehusun,
1179-80 Pipe Morhuse. The Dom. form is an O.E. loc, ' at the
moor houses.' The -holm {q.v.), ' meadow/ must be late. We
have the simple Moor (Wore), Dom. More.
MoRCHARD and Norchard (Forest of Dean). No old forms.
Baddeley thinks the m and n reUcs of the O.E. article, ' at the
orchard'; O.E. cet thcem ortgearde. Dom. has an Orcartone
(Devon), and Exon. Dom. an Orcerdleia. But Morchard Bp.
(Crediton) seems Dom. and Exon. D. Morcet(h), -chet, which
looks like Kelt, for 'big wood'; Corn, wewr, mer ; W. mawr,
' big '; and W. coed, pi. coydd; O.W. cet, chet, ' a wood.'
MoRDEN (Cambs, Wimbledon, and Wareham). War. M. K.G.D.
722 Mordun; O.E. for 'moor hill.' Cam. M. c. 1080 Inquis.
Camb. Mordune, 1166 Mordone, 1236 Mordene, where -dene is
O.E. denu, 'valley.' Cf. Moorsholm, and Moreby (Yorks),
Dom. Morebi.
MoREOAMBE. c. 150 PtoUmy MopuKafjifSr], which would .be Keltic
for ' crooked sea ' or ' bay.' Of. Cjameo (Sc.) and next. But
no other early forms seem known, so this is prob. an antiquary's
name.
MoRETON (10 in P.G.). Wallingford M. 962 chart. Mordun, O.E.
for 'moor hill'; but Dom. Mortune, c. 1290 Morton. Dom.
Surrey has Moriton, Warwick and Glouc. Mortone, while Dom.
Yorks has Mortun 17 times. See -don and -ton.
MoREA Byohan, Nevin, and Waen (all N. Wales), and Moree
(Bridgnorth). Dow. Stafis Morve. W. mor/a, ' a marsh/ W.
bych means ' a wretched being,' and gwaen, ' a plain, a meadow.'
Cf. Nevern.
MoRQAJSfSTOWN (Cardifi). Morgan is Pict. Morcunn; O.Bret, mor
cant, ' sea bright.' Of. Tillymgrgan. The man referred
to here is Morgan Thomas, on whose land the village was
built.
MoRLEY (5 in P.G.). Leeds M. Dom. Moreleia, -lege, Morleia,
' Moorland meadow.' Cf. Morden. See -ley.
MoRNiNGTHORPE (Norfolk). Dom. Maringathorpe. Maringa must
be a patronymic. See -ing and -thorpe.
MOEPETH 374 MOUNTAIN
Morpeth. Contin. Sim. Dur. ann. 1138, Morth path; so not, as
often said, 'moor path,' O.E. pcetS, but 'murder-road,' fr. O.E.
mor^, 4-5 morth, murth, ' murder/
MoR Ros (The Lizard). Corn.= ' sea heath, or moor.'
MoRT Hoe (N. Devon). Dom. Mortehov, c. 1190 Letter in Canterb.
Regist. Moreth'. Prob. as above, ' murder hill.' Cf. O.Fris.
morth, mord, ' murder.' Similar must be Mortham (Yorks),
sic in Dom. and Mortlake. See Hoe.
Mortimer (Reading) . 1258 Mortemer. Fr. Ralph de Mortuo Mari
(' of the Dead Sea '), or Morte mer (a castle and abbey near
Rouen), who came over with Wm. the Conqueror. He is
mentioned in Dom. The ' Dead Sea ' origin is a myth.
Mortlake (London). Dom. Mortelega, -lage, c. 1130 Eadmer
Murtelac. ' Murder lake.' See Morpeth. Not prob. fr. O.Fr.
lac, though lace, ' pond, pool,' is found in O.E., but fr. O.E.
lagu, gen. lage, 3 la^^e, 4-5 laye, ' a lake, a pool.' Cf. Lackford.
Morton. See Moreton.
MoRVTLLE Fell (hill, Kirkby Stephen) . Looks like a reduplication,
' moor ' (O.E. mor), ' fell.' See -feU.
MoRWiNSTow (Bude). 1536 Morwynstow. 'Place,' O.E. stow,
' of Morwine '; one such in Onom. Cf. Padstow.
MoSELEY (Birmingham and Worcester). Wo. M. 816 chart. Mose-
leage, 851 ib. Mosleage. Bi. M. Dom. Museleia. O.E. mose or
meos leah, ' moss ' or ' mossy lea.' Cf. Dom. Bucks Moslei,
Muselai, and Mossley Hill (Liverpool) .
MosTYN (Flint). Prob. 1301 chart. Moston. Can it be W. mws
twyn, ' foul, stinking hillock "i T. Morgan suggests, corriip. of
W. maes ddin, ' field of the fortress.'
MoTTiNGHAM (Eltham, Kent). O.E. chart. Modingahema and
-hamme. ' Enclosure of Moding,' one such in Onom., or ' of the
sons of Mod ' or ' Mot.' See -ing and -ham, ' enclosure.'
MoTTiSEONT (Romsey). Z)om. Mortesfunde. 'Spring or fountain.'
L. fons, -tis, ' of Morta '; one in Onom. Cf. Bedfont.
Moulin Huet (Guernsey). Eng. pron. moohn whet. It is Fr.
for ' mill of the httle grey owl ' ; or, as likely, Huet is dimin. of
Hugh, hence our name Hewett.
MouLSFORD (WaUingford). Chart. Mullesford. 'Ford of Mul or
Mula '; 4 in Onom.
MouLTON (8 in P.O.). Middleton Tyas M. Dom. Moltun. North-
ampton M. Dom. Moltone. Spalding M. 1272 Muleton. ' Vil-
lage of Mula ' or ' Mola.' See above.
Mountain (Bradford and Pembroke). Pe. M. is 1603 Muncton,
' monk town.' Dom. Yorks has many ' Monuchetones,' but
J. H. Turner identifies all with various Monktons.
MOUSE HOLE 375 MUNDESLEY
MousEHOLE (Penzance), c. 1600 iJarew Mowgehole. If the name
has ever been different from what it now is, it is hard to say
what it can be corrup. of. There is nothing like mowge in
Oxf. Diet., nor any spelling of mouse with g.
Mowii Cop (Cheshire). Tautological hybrid. W. moel, G. maol,
' a rounded or conical hill ' : and O.E. cop, copp, ' head> summit,
hill.'
MowsLEY (Rugby). Prob. ' if w?a's mead." 0/. Mowthorp (Yorks),
Dom. Muletorp; see -thorpe; and Moulton.
MoxHTJLL (Coleshill) andMoxLEY (Wednesbury) . a. 1300 Mukes-
hull, a. 1400 Mockeslowe, Mox(e)lowe. ' Hill ' and ' burial-
mound of More/ Hull is regular in Mid. names for ' hill ' ; and
see -low and -ley. But Moxby (Yorks) is Dom. Molzbi, Molscebi,
1158-59 Pipe Molesbi, 1183 Molseby, ' dwelhng oi' some un-
recorded ' Molsc.'
MoYE (Channel Isles). Common name for 'a dangerous point/
Fr. moie is ht. ' a mass of stones.'
Much Wenlock (Salop). Dom. Wenloch, a. 1130 Sim. Dur.
Waneloc. ' Much ' is early M.E. muche, moehe, meche, miche,
short form of muehel or michel, Sc. mickle, muckle, and is fre-
quent in early use for ' great, large.' Cf. Much Dewchukch,
Much Hoole (Preston), Much Mabcle (Glouc), ' boimdary
(O.E. mearc) hill,' etc. Much Wenlock in 17th cny. is also
More Wenlock. ' Waneloc ' is O.E. ween (short for wce^en)
loca, ' waggon, wain enclosure.' Cf. Matlock.
Mucklestone (Mket. Drayton). Dom. Moclestone, 1253 Mukle-
stone. Prob. 'big stone'; O.E. micel, my eel, 'great, large';
possibly fr. a man Mucel. Cf. Micheldever, etc. Muckley
Corner (Lichfield) is a. 1600 Mucklow, which may mean ' great
mound.' See -low; cf. Mucklow Hill (Halesowen), 1424 Moke-
lowe, Moghlowe.
MuMFORDS (S.E. Bucks). Not in Dom. The personal name
Mumfordis corrup. of the Norm. Montfort, but this may not be
the same. Cf. Mundford.
MuNCASTER (Ravenglass). Old Meolcaster, 1290 Mulcaster. Good
illustration how almost any of the liquids, like I and n, may
interchange. The first syll. might be W. moel, ' a conical hill,'
but it is prob. fr. O.N. mel-r, ' a sand dune,' a ' meal.' See
Mellis, and -caster, ' fort ' ; also cf. next.
MuNDESLEY (Norfolk). Dom. Muleslai, c. 1150 Mulesle, 1444
Moneslee. An exact parallel to the above; and d readily
suffixes itself. The orig. name seems to have been ' Mul'a
meadow.' Onom. gives us Mon, Monn, Mouna, Mul, Mula,
Mund, and Munda, any of which may have had influence here.
There is a Moundesley Hall (King's Norton) ; no old forms ; but
MUNDFORD 376 NACTON
a Mundes dene is found in 972 chart, near by. C/., too, Dom.
Kent Mundingeham. See -ley.
MuNDFOKD (Norfolk). Dom. Mundeford. Prob. 'protected ford/
fr. O.E. mund, ' protection.' But cf. Mumfords and Mundes-
liEY.
MuNDHAM (Norfolk). Chart. Mundan ham, 'home of Munda.'
Cf. B.C.S. 1282 Mundes den, and above.
MuNET (Clun, Salop). Dom. Munete. Perh. Corn, menit, W.
mynydd, 'hill.' Cf. Mynyd Bidden, O.W. for Edinburgh; but
more prob. it is fr. Munita, as in Mindton. Mynytho
(Carnvnsh.) is corrup. of W. mynyddoed, ' mountains.'
MusTON (Filey and Nottingham). Fi. M. Dom. Mustone, 4 times.
No. M. not in Dom. Prob. ' town of Mus/ 1 in Onom. But
N. and S. Muskham (Newark), Dom. Muscha, 1314 Suthe
Muskham, must be fr. a man Micsca, or the like. Onom. has
only Mocca ; but cf. Muschenheim, old Muscanheim, Hesse.
Mtjswell Hnji (N. London). Old MustweU, O.E. must, L. mustum,
' new wine.' There is one Mus in. Onom. But Mustees (Co.
Durham) is 1130 de Monasteriis — i.e., ' monasteries.'
MuTFOBD (Beccles). Dom. Mitteforda, c. 1460 Motford. =Mit-
EORD, ' ford at the waters' meet '; O.E. {ge)mythe. Cf. Mitton.
Myddle (Shrewsbury). Not in Dom. Perh. W. midd dol, 'en-
closed place in the meadow.' W. also has midlan, ' enclosed
place, Usts,' and middi, ' a pit in a river.'
Mythe, The (Tewkesbury). Not in Dom. Prob. O.E. {ge)my\a,
' place where 2 rivers meet,' here the Avon and Severn. M'Ciure
prefers to derive fr. O.E. muth, dat. mythe, cognate with O.N.
munn-r, Dan. mund, ' mouth, river -mouth.' The R. Mite
(Eskdale, Cumbld.) is prob. the same word. Cf. Mitfobd and
Mitton. Myton-on-Swale is Dom. Mitune, O.E. mythan (see
Mitton); and Myton (HuU), Dom. Mitune, will prob. be the
same, though some derive fr. O.N. my, ' a midge,' so ' tiny
town.'
Nabubn (York). Dom. Naborne, 4 times. The Na- is doubtful;
it seems to be O.N. nd, ' nigh,' ' the nigh or near brook'; only
nd is found only in comb., as nd-bui, ' neighbours,' etc. Kneeton
(Yorks) is Dom. Naton, which also seems ' nigh town,' O.N.
nd, or rather, O.E. nedh, neh, 3-4 nei, 4 neie, ' nigh, near.'
See -burn.
Nacton (Ipswich). Dom. Nachetuna, 1455 Nakton. Doubtful.
No very hkely name in Onom., so perh. ' town at the neck ' ;
O.E. hnecca, in 4 naJc, O.N. hnakki. Da. nakke, mid. Du. nac,
' neck.' ' Neck of land ' is not found till 1555. See Necton
for possibihty of being fr. an unrecorded man Nece.
NAFFERTON 377 NAWTON
Naffekton (Driffield). Dom. Nadfartone. Nadfar must repre-
sent some imrecorded man's name. Onom. has a Nothfrith and
a Nothbeorht, which are conceivable as origins.
Nailbourne (Canterbury). B.C.S. ii. 172 Nseglesbuma, c. 1480
WarJavorth Naylborne. ' Nail's brook/ the sb. nail, O.E. ncegel,
here being used as a personal name, as in Nselesbroc and Naegles-
cumb, in B.C.S. Cf. Nailslea (Bristol), 740 chart. Negles-
leah, Nailstone (Nimeaton), and Nailsworth (Stroud). See -ea
and -worth; also Eylebotjbn in Oxf. Diet., where a 'Nail-
bourne ' is interpreted in several quotations as a sort of inter-
mittent spring or stream.
Nantwich. Hybrid. 'Dwelling by the stream'; O.E. wic, L.
vicus, ' a village,' and W. nant, ' stream, valley.' In W. it is
Yr heledd Wen., ' the clear or white place for making salt.' Cf.
Nene and Droitwich. In W. names nant often changes to
llan, ' church,' as in Nanhyfer (Nevern), now Llanhyfer,
Nant Carfan, now Llancabvan, Nantyan (ComwL), now
Lantyan, etc.
Nantyffin (Crickhowell). W.= ' brook of the boundary'; L.
finis. See above. It is close to the boundary of Wales,
Nantymwyn (Carmarthen). W.= ' brook of the mine.' Lead-
mines abound here.
Nantysaeson (Montgomy.). W.= ' brook of the Saxon,' or
Englishman. G. Sassanach.
Napton (Rugby) . Dom. Neptone. * Town on the crest of the hiU ' ;
O.E. cncep, the Bible knop, 'a knob, protuberance, button';
Icel. knapp-r, Dan. knap, knop.
Nab R. and Nabboroxjqh (Swaffham). Dom. Nereburh, c. 1150
Nereburg. ' Burgh, fort on the narrow river ' ; Fris. ndr, O.E.
neara, neare, 3-4 nare, var. of nearu, ' narrow.' There is also a
Narborough (Leicester) on R. Soar; not in Dom.
Naeberth (Pembroke) . 1248-49 Nerberd, but Mabinog. Arberth—
i.e., ' slope abounding in bushes,' W. perthi. The n comes from
the prep, yn, ' in,' which was commonly used before the name.
Cf. Nangle and Nolton (' old town ') in the same shire.
Naseby (Rugby). Dom. Navesberie, 'Burh' or 'burgh,' now
changed to ' dwelling, of Hncef,' a known Dan. name, in Onom.
See -by.
Nash (Stony Stratford, Glouc.) and Nash Mills (Hemel Hempstd.).
All prob. for M.E. atten ashe, ' at the ash-tree.' Cf. Prinknash,
(Painswick), 1121 Prinkenesche. But Nash (Newport, Mon.),
and prob. once in Glouc. too=NASS on Severn, O.E. and Dan.
nass, O.N. nes, ' promontory, headland.'
Nawton (Helmsley) . Dom. Naghelton, Nageltone, Nagletune, 1202
Nawelton. Prob. not ' Town in the centre ' or ' at the central
25
NAZE 378 NEN(E) R.
point of the district/ O.E. nafela, 3-4 nauele, 5 naweUe, ' the
navel ' ; used of the central point of a district from Wyclif 's
time. Prob. fr. a man Nagel; see Natlbourne.
Naze, The (N. Sussex). 14 . . . Sailing Directions The Naisse, the
Nasse. It may also be Eadolfes nsesse in 1049 O.E. Chron.,
or that may be Dungeness, called Nsesse a few years later.
The word is almost certainly contained in Dom. Essex Nesseto-
cham, Nasestoca, or Ness Stoke. Ozf. Diet, derives fr. O.E.
nces, nes, O.N. nes, Sw. nds, ' promontory, headland,' related
to O.E. nasu, M.E. nase, ' nose.' But it is prob. fr. nasu, found
1390 nase, c. 1407 nasse. O.E. nces gives ' ness,' which is so
common in this quarter — Orford Ness, Eastness, Foulness, etc.
Cf. ToTNESS, 1297 Tottenays, Nessculefe, and Gronez, Eouge
Nez, etc., Channel Is.
Neasham (Darlington). 1203 Nesham; cf. Dom. Salop Nessham.
Prob. ' home on the ness ' or ' naze.' O.E. ncBS, O.N. nes, ' a
promontory,' cognate with nose. Cf. above.
Neath. Perh. c. 380 Ant. Itin. Nido. In W. Neddr—i.e. ' nest '
L. nidus. Cf. Nedd (Sc.) and Needwood. The root idea seems
to be ' place of rest, abode.'
Nechells (Birmingham and Wolvermptn.) . In both cases a. 1300
de Echeles, les Echelis, c. 1500 Nechels, later ' Echells otherwise
Nechells.' This seems O.Fr. echelles, ' ladders, stairs,' implying
a two-storied house, ? with outside stair. The n is fr. the old
art. atten, ' at the,' as Nash is atten Ash, etc. There are several
other Etchells in Chesh. and elsewhere in Midlands.
Necton (Swaffham). Dom. Neketuna, 1160-61 Pipe Necheton,
1167-68 ib. Neketona, 1298 Neketon, 1472 Neyghton. Seems
to be 'town at the neck or pass'; O.E. hnecca, 'neck.' Cf.
Nacton. But though there is no likely name in Onom., it is
prob. fr. some man. Cf. 1179-80 Pipe Neckesford and Nekes-
feld (Yorks).
Needles, The (I. of Wight), c. 1400 Anc. Pet. Les nedeles del
Isle de Wight. O.E. ncedl, nidi, * a needle.' This is the earliest
known instance of the word used for ' a sharp rock ' ; as 'a
pillar or obelisk ' it is found in 1387.
Needwood (Burton-on-T.). a. 1200 Nedwode._, Prob. 'wood of
Nedda.' Cf. K.C.D. 624 Neddan leah; Duignan suggests
W. nedd, nydd, ' a dingle, a resting-place.' Cf. Nidd (Ripon),
Dom. Nit.
Neen Sollaes (Cleobury Mortimer) and Neenton (Bridgnorth).
Dom. Nene. Doubtful; perh. same as next. It can hardly be
fr. Neavana, or Nafana, d. 1016. See O.E. Chron.
Nen(e) R. c. 950 Nyn, Nen. Local pron. N6an. Also called in
early times — e.g., by Leland, c. 1542 — ^the Avon or 'river.'
NESSCLIFFE 379 NEW BEIGHTON
It must be a form of W. nant, inflected nentydd, neint, ' a ravine,
dingle, or brook/ There is also nennig, ' a small brook/
Nesscliffe (Shrewsbury). 'Fr.ness or Naze, 'promontory/ Such
may be far inland, as in Great and Little Ness, in same shire.
Cf. Dom. Nessham. In Yorks we have the simple Ness, Dom.
Nesse, and also Neswick, Dom. Nessewic; see -wick. But
Neston (Chesh.), Dow. Nestone, might perh. be fr. iVesf, found,
e.g., as name of a daughter of GrufEydd, K. of Wales.
Netherton (5 in P.G.). Pershore N. 780 chart. Neotheretune.
Persh. and Dudley N. Dom. Neotheretune. Rothbury N. a.
1130 Sim. Dur. Nedertun. 'Lower town'; O.E. niolperra,
nipera, 3 neothere, 5-6 neder, ' nether.'
Netley (Southampton). O.E. Chron. 508 says called Natanleaga
('Natan's meadow'), after a British K. Natanleod, slain near
there in 508 ; Dom. Nataleie. Cf. 1161-62 Pipe Netha (Hants).
Nettlestead (Maidstone). 939 chart. Netles stede, O.E. for
' nettles' place.' Onom. gives no personal name Nettle, yet c/.
Nettleham (Lines), Nettlestone, and Nettlesworth (Chester-
le-Street), also Nettlewobth (Notts), c. 1300 Nettelwurd.
But the plant seems plain enough in Nettlebed (Henley) and
' Netelcumb,' Dom. Devon.
Nettlestone (Ryde) . Dom. Hotelstone, error for Notel-. ' Stone,'
or more prob., 'town of Nothhelm,' a name fairly common in
Onom. See -ton.
Nevern R. (N. Pembrokesh.). 1603 Owen. Ysh nyver. In Bain
says= Naver (Sc), fr. Kelt, nav, snav, G. sndmh, ' to flow, swim.'
Newark. 1066 chart. Newarcha, Dom. Newerche, Newerca, 1154-66
chart. Niwerca, Newerc. 'New work or fort.' Cf. bulwark,
outwork, and Wark.
Newbald (Yorks), Dom. Niwebolt; Newbold (Tredington), 991
chart. Nioweboldan; and Newbold Abbey (Congleton), Dom.
Newbold. There are 4 other Newbolds in Warwk., Dom. Newe-,
Niwebold, and several elsewhere. Newbold-on-Stour is 991
chart. Niowebolda, a. 1200 Newebolt, 1275 Newebold. New-
bold (Kinoulton) is Dom. Neubold. O.E. niwe bold, ' new
dwelKng.' Cf. N. bol, O.E. botl, ' house,' and Newbiggin.
Newbiggin (5 in P.O.). 1183 Newbiginga (Darlington). 'New
building.' Biggin is N. Eng. and Sc. for 'building'; O.N.
bygging, ' a building.' Cf. Newbigging (Sc), But, as new is
Eng., not Norse, all these names must have been given by
Angles or Englishmen.
Newbottle (Fence Houses, Durham). 1183 Newbotill. O.E.
niwe botl, ' new dwelling.' Cf. Harbottle (Rothbury) and New-
battle (Sc).
New Brighton (Birkenhead). It was founded c. 1845.
NEWBURN 380 NEWNHAM
Newburn (Northumbld.). a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Nywe bume. * New
brook/ Of. Newbubn (Sc). See -bourne.
Newbuby (Berks), a. 1135 Chron. Abingd. Niuuberia, 1310-11
Newburye. ' New burgh or castle.' See -bury.
Newcastle-on-Tyne. c. 1097 Flor. Wore. Novum Castellum, c.
1175 Fantosme Noef-Chastel-sur-Tine, a. 1200 Wm. Newbury
Castellum Novum super fluvium Tinum. Sim. Dur. tells us it
was so named when built by Robert, son of Wm. the Conqueror,
in 1081. In c. 410 Notit. Dignit. it is Pons Mlii, and in 1073
Munechecaster or ' monks' castle.' Newcastle -irtsDEE.-LYME
is 1166 Novum Oppidum (= New-town), a. 1200 Novum Castrum
super Limam, which is L. for the present name. Newcastle
(Pembk.) is 1594 Newcastell.
New Cross (London). 1675 Evelyn's Diary ' New Crosse.' There
used to be a famous inn here called 'the Golden Cross.' In
1160-61 Pipe Mdsex. we have a Nona firma, or New Farm.
Newent (Glouc). Sic 1228 in Close R., but Dom. Noent. Doubt-
ful. Possibly W. newydd gwent, 'new clearing '; as likely Eng.
fr. new, O.E. niowe, neowe, and went, M.E. and dial, for ' path/
fr. root wend. Cf. Nether- and Over -went.
New Forest, c. 1097 Flor. Wore. In Nova Foresta, quae lingua
Anglorimi Ytene nuncupatur. Freeman thought Ytene must
be connected with Jutes. 1155 Pipe ' Censu None foreste.' 1297
M. Glov/}. The nywe forest pat ys in SouJ>amte8syre. Wm. the
Conqueror cleared away several hamlets to make this Forest in
1079.
Newhaven (Sussex). Sic 1563. In the 16th cny. this was also
the Eng. name of Havre.
New Hey (Rochdale). 'New hedge.' See Hay, and cf. 1330
'Neweheye' (Staffs).
Newington (Glouc, London, and 2 in Kent). Gl. N. Dom. Newe-
ton, also ib. Yorks, Chesh., Wore, Newentune. O.E. Niwan
tun, a dat. ' at the new town.' In Glouc. it also becomes
Naunton, Dom. Niwetone, later New-, Nawenton. Cf. Newnham.
Newlyn (Penzance). Sic 1536. St. Newlyna (? Kelt, for 'white
cloud '), a Kelt of noble birth, went to Brittany, and is there
commemorated at Noualen, the same name.
Newmarch (Yorks). 1161-62 Pipe de Nouomcato, 1179-80 ib. De
Novo Mercato; and Newmarket (Cambs, Louth, Stroud, Flint).
Ca. N. 1219 Novus Mercatus, 1383 Newe market. The two names
are thus the same. Market is G.Nor.Fr.,not found in Eng. till
c. 1120, whilst march here is mod. Fr. marche, with the same
meaning. We also find a. 1161-62 Pipe de Nouomcato, Hants.
Newnham (7 in P.O.). Monk's Kirby N. Dom. Niweham, a. 1300
Newnham. Cam. N. chart. Niwanham, later Newenham, 1436
NEWPORT 381 NORHAM-ON-TWEED
■Newynham. Tenbury N. 1007 chart. Neowanham, 1043 Neowen-
ham. Severn N. Dom. Nimeham. This is an O.E. dat., ' at
the new home/ Gf. Newington, also 1160 Pipe Niweham
(Hereford). N. Padox (Warwksh.) is for paddocks, a late
addition.
Newport (10 in P.G.) . N. Pagnell is Dom. Nevport, 1297 Neuport,
1571 N. Pannel. O.E. port., L. porta, ht. ' gate/ comes to mean
'a town, a market-town.' But see Oxf. Diet. s.v. Port sbS ^,
and ^. Pagnell is fr. the Norm, family of Pagenel, now Paynell.
Ralf Pagenel is foimd in Dom. in Somerset.
New Quay (N. Cornwall) is of 19th cny. origin.
Newsham. At least 4 places so caUed. Kirby Wiske (Yorks) N.
is Dom. Newehusu', Neuhuson, 1201 Newesmn. Newe huson
is a late O.E. loc, of the type very common in Yorks, ' at the
new houses.' Cf. Hallam, Howsham, etc. There are also
Newsham in Leckonfield and Newsham in SpofiEorth, both
Yorks, and both Dom. Neuson(e), an early contraction; whilst
Newsham, or Newsome, (N. Lanes) is Dom. Newhuse.
Newstead (Notts) is 1189 de Novo Loco, ' new place ' or ' dwelling.'
Newton (40 in P.G.). Oambs N. chart. Neutun. Lanes and
Norwich N. Dom. Neweton(a), N. Reigney (Penrith) 1189
Pipe Niweton, Dom. Yorks Neutun, Neweton, 43 times. ' New
town.' Gf. Nbwington. Newton Abbot (S. Devon), Dom.
Niueton, was given by Ld. Brewer to the abbot of Tor.
NocTON (Lincoln). 1233 Noketon. Doubtful, but it must be fr.
some man named Nok or the Hke, though Onom. has none such.
Oxf. Diet, has more than one nock sb., but none are hkely here;
nor does there seem anything in O.E. which would yield Noke-.
Noe R. (trib. of Derwent, Derbysh.). Perh. a.' 900 Bav. Geogr.
Anava. Gf. Navione, a place given as near. ? some connexion
with G. naomh (niiv), ' holy.'
NoRBiTON (Wimbledon). Name invented c. 1840 as a contrast to
Stjrbiton. The parent town is Kingston.
NoRBXJRY (E. Salop). Dom. Cheshire Nor(d)berie, a. 1300 North-
byri. 'North town'; O.E. nor^. See -bury.
NoRE, The (Essex). 1049 O.E. Ghron. Innan Nor«mu«an, _ 'In
North mouth ' of Thames. But Nore is N. nor, ' a bay with a
narrow entrance.' There seems to be a White Nore near
Lulworth, Weymouth.
Norfolk. Dom. Nordfolc, Norf, 1160 Pipe Norfolch, 1258-1658
Northfolk, 1397 Norfolk. 'Land of the north folk.' Gf.
SuiTOiiK — i.e., the North and South Angles.
NoRHAM-ON-TwEED. Sic 1183, 1461 Norame. 'North home';
O.E. Mm, on the Northern border of England. Gf. c. 1 100 chart.
Norhamscire.
NOKMACOTT 382 NOETHUMBERLANB
NOBMACOTT (Longton, Staffs). Dom. Normanescote, 1242 Nor-
mancote. ' The Norman's cottage.' See next. (7/. the name
Westacott.
NoRMANBY (Doncaster, Middlesbrough, and 2 others). Sic in
spurious grant of 664 (a. 1100). Mid. N. Dom. Normanebi, a.
1130 8im. Dur. Northmann-bi, 1179-80 Pijpe Normannesbi.
' Dwelling of the Northmen ' or ' Normans/ who in Flodoard
of Rheims, d. 966, are Nortmanni; but already in chart, of
963-84 {B.C.S. iii. 367) ' Into Normannes cros.'
NoRMANTON (6 in P.G.). Yorks N. Dom. Norma'tune, Normetune.
Grantham N. Dom. Norman-, -entone. ' Town of the Normans,'
or the ' Northmen,' the Scandinavians. See above and -ton.
NoRTHALL or NoRTHOLT (Southall). Dom. Nort hala. 'North
hall ' or ' corner,' as opposed to ' South hall.' But holt is O.E.
and N. for ' a wood, a copse.' See -hall.
Northallerton. Dom. Alvretune, 1298-1538 North alverton.
See Alverton.
Northampton. 1088 O.E. Ghron. NorSamtune, c. 1097 Flor. W.
Northamtunensis, a. 1145 Orderic Northantonia, 1373 Northamp-
tonia. ' North home-town.' See Hampton, and cf. Southamp-
ton and Northam (N. Devon and Southampton) .
Northaw (Potter's Bar), also old Northall; but 1539 Northawe.
' North haw ' or ' hedge '; O.E. ha^a.
Northcote (S. Devon) and North Cotes (Lines). Dev. N. Dom.
Norcote. 'North cot or cottage'; O.E. cot, cott, 'a chamber,
a hut.'
North Cttrry (Taunton). 1155 Pipe Nordcuri, 1161 ib. Norcuri.
See Curry Mallet.
North Hylton (Sunderland). ? a. 1000 chart. Does chfes nortS
hyldan. Corrup. of O.E. hylda, dan, ' a slope.'
NoRTHLEW (Bea worthy). 1219 Patent B. Lyu. Doubtful. ? =
Lliw.
NoRTHOWRAM (Halifax). Dom. Oure, Ufron, 1202 Northuuerum.
Ufron is the common Yorks O.E. loc, 'on the river -banks ' ;
O.E. o/er, Ger. ujer. See Over, Hallam, etc., and -ham.
Northover (Somst.) is 1219 Northovre.
North Stainley (Ripon). Dom. Nordstanlaia, which is meant to
be O.E. for ' north stony meadow.' Cf. Stanley. The stain
is a sign of Dan. influence. See -by.
North Stoke (WalUngf ord) . a. 1087 chart. NorS stoke; late O.E.
for ' north place.' Cf. Stoke.
Northumberland. Sic c. 1175 Fantosme, but Bede Nordanhymbri,
c. 890 Alfred On Norj^anhymbra ]>eode, 898 O.E. Chron. Norjj-
hymbre, c. 1000 ^Ifric NorShymbralande. This name for a
NOETHWICH 383 NOTTING HILL
district far ' North of Humber ' came early into use. Deira,
to the S.J became largely Danish; but Bemicia, to the N., was
never so. Cf. 1065 O.E. Ghron. Wore, ' In Yorkshire and in
Northumberland.' Sim. Dur. ann. 883 already distinguishes
Eboracum and Northimbri; and even more noteworthy is his
' Sohus Northumbriae Comitatum.' c. 1097 Flbr. W. has
* Suthymbria '= Deira.
NoRTHwiOH. Dom. Norwich. 'North dwelHng'; O.E. wic. In
W. it is Yr Heledd ddu, ' the dark place for making salt.' Cf.
Droitwich and Norwich.
NoRTHWOLD (Stoke Ferry, Norfk.). a. 1200 Nordwolde, c. 1220
Norwolde, c. 1225 Northwaude. O.E. nor^ wald, 'north
wood ' or Norwood.
Norton (22 in P.G.). Often in Dom. Nortone. 'North town.'
Eleven times in Dom. Yorks alone.
Norwich. 1004 O.E. Ghron. NorSwic, Dom. Norwic, 1297 Nor-
wiche. O.E. nor^ wic, 'northern dwelling' or 'village.' See
-wich. NORWELL (Newark) is Dom. Nortwelle.
Norwood (London) . a. 1697 Aubrey Perambltn. Surrey, ' The
great wood called Norwood/ or 'north wood/ Cf. North-
wold.
NosTELL (Pontefract). a. 1114 cTiart. Ecclesia sancti Osuualdi,
1119 chart. Nostell, c. 1160 Nostl'. Here was the priory of Saint
Oswald, so that the corrup. is a very early one. Cf. Oswestry
and St. Austell's, pron. St. Ossle's. The n, of course, comes
fr. the prefixed saint. Horsfall Turner identifies Nostell with
Dom. Osele (p. 37b), but this seems doubtful. Noverton
(Worcestrsh.) is really Overton; it also appears as Nurton
(Abberley), which in 1327 is given both as Noverton and
Overton.
NosTERMELD (Cambs). c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Nostresfelda.
Skeat derives fr. a tenure by saying Paternosters, and compares
the name of an AUce Paternoster, who held lands at Pusey
(Berks).
Nottingham. Asser ann. 868, ' Scnotingaham quod Britannice
Tigguocobauc interpretatur, Latine Speluncarum domus,' or
' house of caves.' Tigguocobauc is prob. Kelt, for ' house in
the Uttle cave ' ; cf. W. ty, G. tigh, ' a house,' Corn, ogo, ' a
cavern,' and W. bach, O.W. becc, 'little.' Dom. Snotingeham,
a. 1190 Walter Map Notingam, 1461 Snotingham. ' Home of
the Snotinga,' a patronymic. Onom. gives Snoding and Snot.
Snoddy is still used as a personal name. Cf. Sneinton. There
are also 2 Nottinghams in Gloster. See -ing.
Notting Hill (London) is said to have been formerly ' EJQoltoh
Barn Hill.' Cf. Knolton Bryn.
NOTTON ' 384 OAKHANGER
Notion (Barnsley). Dom. Notone. 'Nut town/ O.E. hnut.
Cf. NuTTLES, Dom. Notele.
NxjNBTJB,]srHOLME (York). Dom. Brunha', but 1206 Brunnum, a
loc. 'At the burn' or 'bourne/ O.N. brunn-r. See -bourne
and -hobne (' a meadow by a river '). -ham and -holme often
interchange, and many Yorkshire places in -ham or -am are
orig. locatives.
Nuneaton (Warwicksh.). a. 1200 Etone, O.E. ea-tun, 'town on
the river ' Anker, where the nuns live. A Benedictine nunnery
was built here in the 12th cny. Cf. Eaton. Similarly Ntjn
Keeling (Yorks) is in Dom. simply Chehnge, ChiUnghe, ' place
of the sons of Gille ' or ' Cilia.' See -ing.
Nunney (Frome). Dom. Nonin. 'Nun's isle'; L. nunna, O.E.
nunne, 3-6 nonne, ' a nun.' See -ey.
Ntjnnington (York). Dom. Nonninctune; Noningtune, Nunnige-
tune. Patronymic. ' Town of the sons of Nun ' or ' Nunna,'
several in Onwa. Cf. Altabnun. See -ing and -ton.
NuESLiNG (Southampton). Dom. Notesselinge, later Nutshalling.
A curious and unexplainable corrup. ; prob. patronymic fr. some
unrecorded man. See -ing.
NuRTON. See Nostell.
NuTEiELD (Redhill). Dom. Notfelle. ' Field of nuts,' O.^E. hnut.
NuTHHEST (Horsham). Cf. 704-9 chart. Hnuthyrste (Warwicksh.),
O.E. for 'nut wood.' See -hurst. Nuttles (Holderness) is
Dom. Notele, 'nut meadow'; see -ley. Cf. Nuttall (Notts),
Dom. Nutehale; see -hall. But Notgrove (Stow-on-Wold) is
743 chart. Natangraf, ' trench, ditch of Nata.'
Nymphsfield (Stonehouse). 872 chart, and 1280 Close E.Nymdes-
feld, Dom. Nimdesfelde (1287 Kingesnemeton, see King's
Nympton). W. and Bret, nemet, also aspirated in W. nevet,
* a wood,' then prob. ' a sacred grove,' and then ' a temple.'
There are several Nymets in Devon, as well as 3 Nymphs near
Tawton. It will be noted that p after m is almost always a
mod. intrusion; cf. Bampton, Brompton, Hampton, etc.
Oaken (Wolverhampton). Sic 1398, but Dom. Ache, a. 1300 Ake,
Oce, Oken. Prob. an old loc, O.E. aeon or acum, ' at the oaks/
Cf. Hallam, etc.
Oakeobd (Bampton). 1174 chart. Acforde. O.E. dc, 'an oak.'
Oakham, Local pron. Yekkm. 1298 Okham. This will prob.
mean ' home, house built of oak.' Oakhampton (Astley,
Wstrsh.) is 1275 Okhamtone.
Oakhangeb (Berkeley, Alton, and Dorset). Be, 0. 1250 Ochungre;
chart. ? where, Achangra (c, 1350 Akhangre), which is O.E. for
' oak-tree slope.' Cf. Clayhanger. There is also 961 chart.
OAKINGTON 385 ODIHAM
Gteoc hangra (at Hurstbourne, Winchester), but this is fr. O.E.
geoc, ' a yoke/ or ' as much land as a pair of oxen can plough in
a day/
Oakington (Cambridge), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Hokintona, Hoc-
chintona, Hockingtona, Dom. Hochintone, 1284 Hokingtone,
Hoggitone. Patronymic. ' Village of the Hockings ' — i.e., sons
of Hoc or Hoca, both known names.
Oakley (Rochester, Bp's. Stortford, and 4 others). Roch. 0.
chart, of date 774 Acleag. StafEs O. 1004 chart. Acclea, Dom.
Aclei. Beds. 0. 1166 Pipe Achelai. Bp's. S. 0. 1474 Ocle
Magna and Parva; 958 chart. Acleg, -lea, on Stour, Staffd.
O.E. dc leah, ' oak meadow.' Similarly Oakworth (Keighley)
isDom. Acewrde, Acurde, ' oak farm.' See -worth.
Oabe (Chieveley, Berks, Wilts, Faversham, N.W. Somerset). Ch.
O. B.C.8. iii. 509 Ora, 1316 Ore. O.E. ora, ' bank, shore, edge,'
cognate with L. ora. Cf. Bognor, etc. But Som. 0. is 1264
At, perh. same root as Arrow, or ? N. aa-r, ' river.' It is on the
East Lynn R,., whilst Fav.O. is on a creek of the R. Swale.
Oby (Norfolk). 1479 Owby. ' Dwelling of 06a, Oixi, O^a,' a name
common in Onom. See -by.
OcK R. (Abingdon) and Ockbrook (Derby). Dom. Ochebroc.
O.E. chart. Eoccen, and in late copy of chart, of 955 Occen.
Skeat cannot suggest any meaning for the Berks river ; and the
Derby name is presumably the same, though some think it a
tautology, making Ock Kelt, for ' water.' This last is some-
what confirmed by Geoffr. Mon. iv. 12, who tells us that ' Ridoc '
is the British name of Oxford (W. rhyd, O.W. rit, ' a ford,^ whilst
oc is certainly not W. for 'ox'). Cf. 1201 ' Yockflet '— i.e.,
Yokefleet (Howden). There is also an Octon (E. Riding),
Dom. Ocheton, which seems fr. the same root.
OcKER Hill (Tipton). Cf. Dom. ' Ocretone ' (Notts). Perh. fr.
M.E. {a. 1225) oher, O.N. okr, ' increase of money, usury ' ; but
Duignan, more prob., suggests W. ochr, ochren,'' a side, a shelving
locality.' But Ockeridge Wood (Little Witley, Worcstr.),
1332 Ocrugge, is ' oak-tree ridge,' O.E. dc, 3-5- ok.
OcKLEY (Dorking) = Oakley.
Odell (Sharnbrook, Beds) . Said to be old Wode-hul or ' wood-hiU.'
Not in Dom., but it has Odecroft. Cf., too, 941 chart. Odden-
heal, ' nook of Odda,' Hants. See -hall.
Odiham (Winchfield) . 1116 O.E. Chron. Wudiham. ' Home in the
wood,' O.E. vmdu. For change of w to o cf. Wodin and Odin,
also Dom. Essex, Oddesforda, fr. the common Odda or Oda,
which gives name to Oddington (Moreton-in-Marsh). Oddingley
(Droitwich), 816 chart. Oddingalea, is a patronymic fr. Odda.
See -ing. Cf., too, Odcombe (Somerset), 1167-68 Pipe Devon
Odecuba.
OPFCHUKCH 386 OMBERSLEY
Offchuiich (Leamington). . 1300 Ofechirche, 'church of OjQTa/
? the K. of Mercia in 8th cny. Qffley, in the same county, is
Dom. OfEeleia.
Offenham (Evesham). 714 chart. Vffaham, 860 ih. Uffenham^
Dom. Offenham. ' Home of Uffa ' or ' O^a'
Offerton (Durham), a. 1130 8im. Bur. Uffertun. Prob. 'town
on the bank/ O.E. ohr, ofr, Ger. ufer; see -over. But OfEerton
(Hindlip) is 972 chart. ^Elflaedetun, ? Dom. Aicrintune, 1275
Alfverton, a. 1600 Alcrinton, now called Alfreton, a. 1800 Affre-
ton. A most remarkable corrup. ' Town of JElflced,' perh. she
who was daughter of K. Offa, 757-786. Duignan suggests that
r came in through similarity of -^Iflaed to MUied.
Offord (Warwksh.). Dom. Offeworde, a. 1200 OfEorde. This is
' OJfa's farm.' Gf. Offmoor (Halesowen), 1288 Offemore, and
Pampisford ; and see -worth.
Ogle (Newcastle-on-Tyne) . Prob. O.W. ugl, W. uchel, 'high';
same root as Ochils, Ogilvib, and Glen Ogle (Sc). Cf.
Knoyle. But Oglethorp (W. Riding) is Dom. once Ocelestorp
and 4 times Oglestorp, ' village of ' some man, the nearest in
Onom. seems Ugelhert; the -bert may easily have dropped. See
-thorpe.
Ogo Dour (the Lizard). Corn.= ' cave by the water.'
Okment Hill (Devon). W. uch mynydd (Corn, menit), ' high hill.'
Cf. LoNGMYND and Ochils (Sc).
Old Man of Coniston. Supposed to be W. allt maen, ' cliflf-like '
or 'high rock.' Cf. Alltwen. As curious a corrup. is Old-
barrow (Henley in Arden), 709 chart. Ulenbeorge, ' hill, barrow
of the owl,' O.E. ula, -an. See Barrow.
Oldswinford (Stourbridge). Dom. Suineford, 1275 Swyneford,
1340 Oldeswynesford. O.E. swinford, ' swine's ford.'
Olney (Bucks and Coventry). Dom. Olnei, Bucks; Cov. 0. 1349
Ohieie. Cf. K.G.D. 621 Ollan eg, O.E. for ' OZZa's isle.' Also
1016 O.E. Chron. Olanige, c. 1097 Flor. W. Olanege, an islet in
the Severn near Deerhurst. See -ey.
Olton (Hampton-in- Arden). 1295 Oulton, c. 1450 Oulton alias
Ulverton — i.e., ' Ulfr's town.' Cf. Sc. oo for wool, and Oldcoates
or Ulcoates (Notts), Dom. Caldecotes, but 1269 Ulcotes, 1302
Ulecotes. ' Cots of the owl,' O.E. ula. But Olveston, close to
Alveston, is 1303 Olveston, 1515 Olston, and is orig. the same
name, ' JSZ/e's town.'
Ombersley (Droitwich). 706 chart. Ambreslege and Ombreswelle,
714 ib. Ambresleie, Dom. Ambreslege. May be fr. O.E. amber,
omber, ' a pitcher.' See Amberqate and Ambjirley. Or perh.
it is fr. a man Amber, Ambre. See Ambrosden and Amesbury.
See -ley.
OMlLY It. 387 ORMSKIEK
Omtly R. (Hereford) . Prob. W. amwyll, ' shady, gloomy on all sides/
Oneoote (Leek). 1199 Anecote, 1285 Onecote — i.e., ' one cottage/
as Onehouse (Suffk.) is chart. Anhus. But Onesaore (S. Yorks)
is Dom. Anesacre, ' field of Anna ' or ' Onvia,' a common name
in Onom.
Ongah (Essex) or Chipping Ongah. Dom. Angra, O.E. hangra, ' a
wooded, hill-slope.' Cf. Clayhanger, and see Chipping.
Onibuby (Craven Arms). Dom. Aneberie. ' Burgh, town on R.
Onney or Ouny.'' See -bury. But High and Little Onn (Staffs) .
are Dom. Otne (error) and Anne, which Duignan derives fr.
W. onn, ' ash-trees.' There is an Onneley also in Salop, Dom.
Anelege; and an Oney Coppice (Lindridge) . Cf. Onecote.
Orby (Burgh, Lines). Cf. Arbury (Nuneaton), a. 1200 Ordburi,
Erdbury, 1235 Orbyri, which is prob. ' Eardulfs burgh.' See -ly.
Orcheston (Devizes) . Must be fr . some man. Cf. 1298 ' Willelmus
de Orkesleghe.' The nearest in Onom. is Oric, a dux in Kent,
of 9th cny. There is an ore, orke, orch, ' an ogre,' but it is not
found in Eng. a. 1598.
Oreton (Wolvermptn.) . Dom. Overtune, a. 1300 Overton, Orton.
O.E. ofer-tun, ' upper town.' Cf. Orgrave (N. Lanes), Dom.
Ourgreve, prob. 'bank'; O.E. obr, ofr, 'of the grave.' See
Over. Orgrave (S. Yorks) is Dom. Nortgrave.
Orford (Suffolk and Warrington). Suff. 0. not in Dom. 1166-67
Pipe Oreford, c. 1450 Fortescue Orford havyn. Like Orwell,
near by, prob. corrup. fr. N. aar fjord, ' river ' or ' river -like
firth or bay.' In N. aa sounds o. Cf. Haverford, Waterford
(Ireland), etc. Warr. 0., sic 1511, may be fr. a man Ord, or
contracted fr. one of the many names in Ord-.
Orleton (Tenbury). Dom. Alretune, 1275 Olretone, ' alder town.'
See Allerton, etc. Alder is O.E. alor, aler, 3 olr, 7 owler,
ouller. The Orls (Mathon) is fr. same root. Alder is still
pron. orl in S. Salop. But Ollerton (Newark), Dom. and 1190
Alretun, 1278 Alverton, is perh. fr. Mlfweard or Mlfhere.
Orlingbitry (Northants). c. 1190 Orlingberge. ' Town or fort of
Eorlwine,' 3 in Onom. See -bury.
Ormesby (Yorks and Gt. Yarmouth). Dom. both Ormesbi.
' DweUing of Orm.' See -by.
Orm's Head (Llandudno), a. 1145 Orderic Horma heva, a N. form
of Ormes heafod or Orm's Head, or Worm's Head. Orm or
Orma is a common name in Onom.
Ormskirk. 1285 Ormeskirke. See above. The Orm here is not
the monk who wrote the Ormulum, but a Saxon noble who
gained large estates near here through marrying a Norman
heiress. The place is not in Dom., but is referred to temp.
Rich. I., d. 1199.
ORRELL 388 OSMOTHERLET
Oreell (Wigan). Dom. Olegrimale, Olringemele," 1201-02 Horhill,
-hull; 1205-06 Orhille; 1320 Orell. Even though Dom. is so
clumsy, it gives the clue to a most interesting corrup. The
first part is the N. name Authgrimr, later Udgrim. An Oudgrim
is actually found in Dom. Notts. The second part is either
-hall {q.v.) or -hill, regular W. Midi. hull.
Obslow (Staffs). 1203 Horselawe, a. 1400 Orselow — i.e., ' Horsa's
mound.' See -low. Orsett (Grays) (-sett= ' seat ') prob. has a
similar origin. Cf. Dom. Surrey, Orselei.
Orston (Nottingham). Dom. Oschintone, 1242 Orskinton, 1284
Orston. Mutschmann thinks, ' Ordric's town," as in OrdsaU,
Dom. Ordeshale. Dom. "confuses with Ossington.
Orwell R. (Suffolk). 1015 O.E. Chron. Aiwa, Arewe; Dom.
Ordewelle; c. 1386 Chaucer Orewell; c. 1450 Fortescue Orwell
havyn. The 1015 forms suggest, and Orford near by con-
firms, that this must be a corrup. fr. N., akin to that of Kjrk-
WALL (Sc), c. 1225 Kirkiuvagr, 1438 Kirkwaw, c. 1500 Kirk-
wall. The Ar- will be N. a, gen. aar, ' river,' aa in mod. N.
being pron. o. The wa- will be O.N. vagr, ' bay, voe,' the
liquid r having early become I, or else disappeared. So the name
is ' bay of the river.'
Orwell (Royston, Herts), c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Oreuuella, Dom.
Oreuuelle, Orduuelle (a mistake), 1210 Norwelle (for 'atten
Orewelle '), 1284 Orewelle. O.E. oran wella, ' well at the edge
or brink.' Gf. Orton (Tebay).
OscoTT (Birmingham), a. 1300 Oscote, c. 1615 Camden Auscote,
Perh, ' East cottage,' O.N. aust-r, ' east.' Cf. Atjstwick. But
Duignan prefers some name in Os-, Osbeorn, Oswald, etc.,
which may well be.
OsGATHOBPE (Loughborough) . 'Village of Osgar or Osgeard,'
common in Onom. See -thorpe.
OsGODBY (E. Riding and Market Rasen). E. R. 0. Dom. Ansgo-
tesbi, -gotebi, Asgozbi (z = fe) ; 1204 Fines Angodeby; 1206 An-
goteby. M. R. 0. a. 1100 chart. Osgoteby, 1298 Osgodeby.
Gf. Dom. Osgotcros, 1179-80 Pipe Osegotecros, now Osgoldcross
(Wapentake), Yorks. ' Dwelling of Osgod ' or ' Osgot,' common
names in Onom., which also has the Norm, forms Ansgod and
Ans-got. Cf. next, and Ansthryth, var. of name Osthryth.
Osgod, in N. Asgod, seems to mean ' the good ' — i.e., ' the prop-
erty, of the gods.' See -by.
Osmotherley (Lanes and Northallerton). Lan. 0. 1260-72
Osmunderlawe, 1269 Asemunderlai, 1276-79 Asmunderlauue,
1588 Estmotherlie, 1667 Osmonderley, 1670 Osmotherlow.
Nor. 0. Dom. Asmundrelac, 1197 Rolls Hosmundeslea, a. 1300
Osmunderley. Instructive forms. ' Meadow of Asmund ' or
' Osmund '{' the -pioteGted ' or else 'the mouth of the gods').
Cf. Osborne, N. Asenbjorn, ' bear of the gods or demigods.'
OSNEY 389 OULTON
The ending is often -low {q.v.) or -lawe, ' hill/ Cf. Asp atria,
and Amothebby, and Mythe; also Osmondthorpe (Notts),
1331 Osmundthorp.
OsNEY (Oxford). 1155 Pipe Osineia, 1161 ib. Oseneia, c. 1200
Gervase Osneye. ' Island of Osa/ gen. ' Osan,' common name
in Onom. See -ey.
OsSETT (Yorks). Dom. Osleset. 'Seat, abode,' O.N. s(Bti, 'of
Osla,' 2 in Onom. Liquid I easily vanishes.
OssiNGTON (Newark). Dom. Oschintone, 1162-65 chart. Oschintona,
1278 OsciQgton, ' Town of Osecg,' a name in Onom. Mutschmann
xierives fr. a dubious Oshetin, var. of the common Asketill. See
-ing and -ton.
.OswALDTWiSTLE ( Accrington) . 1241 Oswaldtuisil. ' Oswald's con-
fluence.' See TwiZEL ; and cf. Birtwistle, Entwistle, Tintwistle.
In E. Yorks we also have Oswaldkibk, Dom. Oswaldes cherca.
OsWESTEY, c. 1190 Gir. Itin. Camb. Osewaldstreu, id est Oswaldi
arborem, or ' tree of Oswald,' K. of Northumbria, d. 642. He
was prob. slain here by Penda, K. of Mercia. 1603 Owen Oses-
tree. In W. Croesoswallt, 'cross of Oswald.' Cf. Brentry
(Glouc), 1247 Bernestre, ' tree of Beam.'
Otford (Sevenoaks). O.E. Citron. 114: Ottanford, a. 1130 Sim.
Dur. Ottaforda, 1160-61 Pipe Otteford. 'Ford of Otta' or
' Otto.' Cf. Otham (Maidstone).
Othebton (Penkridge and Worcester) and Otheby (Bridgwater).
Pe. 0. Dom. Orretone, a. 1200 Oderton, a. 1300 Otherton, which,
like Otherton (Wrcstrsh.), is prob. ' Ohthere's or Othere's or Otre's
town.' All these forms are in Onom. Othery is prob. similar,
with ending -y or -ey, ' islet.' But cf. Otteby.
Otley (W. Riding and Ipswich). W. Rid. O. Dom. Othelai, a. 1130
Sim. Dur. Oteleia . ' Otta'e lea ' or ' meadow.' See above and -ley.
Otteby St. Maby (Exeter). 963 chaH. Otheri, Dom. Otri, c. 1200
Gervase Oteri, 1460 Otryght. ' Isle,' O.E. i$e, i^, ' on R. Otter,'
which is prob. O.E. otr, oter, otor, ' an otter.' Cf. Otterburn
(Craven and Northumbld.), Dom. Yorks and Hants, Otrebume,
1160-61 Pipe Devon has a Fenotri, ? Fen Ottery.
Ottbingham (Hull), Ottebington (N. Yorks), and OuGHTBiNGTCfN
(Warrington). Dom. Otringeha', Otrege, Otrinctime, Otrintona.
Wyld and H. connect these Ottring- names with the N. Auth-
grimr or Oudgrim (see Obbell), which certainly seems the origin
of the Warr. name, which Wyld and H. omit. But the Ottring-
names prob. are patronymics fr. Othhere, Otre, or perh. OtJigar,
all found in Onom. Cf. Dom. Otringeberge and Otringedene
(Kent), which is by no means. a specially N. region. See -ing.
OuLTON (6 in P.G.). Stone 0. a. 1300 Oldeton, Oldington-
Possibly O.E. Ealdantun, ' Ealda's town,' or else * old town.'
But Dom. Norfolk Oulstona— i.e., Oulton, Aylsham— will be
OUNDLE 390 OWSLEBURY
' Ulfs, town/ It is in 1477 Owstoonde. Possibly it is ' town
of Ule ' — i.e., ' the owl/ Cf. Ouston and Outchester (Bamboro')
1242 Ulecestr.
OmsTDLE (Northampton). Bede Undalum, a. 1000 Undola, a. 1100
chart. Undale, 1542 Leland Omidale. Thought to be a con-
tracted form of AvoN + dale^ O.E. dcel. But the contraction
seems almost too early to be found in Bede. Avon means ' river/
here the Nen. For a similar contraction, cf. Dunoon (Sc).
OuNY or Onney E,. (Salop and Hereford). Seen in Onibury, Dom.
Aneberie, and also in Anelege. Must be Keltic for ' river.'
The G. abhuinn or amhuinn, ' river/ is in certain districts pron.
own. Cf. OuNDLE and Avon.
OusE Great, Ouse R., and Ousebubn (York). Gr. 0. 905 O.E.
Chron. Wusa, 1010 ih. Usa, a. 1130 Use, 1330 Ouse. York 0.
Dom. Usebume, 1237 Usus. Perh. connected with O.E. wdse,
4-6 wose, 6 oous, ouse, ' wet mud, ooze.' The name occurs all
over England — iu Essex and Sussex, as well as in the cases
above — and very possibly it is Keltic. See p. 12. Isis, c. 1350
Ysa, must surely be a cognate root. See -bum.
Ousel R. (trib. of Great Ouse). Presumably O.E. osle, old name
of the blackbird, the ouzel ; but old forms needed.
OusETHOEP (Howden). Domi Owestorp, Dwestorp (D error for 0).
Not fr. R,. Ouse, but ' village of Oua, Ova, or 06a,' forms all in
Onom. See -thorp.
Ouston (Stamf ordham, Birtley, Durham ; and Coxwold, N. Riding) .
St. O. 1201 Yorhs Fines Hulkeleston — i.e., ' Hulfcytel' or
* Ulfcytel'B village.' But Cox. 0. Dom. Ulvestone, 1201 Ulveton,
' village of Ulf,' ' Ulf 's town.' Now also called Oulston. But
Ouston (Coleshill) is old Oustheme, Owsthim, which is prob.
' east nook.' East Riding in Dom. is Oust redenc ; and see Herne.
Cf. OuLTON and Owston.
OvENDEN (Halifax). Sic Sim. Dur. contin. ann. 1147. O.E. Ofan-
denu, * den, cave of Ofa,' or possibly ' of Owen.'
Over (Glouc, Cambridge, and Winsford, Chesh.). Gl. 0. 804 cMrt.
Ofre ad Gleawecestre. Cam. 0. Dom. Ovre, Oure; 1210 Overe.
Chesh. Dom. Ovre. O.E. ofre, dat. of ofer, ' a shore of a sea or
bank of a river.' Cf. Ger. ufer ; and see -over.
Overton (9 in P.G.). Dom. Ovretone, Chesh. and Worcr. ' Upper
town,' O.E. ufera, 3-5 otiere, ' over.' Cf. Overbury, Tewkesbury,
875 chart. Uferebiri, Vfera birig, Dom. Oureberie, with the same
meaning. See -bury,
OwERSBY (Market Rasen). 1233 Orresby. Prob. corrup. of
' Ordgcer's or Ordgar'a dweUing.' The name is very common in
Onom. See -by.
OwsLEBURY (Winchester). Not in Dom. Cf. Ozleworth (Char-
field), Dom. Osleworde, c. 1220 Hoheleswordi, later Wozel-,
OWSTHORP 391 OXFORD
Owselworth. The man's name is uncertain. Cf. B.C.S. 764
Oslan wyxth, ' Osla'B farm/ It might be Oshelm, 4 in Onom.,
or Osumlf, as in Owston. Also cf. St. Austell's. See -bury
and -worth.
OwsTHORP (Pocklington). Dom. lanulfestorp, 1203 Ulnestorp,
a. 1400 Ulvesthorpe. Very curious corruption. ' Village of
Eanvmlf,' very common in Onom. In a. 1400 the Ean- has
dropped away. With the present form Ows-, cf. Ooston, mod.
pron. of Ulverston; also cf. next. Owthorp (Notts), Dom.
Ovetorp, c. 1190 Hustorp, is ' village of Z7^ or Uvi.' See -Thorpe.
Owston Priory (Leicester) is 1233 Osulveston, ' town of Osumlf,
a name common in Onom. But Owston (Doncaster), Dom.
Ulsitone, 1179-80 Pipe Ouston, is prob.= OusTO]sr (Corwold),
Dom. Ulvestone, ' town of Ulf.' Only it seems to be in Dom.
also Austun and Austhu'; which may be an O.E. loc, ' in the
east places/ oust and aiist being early forms of ' east^' and loca
tives in -un or -on are not uncommon; only they usually turn
into -ham. See Hallam, etc., and next.
OwsTWicK (Hull). Dom. Ostewic. Prob. 'eastern dwelling,' just
as East Riding is in Dom. Oust redenc, and in the Yorks Pipe
Bolls we have ' Oustcotun ' and ' Westcotun,' or Eastcott and
Westcott. Cf. above; and see -wick.
OxENHOLME (Wcstmld.). ' Oxen's meadow.' See -holm. Cf.
OxLEY (Wolverhampton), Dom. Oxelie. and Oxnam (Sc).
OxcliflE (N. Lanes) is Dom. Oxeneclif .
Oxford, a. 900 coins of E. Alfred Oksnaforda, but some read
Orsnaforda, which conceivably represents a 'Horse-ford'; 912
O.E. Chron. Oxnaforda; c. 1000 chart. K. Mthelred Oxonaforda;
1011 O.E. Chron. Oxenaf ordscire ; c. 1160 Oxenefordia; 1479
Oxenford. O.E. oxena ford, ' ford for the oxen.' Cf. Grant of
a. 675 Oxelake (on the Thames). The regular W. name is Rhyd
ychen, which also means ' ford of the oxen.' It is agreed that
this W. name is very old, and that there is no recorded speUing
for ' ox ' other than ych, unless it be a dial. rvch. However,
c. 1145 Geoffrey of Mon., iv. 12, speaks of * Boso of Ridoc, that
is Oxford.' It seems unHkely that this 12th cny. name Ridoc
is meant for rhyd ychen, though rid is clearly O.W. for ' ford.'
It seems more prob. that in -oc we have O.Kelt, for 'water.'
See OcK. So that, while the Anglo-Saxons thought the name
was their own ox, it orig. was Keltic, and cognate with Ax, Ex,
UsK, and Ux- bridge. Cf., too, Isis. But for two or three
centuries the Kelt, name must have been quite lost, and the
Welsh would coin a new name when they began to frequent the
University. Before the 14th cny. Oxford would prob. be of
too little importance to the Welsh to have a W. name of its
own. As to forms a. 900, curiously enough for Oxenhall
(Dymock), Dom. writes Horsenehal, prob. an error; c. 1230
Oxonhale. Cf. also the curious form Tweoxn eam, s.v. Twyning.
OXHEY 392 PAILTON
OxHjEY (Watford). 1007 chart. Oxangehsege — i.e., O.E. for ' oxen's
enclosure ' or ' hedge/ O.E. hege. Cf. Hay and Oxenhay
(Berkeley), 1243 Oxhaye.
OxNEAD (Norfolk). 1420 Oxenede. The ending is difl&cult. There
seems nothing Ukely in e or w (no ede or nead or the like), so this
may be ' oxen-head/ where head is used in the sense of ' a pond
or body of water dammed up.' Caxton, 1480, speaks of ' fissh-
ponde hedes,' and head is spelt 3-6 heed, 4-7 hede.
OxsTED (Reigate). Dom. Acstede, O.E. for ' oak-place ' Cf.
homestead, etc.
OxTON (W. Riding, Birkenhead, and Southwell, Notts). W. R. 0.
Dom. Oxetone and Ossetone. So. 0. Dow? Oxetune. * Village
of the oxen.' Cf. Oxspring (SheflBeld), Dom. Osprinc, and
Oxenton (Tewkesbury), Dom. Oxendone.
Oysteblow (Pembroke), c. 1200 Girald. Oisterlaph, -laf, c. 1210
Osterloyth, 1325 Oystrelof, 1541 Usterloys. This is the O.W.
Esterl^^, W. Ysterlwyf , or ystre Iwyf, ' dwelling in the elm-
wood,' influenced, of course, by Eng. oyster, O.Fr. oistre, not
found in Eng. till 1357. Oystermotjth (Glam.), said to be old
Ostremuere (prob. error for -muue, M.E. for 'mouth'), may
have a similar origin, only here it will be a hybrid.
Packington (Tamworth and Ashby-de-la-Zouch) . Ta. T. Dom.
Pagiatone, a. 1200 PaMntone. Ash. P. 1043 chart. Pakinton,
Dom. Patitone (error). Cf. Dom. Essex, Pachenduna, and
Packwood (Warwk.). The nearest name in Onom. is one Pcecga ;
so prob. ' vUlage of Pcecga.' See -ing and -ton.
Padbuky (Bucks). B.C. 8., ii. 377, Padde byrig, Dom. Pateberie,
' Burgh, town of Padda,' 3 in Onom. Cf. Paddington, London,
(1167-68 Pijpe Padinton, 1439 Paddyngton) and Warrington, and
Dom. Surrey, Padendene; also Pad worth.
Padstow (N. Cornwall and Devon). Com. P. 981 O.E. Chron. See
Petrocestow, 1536 Padstowe. Dev. P. Dom. Petroches stow,
later Petrockstow. ' Place of St. Petroc,' an interesting corrup-
tion. The ending -stow, found already in 981 in Cornwall, is
an early proof of Anglo-Saxon influence there.
Pad WORTH (Theale, Berks). O.E. chart. Peadan wurth, Dom.
Peteorde, c. 1280 Paddewurth. ' Farm of Peada.' See -worth.
Pagham (Bognor). a. 1130 Sim. Dur. ann. 1108 Paggaham, 1298
Pageham. ' Home of Paga,' only one in Onom., and he at Carlisle*
But Paythorne (W. Riding), Dom. Pathorme, prob. contains the
name Pcega or Paga also; 2 Pcegas in Onom. Cf. Pagajsthill
(Stroud), 1346 PaganhuUe, and Painley.
Pailton (Rugby), a. 1300 Paylynton, Pailinton, 'Village of
Pcelli,' one in Onom.
PAINLEY 393 PAPCASTLE
Painley (Craven). Dom. Paghenale, possibly a gen. pi. ' lea of the
pagans.' Oxf. Diet, has no instance of pagan, a. 1376 ; but Pagan,
Paganus, and Pagen are all names in Onom. Paine and Payne
are surnames fr. pagan. Painswiok (Stroud) is Dom. Wyke,
but later Wyke Pagani, Payneswyke, called after Pain Fitzjohn,
Justiciar Sheriff, who seems to have built his castle here during
the wars of Stephen. Similarly Painsthorpe (E. Riding) is in
Dom. simply Thorf . Paghenale may also stand for ' nook of
Paga,' gen. -an. If so, the ending must have changed. See
-hall, -ley, -thorpe (' village '), and -wick (' dweUing ').
Palfrey Green (Walsall), a. 1600 Palfraye Green. A palfrey or
(lady's) riding-horse was a common fine or payment to a King
or superior for land. Sometimes it was an annual or periodical
payment. For the word, which is O.Fr., see Oxf. Diet.
Palgrave (Diss). 962 chart. Palegrave, Dom. Pag(g)raua, c. 1210
Jocelin Palegrava, c. 1430 Pagrave. Prob. ' Pallig'a grave,'
O.E. grcef. A Pallig, a Danish earl, is mentioned 1001 in O.E.
Chron. Pale sb. is Fr.,and not in Eng. till c. 1330; pale adj. is
also Fr., and not in Eng. a. 1300. Cf. Orgrave (Yorks), etc.
Pat.t.tnsburn (N. Northumbld.). ' Bum, brook of Paulinus,' who
prob. preached and baptized here. See Bede.
Pamborough (Glastonbury). 956 Pathenebergh. Prob. ' burgh,
castle of Patta; gen. Pattan. Cf. ' Pattnaden,' B.G.8. imi.
See -burgh. But Pamber (Hants) is 1217 Patent R. Penbere,
1225 Pen-, Pember. Prob. O.E. penn beam, ' fold in the wood.'
Cf. Penn and Beer, also Pamington (Ashchurch), Dom. Pamin-
tone, fr. an unrecorded Pama.
Pampisford (Cambridge). Dom. Pampesuuorde, even as late as
1851 Pampsworth. ' Farm of Pamp,' an imknown name. Cf.
Dan. dial, pamper, ' a short, thick-set person.' The local pron.
is Paanza, which Skeat says is 'regularly shortened from
Pamp's'orth.' See -worth.
Pangbourn (Berks). 833-34 chart. Peginga-, Psegeinga- burnan,
956 Pangan-buman. ' Burn, brook of Pceginga '—i.e., ' son of
Pcega,' 2 in Onom. The river is now called simply the Pang,
and nearer its source the Kimber. Cf. Pei^stone.
Pannal (Harrogate). Dom. Paghenhale, 1315 Pattrehall, later
Panhale, 1448 Pannal. ' Hall of Paga or Pcega,' gen. Pagan,
Both forms in Onom.
Pantsaeson (Wales). W.= ' glen of the Saxon ' (G. Saisneach) or
' EngHshman.'
Pantyoelyn (Breconsh.). W.= 'glen, hollow of the holly,' Cf,
Llwyngelyn.
Papcastle (Cockermouth). From a local L. inscription, c. 200, it is
known that Pap- represents Abalabba, site of a Roman fort.
26
PAPWORTH EVERARD 394 PATTISHALL
Papworth Everaed (Cambridge). Local pron. Parpor. Dom.
Papeworde, Ramsey chart. Pappenwrthe, Pappeworthe. ' Place
of Pappa.' Papo is the only name in Onom. See -worth.
Par (Cornwall). ? = W. pauyr, ' pastm-e/
Parcansoalli (Cornwall). Corn.= ' park, field of the bats.'
Parford • (Moreton Hampstead). Prob. 1174 chart. Pirforde.
Prob. fr. O.E. piri^, ' a pear-tree.' Cf. Parham (Berkeley),
1264 Perham, and Pirbright.
Paerbt R. (Somerset). O.E. Chron. 658 Pedrida, ib. 893 Pedrede,
Pedret. W. pedryd, ' a square/ perh. referring to the piece of
land enclosed by the river bend near Pawlett.
Partnby (Spilsby, Lines.). Bede Peartaneu. 'Isle of Peartan/
O.E. eu var. of i^, i^e, 'island/ see -ey, Peartan may be a
personal name. Nothing hke it in Onom. Perh. W. partyn,
' a smart little fellow/ or perthen, ' a bush.'
Passenham (Northants). 921 O.E, Chron. Passanhamm. ' En-
closure, O.E. hamm, of Passa,' only one in Onom., in Kent. But
cf. next. See -ham.
Passeield (Liphook). Cf. Dom. Essex, Passefelda. 'Field of
Passa,' one in Onom.
Paston (N. Walsham). a. 1150 chart. Pastun. Contraction for
' Passa's town.' See above. But Paston or Pawston (Wooler)
is for PoUokston.
Patoham (Brighton) and Patching (Worthing). 947 chart. Pec-
cinges and Pettingas (tt for cc). ' Home of Pecca, Pecga, or
Pacca,' and 'place of the sons of Pecca,' Cf. Dom. Surrey,
Pachesham, Paxford, Campden, sic 1275 and Paxton (Berwick) .
c. 1098 Paxtun. The only name in Onom. is Pecga. See -ham
and -ing.
Patney (Devizes). B.G.S. iii. 354, Peatanige. O.E. for ' Isle of
Peata, Peatta, or Peada,' all 3 forms are known. Peat and Pate
are both still in use as surnames, Cf. Pattishall and Dom.
Patintune, Salop.
Patrestgton (Hull). Dom. Patrictone. 'Town of Patrick'; the
-ick has become -ing, because -ing is so much commoner in place-
names. See -ing.
Pattingham (Wolverhampton). Pron. Pattinjem, cf. Birming-
ham. Dom. Patingham, a. 1200 Pattingeham, a. 1500 Patin-
cham, ' Home of the sons of Patta ' or ' Peatta.' Cf. Patton
(Salop), prob. B.C.S. 77 Peattingtun, and Dom. Essex, Paten-
duna. Patton (Kendal) is Dom. Patun. See -ing and -ham,
PATTISHALL (Towcester), 1207 Pateshill, 1236 Pateshull {cf.
AspuLL, etc.). ' Hall of Peata ' ; cf. Patney, Patshull (Wolver-
PAULERSPURY 395 PEEL
hampton) is Dom, Pecleshella, a. 1300 Petles- Patleshull — i.e.,
either ' Poecgel'a or Pyttel's hill/ Pegglesworth Of.
Paulerspury (Towcester) . ' The pury of (Robert de) Paveli/ an
early owner. The name ' Pury end ' still survivee ; it is in JDom.
Pirie, O.E. pir^e, piri^e, pirie, ' a pear-tree/ Cf. Pirbright.
Paull (Hull). Dom. Paghel, Pagele: later Pagula. Contraction
for ' nook of Paga or Pcega,' both in Onom. See -hall.
Pavenham (Sharnbrook, Beds.) . ' Home of Paba or Peabba/ a
name not in Onom., but cf. Pebworth, Stratford-on-Avon.
848 chart. Pebeworthe, Dom. Pebevorde. See -worth, ' farm.'
Pavey Ark (hill, Grasmere). Said to be ' shieHng, dairy hut of
Pavia.' See Arklid,
Pawlett (Bridgwater), c. 705 chart. Pouelt; later Pouholt. Perh.
' village in the holt or wood.' Pou is said to be = L. pagus, as
often in Brittany. Pouelt, however, prob. represents an O.W.
pwl allt, ' pool by the clifE.' But Pawton, St. Breock, Cornwall,
is c. 988 chart. Polltun, ' village by the pool or stream.'
Peak, The (Derbyshire), a. 800 chart. Pecssetna {i.e., dwellers in the
Peak), 924 O.E. Chron. Peac-lond; Dom. Pechesers, now ' Peak's
Arse '; c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. In monte vocato Pec, a. 1135 chart.
dominium de Pecco, 1173-4 Pech. Oxf. Diet, says ' origin im-
known, perh. British,' and not connected with the Eng. peah
sb. Cf. Peckham, Pegsdon, etc. It may be the name of a
demon or spirit. Cf. Puck.
Peakirk (Peterboro'). c. 1015 chart. Pegecjo-can, a. 1100 Giant
Pei-, Peychirche. ' Church of Pega or Pcega,' both in Onom.
This is far south to find a ' kirk ' !
Peasemore (Leckhampstead) . Chron. Abing. Pesimara, a. 1224
Pesemere, c. 1540 Peysmer. ' Land for growing pease,' O.E.
pise. The ending is a little unsettled; O.E. mere, ' marsh, fen '
seems scarcely prob., yet we have Peasemarsh (Sussex), as well
as Peasenhall (Saxmundham) . It may be O.E. mor, ' a moor ' ;
(Peasbrook, Broadway, Worcester), in 972 c^r<. Pisbroc, is also
fr. O.E. pise, ' a pea.'
Peckham (London) and Peckham Btjsh (Tonbridge), ? c. 1130
Eadmer Petteham ; but Dom. Pecheha, 1278 Pecham. ' Home
of Peca or Pecha,' possibly the same name as Peak, if it mean
a demon or sprite, or Puck. Cf. too Dom. Surrey, Pechingeorde,
' farm of the sons of Peca.'
Pedmore (Stourbridge). A name which has curiously changed.
Dom. Pevemore, c. 1200 Pebbemore, 1340 Pebmore. ' Moor of
Peuf ' or ' Peufa,' both in Onom., or rather fr. Peobba, a dimin.
form of Peof or Peuf. ' Moor 'is O.E. mor.
Peel (I. of Man) and Peele Hall (Tarvin, Cheshire). I. of M.
P. 1399 chart. Pela, 1656 Peel-Town, mentioned with Castle-
PEGSDON 396 PENDENNIS
Town. The Eng. peel is not found till c. 1330, and meant
originally ' a paUsade or fence of stakes/ then ' a castle/ Its
history is rather curious. See Oxf. Diet, s.v. There was for-
merly a moated tower at Peele Hall. But the Manx name of
Peel is Port-na-hinsey, ' port of the island ' (now connected
by a narrow breakwater with the mainland) . It was also called
Holmtown.
Pegsdon (Bedfordsh.). Dom. Pechesdon, ' hill of Peak/ q.v.
Pegswood (Morpeth). Prob. ' wood of Pecge ;' c/. 958 chart. Pecges
ford, on Stour, Stafford, 740 ib. Peginhullis (Wilts), and above.
Pegqlesworth (Dowdeswell) Dom. Peclesurde, is prob. fr. a
man Peohtgils. See -worth, ' farm.'
PELSAMi (Walsall). 994 chart. Peolshale, Dom. Peleshale. a. 1400
Peoleshale. ' Nook, corner of Peola.' Cf. Dom. Surrey, Pele-
f orde, and see -hall.
Peltjtho (Abbey Town, Cumbld.). Prob. G. poll uchdaich, 'pool
by the ascent.' In any case the name is much corrupted.
Pemberton (Wigan). Sic 1323, but 1200-1 Penberton, 1202 Pen-
breton. Perh. hybrid, W. penn bre, ' head of the hill ' (there
is a Pembrey in Wales) + -ton, q.v. But quite possibly fr. a
man, as P ember, though not in Onom., is still a surname.
Pembbidge (Heref ordsh.) . Dom. Penebruge. Prob. hybrid as
above, W. penn, ' head, height,' + bridge.
Pembroke, c. 1180 Gir. Camb. Pembrochia caput maritimae
sonat, 1297 R. Olouc. Penbroc, c. 1350 Pembrok, 1450 Pembroke.
O.W. pen broc, mod W. penfro, head of the sealand.' O.W.
and Bret, bro, O.Ir. brog, country, land (vale).' There is also
Penbro, or -fro, near the Lizard; 1219 Patent B. Eglospenbroc
{eglos, ' church '). Cf. Pentire (Cornwall) and Kintyee (Sc).
Penally (Pembk.). Old Pen Alun, which is perh. O.W. for
' beautiful height/ G. aluinn, ' fair, lovely.'
Penarth (Glamorgan). W. penn arth, 'head of the height,' or
' high headland.' Cf. Lanarth, and Kinnaird (Sc).
Penberry Headland (St. David's). May be hybrid, W. penn,
' head, headland,' and -berry, = -biu-gh, q.v. Of. Turneerry
(Sc). But it prob. is fr. W. beri, ' a kite, a glede.' Penbury
(Gloster.) must be at least half Eng., perh. wholly so.
Pencarrow (Bodmin). Corn, pen caerau, 'height of the forts/
Corn, and W. caer, G. cathair, ' a castle, a fort.'
Pencoyd (Ross, Heref d.). =Pencoed (Glam.), W. for 'head of
the wood,' coed, pi. coydd.
Pendennis (Falmouth). Sic 1567. Corn, pen dinas, 'headland
with the castle.'
PENDLETON 397 PENN
Pendleton (Manchester). Dom. Peniltune. Prob. ' town of
Pendwulf ' or ' Penweald/ both names in Onom. ; older forms
needed. But Pendle {sic 1612) Hill, Clitheroe, is 1344 Penhull,
a tautology, W. jpenn, ' height,' and hull, regular old Midi, for
* hiU.' Pendle Hill is therefore a triple tautology. Cf. Penhull
(Lindridge), sic c. 1300.
Pbndock (Tewkesbury). 877 and Dom. Pene-, Peonedoc, 1275
Penedoch. Prob. W. penn y dych, ' height of the groan or sigh,'
Pensax (Stourport), in the same shire, will also be W., fr. W.
Sais, ' a Saxon, an Englishman.' It is found c. 1400 as Pensax.
-sex.
Pendragon (Westmld.), ' head, height of the dragon,' was a
castle of Wm. Rufus. Oxf. Diet., does not give dragon in Eng.
till c. 1220, and says, fr. Er. dragon, L. draco, -nem. It certainly
was adopted in the Keltic tongues too.
Penenden Heath. Dom. Pinnedenna, c. 1200 Gervase Pin-
nindene. O.W. pinn, penn eiddyn, ' head of the hillslope.'
Penge (Sydenham). 957 chart. ' Se wude ]>e hatte Poenge, 1067
chart. ' Penceat Wood in Battersea Manor '; 1308 chart., ' Penge
in parochia de Badricheseye.' M'Clure thinks this a worn-down
form of Kelt, penceat, ' chief wood ' = Penketh.
Penistone (Sheffield). Dom. Peng-, Pangeston, 1551 Pennystone.
' Town of Panga,' or ' of (nasalized) Poega,' both names in Onom.;
Cf. Pangbouhn and Pendeford (Wolverhampton), a. 1400
Penneford.
Penketh (Warrington). Sic 1292, but 1296 Penket; prob. as in
Penge. Cf. 1166-7 Pipe, Devon, Morchet, prob. O.Kelt, for
' great wood.'
Penkhtill (Stoke-on-T.) . Dom. Pinchetel, a hybrid, 'height,'
W. penn, ' of Cytel or Ketel,' a common O.E. name. But a. 1200
Pencul, which looks like W. penn cut, ' slender height ' or ' head ' ;
while the present form has been influenced by huU, W. Midi,
form of hill. Cf. Penkridge.
Penkridge (Stafford), c. 380 Ant. Itin. Penno Crucis, 958 chart.
Pencric, Dom. Pancriz, 1158 Pipe Peincrig, 1160 ih. Peincriz,
1297 Pen-, Pemcriche, a. 1400 Penk rich. W. penn crych,
' wrinkled, rumpled height.' But M'Clure and Rhys connect
with Cbeech. The R. Penk seems to be a back formation or
contraction fr. Penkridge — a. 1300 ' the river of Pencriz,' a. 1400
'River Penk.' Cf. Pentrich. Duignan's art. is very full;
with Penkridge he classes Penncricket Lane, Oldbury, no old
forms.
Penllyn (Cowbridge). Prob. W. penn llwyn, 'head, height with
the grove.'
Penn ( Wolvermpton) . Dom. Penne. O.E. penn, ' a pen, a fold.'
There is also Pen Mill (Yeovil), prob. Dom. Penne too.
PENNAED 398 PENTNET
PEnnsTAED, E. and W. (Somerset). Spurious chart, of 681 Pengerd.
Corn, pen gerd, ' height with the hedge/ Corn, gerd, gard, G.
garradh, Eng. garth, yard,
Penni-^ Pennegant (N. W. Yorks) . W. penn y gwant, * height of
the butt or mark/ or perh. ' y gwynt ' ' of the wind.' The name
' Pennine Range ' seems to have no ancient history.
Pennington (Lymington and Ulverston). UI. P. Dom. Penne-
getun. This must be fr. O.E. penning, pcenig, or penig, ' a
penny/ ' penny town/ referring to some tax or impost. Cf.
Penny 4 e in Oxf. Diet. Pennyland, ' land valued at Id. a year/
is not given in Diet, till a Gloucr. chart, a. 1300, Penilond.
Pennycomeqitick (old name of Falmouth). Corn, pen comb icJc,
' height of the narrow valley or combe/ though others say, ' y
cum cuig, ' of the valley of the cuckoo.'
Penpont (Altarnon). Dom. Penponte. Corn. = 'at the head of
the bridge.' Cf. Penpont (Sc). We have the dimin. in Pen-
rwNTAN (Knighton, Radnor), which means ' little mill-
dam ' ; but pont, L. pons, -tis, is regular W. and Corn, for
' bridge.'
Penrith. 1166-7 Pipe Penred, 1461 Penreth. W. penn rhydd,
'red, ruddy height'; though some say, 'head of the ford/
W. rhyd, O.W. rit. But what ford ? The Eamont is a good
bit away. Quite possible is an Eng. origin, fr. pen for cattle,
and rith ' stream,' as in Cottered, Ryde, etc., so ' cattle-fold
by the stream.' But against an Eng. origin is the parish of
Penrith, sic 1603, in Pembroke, 1594 Penrythe.
Penbuddock (Penrith). Prob. W. penn rhuddog, ' reddish, russet-
coloured height.' There is also rhodog, ' a little circle.'
Penbyn (Falmouth). Sic 1536. Corn, pen ryn, ' at the head of
the promontory or peninsula,' lit. 'nose.' Cf. Rhynns (Sc).
The three places called Penrhyn in Wales are, of course, of
similar origin, W. penn rhyn.
Penselwood (GilHngham). Nennian Catalogue Pensauelcoit. W.
penn sawell coed. ' Wood of the height like a chimney or smoke-
hole.' Near by are the Pen pits, prob. O.E. Chron. 658 ' ^t
Peonnum,' ib. 1016 Peonnan.
Pensnett (Kingswinf ord) . 1248 Peninak, c. 1300 Penniak, a. 1400
Pensyned, Pensned chace. Clearly W., penn sinach, ' head of
the ridge'; it is on high land. But Pensham, Pershore, is
972 chart. Pedneshamme, ' enclosm-e of Peden.' See -ham.
Pent R. (Essex), and on it Pentlow, or ' hill, mound on the Pent.'
See -low. Bede Penta. Prob. W. pant, ' a hollow, a dingle/
On its lower reaches it is called the Blackwater.
Pentney (Swafifham). 1451 Penteney. Prob. O.E. Pendan i^e,
' Penda's isle/ See -ey.
PENTREATH 399 PETERBOROtTGH
Penteeath (Cornwall). Corn. = ' at the head of the sands or
strand.' (7/. Pentraeth, Menai Br. and Portbeath. Treath
is the G. traigh.
Pentbich or -ridge (Derby and Dorset). De. P. Dom. Pentric;
Do. P. 958 chart. Pencric. Prob. both = Penkeedge.
Pentyre (Padstow) , Corn, pen or pedn tir, ' head, end of the land/
Brythonic form of Kintyrb (Sc).
Penwortham (Preston). Sic 1343, but 1140-9 Penuerthan, 1201-2
Pelwrdham, 1204 Penwrthan, 1242 Penwirtham, 1305 Pen-
wurtham. No likely name in Onom., so this is prob. W. penn
gwrthan, ' at the head of the dell or corrie/ the -an being cor-
rupted, very naturally, on Eng. lips into -am or -ham, q.v.
Penzance. Corn, pen or pedn sans (L. sanctus), ' holy headland.'
Peopleton (Pershore). 972 chart. Piplincgtime, Dom. Piplintiine,
1275 PypHnton. A curious and not easily explained corruption.
Perh. Piplin- is a corrup. of Pippen, one in Onom., the only likely
name on record. But 972 is certainly a patronymic, and points
to an unrecorded Pipel, ' town of the sons of Pipel.' See -ing.
Peppard Common (Henley-on-T.) . Prob. fr. some man not in
Onom. Cf. Dom. Surrey, Pipereberge. We also have Pepper
Ness (Sandwich), which is 1023 chart. Piperneasse, and must
surely be fr. a man too, and not fr. O.E. pipor,peppor, and piper,
'pepper.' Pepper Wood (Bellbroughton) is 1242 Piu-perode,
which is perh. ' wood (O.E. wudu, of which -ode is corrup.) of
Purper or Purperd.' A Robt. Pippard is found here in 1294,
and Pippard may be fr. Purperd, a name otherwise unknown.
Peranzabuloe (Cornwall). Dom. Lanpiran ('church of Piran'),
1536 Vicaria 'jancti Perani in Zabulo, ' of St. P. on the sands,'
L. sahulum or sahulo, ' coarse sand, gravel.' Peran is Bryth.
form of Kieran, founder of Clonmacnoise monastery, famous
It. saint, d. 545. Cf. Perranporth and Perranuthnoe in Corn-
wall, and Peran WELL (Sc.) ; also Peran Towans (New Quay),
temp. Hen. I. Perran Tohod, temp. Hen. III. Pyran Thohon.
See TowAN Hd.
Perry Barb and Hall (Staffs.). Barr P. Dom. Pirio, a. 1200 Piri,
Pirie, Pirye, a. 1300 Pyrie; Hall P. a. 1300 Pyrye. O.E. pirige,
M.E. pirie, ' a pear-tree.' Cf. 1160-1 Pipe Somst., Perretona.
Pershore (Worcester). 972 Perscoran, 1056 O.E. Chron. On
Perscoran, Dom. and 1298 Persore, 1102 Eadmer Perscore.
O.E. persoc ora, gen. -an, ' peach-growing bank or shore.' Cf.
Keynor, Windsor, etc. Shore is prob. Du., and only found
in M.E.
Peterborough. Its old names were Burh = ' burgh,' and Mede-
hamstede. It received its present name, in honour of St. Peter j
fr. K. Edgar. See O.E. Chron. 963.
PETERSHAM 400 PICKWELL
Petersham (Richmond). 727 chart. Piterichesbame, Dom. Patri-
cesham (c/, Batteesea), 1266 Petrichesham. ' Home of
Patricius ' or ' Patrick,' which to this day, in Scotland, is con-
stantly interchanged with Peter.
Petridge (Tunhridge). O.E. Pedan Tirycg, 'Peda's ridge/ Cf.
Petham, Canterbury and Dom. Petelie (Salop). These may be
fr. Peatta. Cf. K.C.D. 949 Peattan ig. There is also a Pedewrde
in Dom. Salop. See next.
Pettaugh (Stowmarket). Dom. Pete-, Pette haga. 'Meadow,
haugh of Piot ' or ' Peott' O.E. Tmlech, halh, which in endings
is usually found in its dat. hale; see -hall. But Dom. 'a form
-haga is very rare, and is O.E. haga, ' fenced-in place, enclosure.'
Pbtworth (Sussex). 1199 Pitteworth. O.E. chart. Peartinga-
wyrth is thought by Birch to be P., but more early forms are
needed. The Pet- may be the same as in Petridge. But it
should be noted that 'pet is regular Kentish for 'pit, O.E. pytt,
O.Fris. pet. So Petham, Canterbury, is prob. ' house beside
the (gravel) pit.'
PEUiiiNioQ (C'marthen). W. = ' land of Paulinus' the well-known
missionary in Bede. (7/. Capel Peulin.
Pevensea. 1049 O.E. Chron. Pefenasaee, later MSS. Peuenesea,
1088 ih. Pefensea, c. 1097 Flor. W. Pevanessa, but Dom. Pevene-
sel, c. 1160 Gest. Steph. Pevenesel. * Island of Pefen,' perh. a
British not an O.E. name. The -ea is O.E. i^, i^e, O.N. ey,
* island'; what -el represents is not so certain. Certainly
-esel cannot represent isle or island. See these words in
Oxf. Diet.
Pewsey (Wilts), a. 1400 Pevesey, = Pttsey, ' Pefi's isle.'
Phepson or Fepston (Himbleton, Worcester) . 956 chart, and Dom.
Eepsetnatun(e), 1108 Fepsintune. 'Town of the dwellers in
Fep,' an unknown name. Cf. ' Petsaetna,' s.v. Peak.
Pickering (E. Yorks). Dom. Pickeringa, Pickeringe. ' Home of
Pichere's sons.' Cf. B.C. 8. 125 Pickeresham ; and Pixham Ferry,
Worcester, 1275 Pykerham, Pykresham. See -ing.
PICKHTT.L (Thirsk). Dom. Picala, -ale. * Nook of Pice' Cf. next,
and see -hall, which is rarely corrupted into -hill.
Pickton (Chester). 1340 Pykton, and Pickworth (Rutland),
K.C.D. 812 Piccingawurth, c. 1460 Pykeworth. ' Town of Pice,'
and ' farm of the descendants of Pice' See -ton and -worth.
Also Picton (Stockton), 1179-80 Piketon, fr. the same name.
Cf. Dom. Pichetorne (Salop), 'Pice's thorn'; also Pickbtjrn
(Brodsworth, Yorks), Dom. Picheburne, 1202 Pikeburn, Pick-
tree, Co. Durham, 1183 Piktre, and Dom. Norfk, Pichenha'.
PiCKWELL (Devon). Exon. Dom. Pedicheswell. As Pedich is not
in Onom., it may be corrup. of Patrick. See Petersham.
PIDDLE R. 401 PIMPERNE
Peddle R. and hamlet (Pershore), and Piddletown (Dorchester).
Pe. P. 963 chart. Pidele, Dom. Pidele, Pidelet, 1275 Pydele
North. Do. P. K.C.D. 522 and 656. Pyedele, Dom. Pydele.
It may be cognate with the Eng. piddle and puddle, but these
appear late in recorded Eng. See Oxf. Diet. There is no W.
sb. like pydel. Duignan thinks it means ' a small stream." Cf.
next, Affpiddle and Tolpiddlb.
PiDDLETRENTHiDE (Dorchester) . A difficult name needing further
light thrown on it. On Piddle see above. The rest is doubtful.
W. tren is ' impetuous/ and the R. Teent in W. is Trin., while
W. hydo is ' sheltering, apt to cover." But all this is groping in
the dark. Possibly -trent- may represent thirteen, O.N. \rettan,
Dan. tretten, Sw. tretton, nasalized; and hide may be the well-
known land measure. See Hyde.
PiDLEY (Huntingdon) . Not in Dom. Perh. ' Peda's mead ; the name
is in Onom. But Pro sle y ( Devon) is 930 chart. Pidersleage, where
Pider is a name hard to identify; in Dom. it has become Pidelige.
PiERSE Bridge (DarHngton). a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Perse brycg.
Perse is not in Onom. ; but it is the Fr. Piers. Cannot be connected
with pierce, which is Fr., and not in Eng. a. 1297.
Pilkington (Prestwich). 1301 Pylkington. A patronymic, which
seems otherwise unknown.
Pill (Bristol) and West Pill (Pembroke). Pe. P. c. 1550 Leland
Pille. Pill in these cases, in E. Cornwall and S.E. Ireland, is a
var. of pool, and generally means ' a tidal creek ' ; also ' a running
stream."
PiLLERTON Hersey (Rincton). Dom. Pilarde-, -dintun (e). 1,176
Pilardintone, 1327 Pylardynton, 'village of Pilheard,' a rare name.
Bilheard is also found. The Herce family held the manor in Nor.
days.
PiLLEY (Lymington and S. Yorks). Yor. P. Dom. Pillei. Prob.
' isle of Pila ' or ' Pilu.' See next, and -ey.
PiLSLEY (Chesterfield). Cf. a. 1100 chart. ' Pilesgate," Melton Mow-
bray. ' Meadow of Pilu or Pilwine.' There is a ' Pileford " in
Dom. Yorks. See -ley.
PiLTON (N. Devon and Shepton Mallet) . Dev. P. c. 1130 Wm.
Malmesb. Piltune. Shep. P. 1233 Pilton. Ped sbS ' a palisade
or fence," is not in Eng. a. 1300; so this is prob. ' Pilu's town."
See above, also Pill. But PiUand is Pelland in Exon. Dom.
-PiMLico (London). So spelt from 1598; first found as a place in
1614. Cf. Pymlyco or Runne Red Cap, 1609, a pamphlet on
London life. See, too, N. and Q., 21 Nov. 1908. It seems to
be a personal name, ' old Ben Pimhco " being referred to in 1598.
PiMPERNE (Blendford). 935 chart. Pimpern welle. A puzzling
name. O.W. pimp, W. pump is ' five," but W. em is ' a pledge " ;
PINCHBECK 402 PITCHCOMBE
O.E. erne is ' house/ but there seems no O.E. name or word Pim/p.
Connexion with pimpernel seems impossible. See Oxf. Did. s.v.
Pinchbeck (Spalding). 810 chart. Pyncebek, Dom. Picebech.
1290 Pyncenbent (? error). O.E. pynce or pinca is ' a point ';
but here it is quite as likely to be name of a man. Cf. Dom.
Norfk, Penkesford, and Pineneys Green; and see -beck,
' brook.'
PiNCHFiELD (Hertford). 796 chart. Pinnelesfeld. ' Field of Pinnel,'
no other known.
PiNHOE (Exeter). 1001 O.E. Chron. Peonnho, a. 1130 Sim. Dur.
Penho. Tautology. Corn, pen, W. pinn, penn, ' a height/
and O.E. hoh. Cf. Hoe. Pindetjp (Gloster), old Pinthrup, may
be similar, with its ending a rare var. of -thorpe, ' village.'
Pinkneys Green (Maidenhead), c. 1160 Gest. Steph. Pinchenei,
1161-2 Pipe Pinchenni, 1298 Pynkeny. ' Isle of Pinca,' gen. -an.
Cf. B.C. 8. 665 Pincan ham, 1160-1 Pipe Pinchinei (Hants), and
Pinchbeck. See -ey.
Pinner (Harrow). Named in 1336 chart. Prob., like Asher,
Beecher, Hasler, etc., O.E. pin-ofr, 'pine-tree bank'; cf.
WooLER. The name of the rivulet Pin here will be a back
formation. Pinley (Warwksh.), a. 1200 Pinelei, is also fr.
O.E. pin ; see -ley. We read in c. 1205 Layamon 4057, ' In Logres
was King Piner ' ; but this can have no connexion here. Pennar
Pike (Yorks) will be W. pinn arth, ' head of the height,' or ' high
headland.' Cf. Penahth and Red Pike. Baddeley derives
PiNNOCK, Hailes, Dom. Pignocsire, later Pinnoc, (prob.) fr.
pinnock sb^, found a. 1250, as name for the hedge-sparrow or
some other bird. The -sire in Dom. is for ' shire.' Exon. Dom.
also has a Pinnoc, prob. Kelt, for ' little hill.'
Pipe (Lichfield, Hereford) and Pipe Gate (Mket. Drayton). Pi. P.
a. 1200 Pype, Pipe, which is O.E. for ' pipe.' The city water
has for long been conveyed by pipe from here. Her. P. is also
Dom. Pipe. Cf. Pipe Hayes (' hedges '), Erdington.
PtPEWELL (Kettering). Sic Dom. and 1160 Pipe Roll. ' Well with
a pipe from it,' O.E. pipe.
Pirbright (Woking). 1300-1400 Pirifrith, Pirifirith, Pirifright,
Purifright. O.E. piriyfyrh'^e, ' pear-tree- wood.' Cf. Paulers-
PURY, PiREHTTiL, Stone, Dom. Pirehel, Pireholle, and Potters-
PURY, also next.
PiRTON (Hitchin, Worcester, and Awre). Wor. P. 766 chart.
Pirigton, Pyrigtun, 972 Pyritune, Dom. Peritune. Aw. P. Dom.
Peritone, 'pear-tree village.' Cf. Perton or Purton (Wolver-
hampton), c. 1060 Pertune, Dom. Pertone.
Pitchcombe (Stroud), 1253 Pychencombe; and Pitcht-ord (Shrews-
bury). 1238 Close R. Pycheford, 1298 Redulphus de Picche-
PLAINANGUAEE 403 POLDHU
forde/ Prob. fr. a man Pice, Pic, oT^Picco. See Onom., and
Cf. Pegswood, The verb pitch, ' to throw/ is not foiind in
Eng. till c. 1205. See -combe, ' valley/
Plain AN GFAEE (Cornwall). 'Plain for theatrical plays/ Plain
is O.Fr., L. planus, but gimre is late Corn., L. varia. Cf. Doe-
CHESTER.
Plaistow (London, Sussex, Selborne). Lo. P. old Plegstow, Se. P.
1271 La Pleystow, now called Plestov. O.E, plegstow, 'play-
place, playground,' Cf. Plestins (Warwksh.), a. 1300 Pleystowe,
Pleistouwe. See Stow.
Plashetts (Northumbld). Dimin. of plash sb^, O.E. plcesc, plesc,
' a marsh, or marshy pool.' Plashet is also an Eng. word, found
from fr. 1575, and given in Oxf. Diet, as fr. O.Fr. plassiet
plaschet, dimin. fr. plascq, ' a damp meadow.'
Pleck (Gloster and Walsall). Gl. P. 1220, Plocke. M.E. (found
c. 1315) plecche, ' a small enclosure or plot of ground,' cognate
with Du. plecke with same meaning; but there is no O.E. ploecca,
as Baddeley thinks.
Plemonstall or Plemstall (Chester). 1340 Plemondstow.
' Plegmund's place.' See Stow. But -stall is O.E. steall, steel,
also ' a place,' then ' a stall.'
Pltjmpton (Penrith, Preston, Yorks, and Lewes). Pr. P. Dam.
Pluntun. Yor. P. Dom. Plontone, 1206 Plumton, 1490 Plompton.
Prob. ' plum-village.' O.E. plume. No name like Pluma
in Onom. For the intrusion of p cf. Bampton, Beompton, etc.
Plumstead (Woolwich and Norwich). Wool, and Nor. P. Dom.
Plumestede; Nor. P. 1450 Plumbsted. O.E. plume-sted, ' plum-
place.' Cf. Plumpteee (Notts), Dom. Pluntre.
Plymouth. Sic 1495, but 1231 Close R. Plimmue, 1234 ib. Plime-
muth, c. 1450 Fortescue, The Plymouthe. Plympton, Dom.
PUntone, c. 1160 Plintona, 1218 PHnton. Plymstock, Dom.
Plemestoch. All on R. Plym. W. plym, L. plumbum, is ' lead '';
but some think the root simply means here ' river.'
Plynlimmon Mountain (Wales). 1603 Oiven Penplymon. W.
Pumlumon; c. 1200 Gir. Camb. Montana de Elenit or Elennith.
Pum llumon seems to be W. for ' five beacons.' O.W. pimp,
W. pum, pump, ' five,' and llumon, ' beacon.' Cf. Ben Lomond
(Sc), G. Laomuinn.
PocKLiNGTON (York). Dom. Poclinton, 14 times, 1202 Pokelinton,
1298 Pokelington. Prob. ' town of Puccla,' gen. -Ian, fr. O.E.
pucel, ' a goblin,' prob. connected with puck, ' a fairy.' Cf.
PucKLECHUECH, and Pockley, E. Riding, Dom. Pochelac (for
this ending, cf. Filey) . Possibly this last is fr. Poha or Pohha,
names in Onom. Cf. 1161-2 Pipe Pocheslea, Northants.
PoLDHU (the Lizard). Corn. = ' black pool.'
POLESWORTH 404 POPPLETON
PoLESWOETH (Tamworth). Old PoUes-, Polsworth, 'farm of PoV
Of. Dom. Bucks, Policote, and K.C.D. 641 Polesleah.
PoLLiNGTON (Wellingboro') . Cf. Grant of a. 675 ' Poddenhale/
Winchester. O.E. Poddantun, ' town of Podda,' in Onom. Cf.
PoDMORE (Eccleshall) Dom. Podemore (' moor '), and Poden
(Wore), 860 cMrt. Poddan-, -denho. See Hoe.
PoLTTREiAJsr (the Lizard) , Corn, pol yrhian, ' pool at the boundary/
or else, 'pool of St. Urian.' Cf. Centurion's Copse. Others
say fr. St. Ruman or Ruan, whose bones were translated to Tavis-
tock Abbey in 960. St. Euan's, Major and Minor, are near.
PoNSONBY (Whitehaven) . ' DweUing of Punzun' in Fr. Ponson, on
record c. 1300, whilst another Punzun is named 1179-80 in Pipe,
Yorks. See -by.
PoNTEFRACT. 8ic 1608, c. 1097 Orderic Fractus Pons, 1120 Bull
Pontefractum, c. 1160 John Hexh. Pontifractus. L. pontefracto,
* broken bridge,' a rare type of Eng. name, prob. referring to the
bridge broken down by Wm. I., 1069. Remains of a Roman
bridge were still visible in Leland's time. Cf. Catterick.
PoNTESBURY (Shrewsbury). Prob. O.E: Chron. 661 Posentesbyrg,
' Burgh, castle of Posente.' See -bury.
PONTRILAS (Hereford). W. pont tri glas, 'bridge over three
streams.' It is so still. Pontfadoc (Chesh.),is for Pont Madoc,
' son of Owain Gwynedd,' who, the natives say, discovered
America ! F is aspirated m.
PoNTYPOOL (Monmouth) . As it stands, W. pont y pwl, ' bridge at the
pool,' but commonly held to be pont ap Howel, ' Powell's bridge.'
Pontypridd (Glamorgan), c. 1540 Leland Pont Rherhesh, W. pont
yr hesg, 'bridge of the rushes.' But renamed pont y pridd, lit.
' bridge of clay/ for pont yr hen dy pridd, ' bridge of the old house
of earth/ erected by Wm. Edwards, 1755.
PooLE. 1234 Close R. La Pole, c. 1450 Fortescue Polle havyn.
O.E. pol. Corn, pol, ' a pool.' But Pool, W. Riding, is Dom.
Pouele, which may be * pool-nook.' See -hall.
Poplar (London), c. 1350 Popler. There is no reason to doubt
Dr. Woodward, writing in 1720, ' Popler or Poplar is so called
from the multitude of poplar-trees (which love a moist soil)
growing there in former times.' The Manor of Poplar belonged
to Sir John de Pulteney, temp. Edw. III., which gives about the
earliest mention of the name of the tree in England (see Oxf.
Diet.), O.Fr. poplier, L. populus.
PopPLETON (York). Dom. Popletune, Popletunis, pi. for P. Upper
■^ and Nether. ' Poplar-tree town,' late O.E. popul, dial, popple.
But Papplewick, Nottingham. Dom. Paplewio, is fr. O.E.
papol, 'pebble.'
POE(T)CHESTER 405 PORTSMOUTH
Por(t)chesteb (Fareham). c. 150 Ptolemy Meyas Aifirjv, the
Rom. Portus Magnus, ' great harbour/ c. 1170 Wace Pore-
cester, c. 1205 Layam. Port-cheestre. L. portus, ' harbour/
and castrum, ' camp/ See Chester, and cf. Portsmouth.
Identification with Cair Peris in Nennius is very doubtful.
PoRcuiL (Falmouth) . Local form Perkil. Corn, porth chil, ' har-
bour on the neck of land/ which it is. Chil is same as G. caol,
' narrow, a strait, a kyle.'
PoRiN GLAND (Norwich). Dom. Porringelanda. Porring is an
otherwise unknown patronymic.
PoRLOCK (Somerset). 1052 O.E. Ckron. Portlocan, 1275 Porlok.
Port-loca is ' enclosed harbour,' loca, ' an enclosure.' Cf.
Matlock.
PoRTHCAWL (Glamorgan). W. porth cawell, ' harbour of the weir ' ;
or ' of the hampers or baskets/ Corn. dial, cawel, cowel, ' a
fish creel,' O.E. cawl, ceawl, ' a basket.' Cf, Calbourne.
PoRTH Gaverne, Isaac, Quest (Padstow). Corn, porth, ' harbour,'
L. portus, ' of the goat,' gavem, ' of the corn,' iz, with its adj.
izick, ' of corn,' and ' white,' gunn.
Porthmear (Cornwall). Corn. = ' great harbour,' Mear is cognate
with Eng. more, L. major, G. mor, as weU as W. mawr.
PoRTiNSCALE (Kcswick). Old Portingscale. Thought to be ' the
harbour or ferry by the hut,' of the viking, O.N. skali, ' a
shieUng, a hut.'
PoRTiSHAM (Dorchester), a. 1250 Owl and Night. Porteshom.
' Home on the harbour.' See above and -ham.
PoRTiSHEAD (Bristol). Pron. Posset. 'Head, headland at the
port or harbour.'
Portland. Sic a. 1130 Sim. Dur.; O.E. Chron. 837 Port, v.r.,
Portlande — i.e., ' land forming a harbour or shelter.'
Port Llaitw (S. Wales) . Thought to be c. 150 Ptolemy Louentinon.
Doubtful.
Portreath (Redruth). Corn, porth treath, ' harbour on the strand
or sands.' Cf. Pentreath.
Portskeweth (Chepstow). 1065 O.E. Chron. Portasciht5, Dom.
Porteschiwet, c. 1130 Lib. Land.. Vorthiscemn, a. 1130 Sim.
Dur. Portascith, Gir. Camb. Itin. Eskewin. Doubtful. Perh.
W. porth yscuit, ' harbour at the shoulder.' But the W. name
is said to be Porthiscoed, ? ysgoad, ' a thrusting aside.' See
M'Clure, p. 300, note.
Portsmouth. O.E. Chron. 501 refers to Port, and to a chief Port
who landed here. c. 1097 Orderic Portesmude, 1203 Portes-
muthe, 1213 Portesmue. Very likely it is simply L. portus,
' harbour,' but we have Portington (Yorks) Dom. Portiton,
POSTWICK 406 PRESTEIGN
-inton, which must be fr. a man Port. In 1160-1 Pipe Hants,
we have Portesdon or Poetsdowij.
PosTWicK (Norwich). 1452APossewyk. Nothing Ukely in Onom.
so prob. O.E. post-wic, ' house, dwelling with the posts/ But,
PosTLiP (Gloster), Dom. Poteslepe, 1175 Postlepa, is prob.
' Potta'a leap/ Cf. Biedlip.
PoTTON (Sandy), a. 1130 Pottona. Possibly ' pot- town/ O.N.
pott-r, ' a pot/ Perh. fr. a man Pohta or Poto, names in Onom.
Cf. 1179-80 Pipe, Potton (Yorks), not in Dom., but there we
have PoTTERTON, Dom.Potertun; this is as early as, or earher
than, any quot. for potter, in Oxf. Diet. Potterspuiiy (Stony
Stratford) is, however, in 1229 simply Estpirie. See Pauler-
spury. PoTTERNE (Wilts) is Dom. Poterne, where erne is cer-
tainly O.E. for ' house.'
PoTJLTON LE Fylde (Preston) and Poulton (Fairford and Birken-
head). Pr. P. Dom. Poltun, O.E. for ' village by the pool.'
Fa. P. 1303 Polton.
PowicK (Worcester). Chart. Poincgwic, Dom. Poiwic, 1275 Poys-
wyke, a. 1300 Poywick. Poincg- i§ clearly a patronymic, fr.
Po or Poha, see -ing ; so this is ' dwelling-place of Poha's descen-
dants.' See -wick.
PowYS (this includes Fhnt, Montgomery, Merioneth), also Powys
Cast. (Welshpool), c. 1200 Gir. Camb. Powisia, Ann. Camb.
828 Poywis, 1297 Powys. W. powys, ' a state of rest.'
PoYNiNGS (Hurstpierpoint, Sussex). Dom. Poninges. A patrony-
mic. Nothing in Onom. Poynton (Stockport) is Dom. Pontone;
so evidently Pon was a man's name.
Praze (Camborne). Corn, pras, L. pratum, ' a meadow.'
Frees (Whitchurch) and Preese (Lytham). Ly. P. Dom. Pres.
W. prys, pres, ' copse, shrubs.' Cf. Dumfries (Sc). Preesall
(Preston) is Dom. Pressouede, where the ending is doubtful;
prob. it is for ' wood,' and so a tautology. Also see -hall.
Prendergast (Haverf ord W.) . Sic 1603 Owen. The name is also
found with same spelling in Berwicksh., 1100 Prenegest, 1451
Prendregest, also Plenderguest ; whilst in Roxburghsh. is Plender-
leith, 1587 Prenderleith. A puzzHng name. The first part
may be for O.W. premier, found in Ir. as prenter, ' a presbyter,
a priest,' and the second may be, W. gest, cest, ' a deep glen
between two hills.' Fris. gaast, ' a morass,' seems also possible.
Prescot. ' The cot or cottage of the priest.' O.E. prepst, O.N.
prest-r.
Presteign (Radnor) and Preston (19 in P.O.). Dom. Yorks,
Bucks, and Salop, Prestone, -tun; ib. Warwk., Prestetone. All
= ' priest's town.' In W. Presteign is Llanandras or ' church
of St. Andrew.'
PRESTWICH 407 PUNSBOENE
Peestwich (Manchester). 1301 Prestwyche. O.E. preost-wic,
' priest's dwelling/ Cf. Peestwick (So.) and Prestwood
(Stourbridge), a. 1200 Prestewude; also Prestbnry (Chelten-
ham), Bede Preosdabyrig, Dom. Presteberie. See -bury.
Pbiokwillow (Ely). Called fr. a willow, used for making pricks
or skewers. Cf. the ' spindle-tree.'
Pbinoe- or Peinsthoepe (Rugby), a. 1300 Prenesthorpe. ' Village
of Preon ' — i.e., ' the pin ' or ' brooch,' Sc. preen. Cf. Preen
(Salop).
Peioes Heys (Tarvin, Cheshire) . An ' extra-parochial Uberty '
of 1,100 acres, with houses. See Oxf, Diet, hay sb^, O.E. hege,
3 heie, 4-7 hey{e), ' a hedge.'
Peivett (Alton). Prob, O.E. Chron. 755 Pryfetes floda. Prob.
a personal name of unknown origin. The shrub privet is not
surely known in Eng. a. 1542, and its etymology is very doubtful.
Can Pryf et be for prefect, L. prcefectus ?
Peudhoe or -HOW (By well, Northumbld). c. 1175 Fantosme Prud-
hame (=ham), a. 1200 Prudchou. Prob. ' Prud's height.'
There is one Prud in 0.nom. in Cornwall, while ' proud ' (O.E.
prut, prud) is not used re things tiU c. 1290. See Hoe.
Puokeeidge (Ware). This is a name of the night- jar. See Oxf.
Diet. But the place-name is prob. ' Pucca's ridge.' Cf. Pouke
Hill and Powke Lane (Staffs.), Puckington (Ilminster) and a
' Pokebrook,' 1274 in Lines. Old forms needed. They may
all come fr. puck or pook, O.E. puca, O.N. puki, ' a sprite, demon,
fairy.' See Oxf. Diet., puck sb.^
PucKLECHUECH (Bristol). 946 O.E. Chron. Puc(e)lan cyrcan,
Dom. Pulcrecerce, Sim. Dur. ann. 946, Puclecirce. O.E. for
' church of the goblin,' pucel, prob. connected with pu^k, ' a
fairy.' Cf. Pocklington and Puckle- or Picklenash (Gloster),
' fairies' ashtree.' Gloster also has a Puckshole.
PuDSEY (Leeds) . Dom. Podechesaie, 1183 Puteaco, 1203 Pudeckshee,
1213 Picteaceo. 'Isle of Podeca' {t=Bodeca, 1 in Onom.).
See -ey. ' Poody-Crofte ' sic 1423 Coventry Leet Bk., seems to
be fr. the same name. It is not in Duignan.
PuLLOXHiLL (Beds), c. 1200 Polochessele. 'Hill of Pohc' This
can hardly be the same name as Pollock (Renfrewsh.), 1158
Pollock, Pullock, though it may. The -ele may be for liale,
' nook'; see -hall; or -sele may be O.E. sele, ' a hall, a house.'
PuNCKNOLL (Dorchester). 'Knoll, hillock of Punt,' 1 in Onom.,
short form of Puntel. Cf. 940 chart. Punteles treow (Dorset).
PuNSBOENE (Hatfield) . Not in Dom., c. 1495 Pamsborow. It must
be fr. the same name as Panshanger, also in Herts, no old forms,
' wooded slope of Pan.' The ending -borne is -bourne, ' brook,'
while -borow is -burgh or -boro', q.v. Puncheston (Letterston,
PUEBECK 408 QUANTOCKS
Pembk.) is 1603 Ov>en Pontchardston, a name not in Onom.; but
Punchard is common in medieval France.
PuRBECK. 1205 Purbice, 1410 Pm^brick. ' Brook of the ram, or
wether lamb/ O.E. pur found only in pur lamb; or 'of the
snipe or bittern/ also O.E. pur. Cf. PueeLeet and Pubton,
and see -beck.
PuKFLEET (Essex). O.E. pur-fleot, ' snipe or bittern creek or inlet.*
Cf. Fleetwood.
PuBLEiGH (Maldon) and Purley (Reading and Surrey). Read. P.
Dom. Porlei, a. 1290 Purle. Ma. P. prob. 998 chart. Purlea.
Thought by Skeat to be, like Pubton, ' pear-tree meadow ' ; but
old forms are against this, and prob. these names are to be
taken as in Puebeck.
PtTBSTON (Pontefract) . Dom. Prestun, and so = Preston. But Pur-
shall, (Bromsgrove) is a. 1300 Pershull, ' hill of Piers/ Cf.
'' Piers Plowman/
PuRTON (Swindon and Berkeley). Sw. P. 796 chart. Perytun,
Puritun, lat&r Pyryton, pear-tree town.' O.E. pirige, ' pear-
tree,' peru, ' a pear.' Cf. Paulerspury.
PusEY (Berks), a. 900 Mlfred's Will Pefesigge, later Peuesige;
1066-87 Chron. Abingdon, Pusie, Dom. Pesei, a. 1290 Pesey.
O.E. Pefes -i^e, ' isle of Pefi,' an unknown man. Cf. Pewsey.
PuTLOE (Standish). a. 1200 Puthleleye, 1274 Potteley; Putney
(London) old Putton -heath; and Puttenham (Guildford). All
fr. the common O.E. name Put(t)a, -an. In the first case -ley
' meadow,' has varied with -loe or -low, ' burial mound.'
Pwllheli. Pron. pool-theUy. W. for ' brine pool.' Cf. Treheli,
' house of brine,' ' salt-house,' in Carnarvon also.
PwLL Crochan (Fishguard), 1377 Porttraghan, Tax. Eccl. Port-
crachan, and Pwll y Crochan (Colwyn Bay). Prob. not ' pool
of the pot ' for drawing water, or ' like a cauldron,' same as
Eng. crock ; but fr. W, clochan, ' a Kttle bell ' ; the liquids I and r
easily interchange. - There is another Pwll Crochan, N. of
Llanrian.
Pytchley (Kettering). Dom. Pihteslea, 'meadow of Piht/ or
' Peoht.' See -lev.
Quad RING (Spalding), a. 1100 Quadaveringge. Seemingly a
jjatronymic; possibly fr. Wadbeorht or Vadipert, or fr. Wad-
iveard, names in Onom. But this is quite uncertain. See -ing.
QuANTOCKS (Somerset) and East Quantoxhead. Chart, attrib.
to 681 Cantuc-uudu ('wood'). Dom. Cantocheheve' (' head,'
O.E. heafod). W. cant uch, 'upper, higher circle.' W. vxih
is same root as Ochils (Sc.) and G. uachdar, ' the top, upper
part,' so common in Sc. place-names as Auchter-.
QUAELTON 409 EABY
QuAELTON (Bolton). 1292 Quelton. Prob. 'town of the qoiarry/
stiU in north dial, quarrel, O.Fr. quarriere. See Oxf. Diet. s.v.
quarrel and quarry sbs.^ We find in 1298 ' Thomas de Querle/
now QuarreU (Kinnaird, Stirlingsh.).
QuAHNFORD (Buxton). 1227 i^uerneford. 'Ford of the quern'
or 'handmiU/ O.E. cweorn, cwym. Of. Quaendon (Derby),
'hill Hke a quern/ Quernhowe (Yorks) and Quoen. How-
ever, Baddeley thinks the Querns (Cirencester) corrup. of
Crundles, sic 1286, see CRTiNDAiiE.
QuAERiNGTON (Coxhoe, Durham), a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Queorming-
tun, 1183 Querindune, Queringdona. Seemingly patronymic,
fr. O.E. cweorn, ' a quern, a handmill.'
QuATBRiDGE (Bridgenorth) . 895 O.E. Chron. Cwatbrycge; Dom.
Quatford and Quatone, c. 1097 Orderic Quatfort now Quatford
Castle; c. 1120 Hen. Hunt. Quadruge, Quathruge. Some think
fr. 0. W. coit, W. coed, ' a wood,' which is not very Ukely. There
is an obscure quut, ' a pimple, a boil,' found fr. 1579. The
Quat- is quite doubtful. Cf. Quothquhan (Sc).
Qtjedgeley (Gloster). c. 1142 Quedesley, c. 1155 ^uedesleg;
also perh. 1136 Quadresse. Prob. ' mead of (an unrecorded)
Cwed.' Baddeley says, cf. Quither (Tavistock), 1286 .-Quedre;
but it is prob. Kelt. Cf. W. cwthr, ' excretory orifice, anus.'
QuEENBOROUGH (Chatham), c. 1460 Queneborow. Called after
PhiUppa, Queen of Edward III., who d. in 1369. Edward built
a castle here. See -burgh.
Queen's Camel (Cadbury, Somerset). See Camel.
QuEMERFORD (Calne). Thought to be Kelt, cumber, ' cor^uence.'
Cf. the Breton Quimper and Comberbach.
QuiNTON (Birmingham and Gloster). Bi. Q. 840 chart. Cwentune,
1275 Quintone. Gl. Q. 848 chart. Cwentone, Dom. Quenintune.
O.E. cwoen, cwen{n), tun, 'woman's' or ' queep's village.'
This is the same name as Quemington, also in Gloster, Dom.
Quenintone.
QuoiSLEr Mere (Cheshire) . Perh. * meadow of the heifer or
quey,' 6-9 quoy, only in North dial. ; fr. O.N. Icviga, 'a, heifer.'
QuoRN (Loughborough). See Quarnford.
QuY (Cambs). c. 1080 Inquis. Cambs. Coeie, Choeie, Dom. Coeia,
1210 Cueye, 1261 Queye, 1272 Coweye, Cowye, O.E. cu -ege,
* cow island.' Cf. Sheppey, and quey (Sc.) for ' a heifer, ta
young cow,' O.N. kviga, also Dom. Devon, Goie. See -ey.
Raby ^Cheshire and Darlington). Ches. jR. Dpm. Rabie. D^r. R.
a. 1130 Sim. Dur. Eabi, -b^; this might be O.N. for ' dwelling
made with poles or stakes,' rd ; but this last also means ' a roe-
deer.' See -by.
27
EADCLIFFE 410 EAINFOED
EiADCLiFFE (4 at least). Devon R. Exon. Dom. Radcliva. Man-
chester B>. 1343 Radclive, -cliffe. Also Dom. Bucks Radeclive.
'Red cliff/ O.E. read (3 roed) clif. Cf. Ratcliffe-upon-Soar,
Dom. Radeclive. Radbrook (For. of Dean), is 1204 Redebroc.
Radfield (Cambs). c. 1080 Inquis. Camb. Radefelde, Radesfeld,
Dom. Radefelle, 1284 Radefeld, 1302 Radfelde. Prob. ' Moeda's
field ' ; though here and in other names in Rad-, as Skeat admits,
an origin fr. O.E. read, 3 reed, 'red/ is always possible. Cf.
1158-9 Pipe Rademora (Staffs). Radholme (Yorks), is Dom.
Radun, an old loc. ' on the roads/ O.E. rod. See -ham with
which -holme often interchanges.
Radford (Wrcstrsh. and Leamington). Wor. R. 1275 Radeford.
Le R. Dom. Redeford, a. 1189 Radeford. Perh. ' red, reddish
ford,' O.E. read, 3 reed, 'red'; but perh., as in Radbourne,
' reedy ford '; O.E. hreod, (h) read, ' a reed.' Also cf. two nuxt.
Radham (Gloster) is 955 chart'. Hreodham.
Radlett (Herts). No old forms. Skeat thinks, O.E. rad (ge) l(Bt,
' road meeting-point/ But Dom. Herts has Radeuuelle, which
is prob. 'well of Rada.' Cf. next; and 1161-2 Pipe Raden
-heoh', ? ' height of Rada,' Bucks and Beds.
Radley (Abingdon), a. 1290 Radeley, c. 1520 Raydeley. Prob.
' red meadow,* as in Radcliffe ; see -ley. But Skeat compares
B.C.8. iii. 85 ' Radeleage ' (Wilts), which he derives fr. Rad<i or
Rceda, a pet form of one of the many names in Rsed-; whilst
Radbourne (Southam.), is 980 chart. Hreodburne or 'reedy
brook.'
Radnor (Wales, and old hamlet near Congleton). Dom. Raddre-
nore (prob. the central r is an error). O.E. raden ora, ' edge of
the road or ride '; prob. in the first case the Rom. road which
ran fr. Wroxeter to Abergavenny and Cserleon. The W. name is
Maesyf ed or -hyf ed, prob. for hyfaidd, ' field of the dauntless one.'
Radstock (Bath). Looks like O.E. rod -stoc, ' place on the road.'
Cf. Stoke. But it may be fr. a man, as in next. Cf. too
Radway, Banbury, Dom. Rad- Rodeweie, which Duignan thinks
' red way,' because the soil here is reddish marl.
Radston (Northants). c. 1275 Radistone; also Rodeston. Prob.
' town of Rada or Rodo,' names in Onom. There is also a
* Radeston,' ? Salop, c. 1205 in Layam. But Radwick (Gloster)
is c. 955 chart. Hreodwica, ' reed-built ' or ' thatched dweUing.'
Rainford and Rainhill (St. Helens). 1189-98 Raineford, 1202
Reineford; 1190 Raynhull, 1246-56 ReynhiU, 1382 Raynhull.
Fr. some man with a name in Rsegen- or Regen-. They are
very common, see Onom. — Regenbeald, Regenhild, etc. Rainors
(Gumbld.) is said to have been formerly pron. Renneray, which
is pure N. See -ay. Raines Brook (Warwksh.), a. 1200 Reynes-
broc, is known to be fr. Rainald, the Dom. tenant of the manor.
RAINHAM 411 RAPES
Rainham (Chatham). 811 Roegingaham. Evidently a patrony-
mic, fr. Rcegen or Regen, a name generally found in one of its
numerous combinations, Regenburh, -frith, -heard, etc. Rainton
Thirsk, Dom. Rainincton 1183 Rayntona, will have a similar
origin; only here it is a patronymic. Dom. also calls it Raininge-
wat, where -wat will be O.E. weed, ' ford.' Cf . Wath.
Raisthobpe (Yorks). Dow. Redrestorp. ' Bether's -plsice.' There
is one Reg^er and one Ratherus in Onom. See -thorpe.
Rake (East Liss), Rake End, and the Rakes (Staffs). O.N. rdk,
' a stripe, streak/ Norw. dial, raak, ' footpath,' found in 14th
cny. Eng. as rake, ' a way, a (rough) path ' ; still dial, and Sc.
Rampton (Cambridge), c. 1080 Inquis. Gamh. Ramtune, Dom.
Rantone, 1210 Ramptone. ' Village of rams,' O.E. ramm.
Cf. FoxTON and Shepton.
Ramsbottom (Manchester). A 'bottom,' O.E. botm, north. E.
bodome, is ' a valley, a fertile valley.' Cf. Boddam (Sc.) and
Stabbottom. As to the Ram- cf. next and Ramsley (Salop),
a. 1100 Hremesleage, Dom. Rameslege, ' Hrcem's or Ram'a lea.'
Ramsbury (Hungerford). c. 988 chart. Hremnesburg, c. 1097
Flor. W. Reamnesbyrig. ' Town of Ramni,' a Saxon name
found also in Ramshorn (Sc.) . The root is O.E. hremn,^ raven.'
Cf. next, and 1179-80 Pipe Rammesberia (Yorks).
Ramsden (Charlbury, Oxfd). O.E. chart. Remnesdiin. 'Hill of
Remni,' see above. Perh. it is c. 1450 Oseney Reg. 134 Ramme
dune. But Ramsden Heath, Billericay, is Dom. Ramesdana,
' Dean, valley of Ramni.' See -den.
Ramsey (Hunts). K.C.D. iv. 300 Hrames ege, Dom. Ramesy,
c. 1097 Flor. W. Ramesia. c. 1130 Eadmer Rammesei, a. 1150
chart. Ramesige. Not orig. ' isle of rams,' O.E. ram{m), but
* isle of Hrcem ' or ' the Raven,' O.E. hrcem, var. of hrcemn,
hrafn, ' raven.' Cf. Hjremmesden, now, says Kemble, Rams-
dean (Hants).
Ramsgate. c. 1540 Ramesgate, ' Road,' O.E. geat, ' of Ram,' a
fairly common name. Cf. 940 chart. Hiremnes geat (Wilts),
B.C. 8. 356 Rames cumb, near Hallow on Severn, and Ramsden.
Ranby (Lincoln and Retford). Both Dom. Randebi, ^Rand's
dwelling.' Cf. Ran worth (Norwich), O.E. chart. Randworth.
See -by and -worth. But all names in Rand-, like these and
Rand WICK (Stroud), 1120 Randwyke (O.E. wic 'dwelling'),
may be fr. O.E. rand, rond, ' brink, bank,' O.N. rond, ' shield
rim, stripe,' Sw. and Dan. rand, ' rim, border,' also in Du., seen
in the famous Rand (Johannesburg). Cf. Dom. Lines, Rande.
Rapes of Sussex. Dom. In Rap de Hastinges. One of six districts
into which Sussex is divided. Oxf. Diet, says rape may mean
' land measured by the rope,' O.E. rap, O.N. reip ; but that there
RASKELr 412 EAWDON
is no positive proof. Yet cf. Orderic 678 c, Oinnes carucatas
quas Angli hidas vocant fxmiculo [Randolf Flambard] mensus
est et descripsit. Cf. Rope.
IIaskelf (Easingwold). Dom. Raschel. O.E. m-sceye, * roe-deer's
shelf of rock.'
Rastrick (Brighouse). Dom. Rastric. O.E. rcest hryeg, O.N. rast
hrygg-r, ' rest ' or ' resting ridge.'
Rathmell (Settle) . Dom. Rodemele. * Sand-dune of the rood/
or ' cross/ O.E. rod, with the North, a. A ' mell ' is O.N. mel-r;
see Meole.
Ratley (Banbury). Dom. Rotelei, a. 1200 Rottelei, a. 1300
Rotley. 'Good, excellent meadow/ O.E. rot; or fr. rot, 'a
root, an edible root.' See -ley.
Rattlesdbn (Bury St. E.). 1161-2 Pipe Radleston, c. 1420
Lydgate Ratlysdene. Older forms needed. ' Wooded valley
of.' ? Ecedweald var. Badoald, Rcedwealh var. Batuvalah, or
JRcedwulf var. Eathwulf or Eadulf, all forms in Onom. See
-den and -ton.
Raughton Head (Dalston, Cumbld.). 1189 Rachton. Doubtful;
no Hkely name in Onom., and it is phonetically difficult to derive
fr. rache, O.E. rcecc, 3-6 racch, 4-5 rack, ' a hunting-dog ' ; so
prob. named fr. some unknown man. See -ton.
Ravenglass (S. Cumbld.). Prob. W. yr afon glas, ' the greenish or
bluish river/ afon pron. as in Stratford on Avon. All other
explanations seem to break down. But we have 1189 Pipe
'Ravenewich/ (Cumbld.), dwelling of Haven* or ' Hrafn.'
See next.
Raveningham: (Norwich), a. 1300 Eccleston Ravingham. A
patronymic. Prob. most names in Raven-, like Ravenstone
(Bucks), etc., come fr. a man, as in Hrafnsaust and Hrafnseyri
(Iceland), known to be called fr. a settler. See, too, Ramsbuey,
Ramsey, and Renhold, and cf. 1189 Pipe ' Ravenewich '
(Cumbld.).
Ravensthorpe (Dewsbury and Northmpton). De. R. Dom.
Rag(h)enel -torp. No. R. Grant of 664 Ragenildetorp. ' Village
of Ragenald ' or Begenweald, mod. Reginald. Ragh- has become
Raw- and then Rav-. There is also in N. Yorks a Raventhoep,
Dom. Ravenetorp, fr. a man Raven. See above, and see -thorpe.
Ravenstone (Olney and Ashby de la Z.) . Oki. R. Dom. Raveneston.
The man 'Raven's village'; and .R4.VENSWORTH (Richmond,
Yorks, and Chester-le-rStreet) . Ri. R. Dom. R,aveneswet.
Ch. R., a. IIZO Sim. Dur. Raveneswurthe. The man 'Raven's
farm.' See above and -wof th.
Rawdon (Leeds). Dom. Rodum, -un. 01^ loc. *.at rthe ^roods ' or
' crosses.' But W. and H. derive RAWGLrFF and -eold (Lanes),
fr. O.N. rauQ-r, ' red.'
RAWMARSH 413 REDBRIDGE
Rawmarsh (Rotherham). Dom. Rodemesc {for -mersc), 1206
E/umareis. Prob, ' rough marsh/ O.E. ruw, 3 ru, 3-5 rowe, now
row, var. of rough. Dom.'a Rode- may be an error; or fr. a man
Eoda, 2 in Onom. Marsh is O.E. mersc, mcersc, but -mareis is
rather the now almost obs. marish, O.F. marais, -eis, as in
Beaumahis.
Rawnsley (Hednesford) . Duignan says modern, and prob. named
fr. Rawnpike Oak half a, mile away. See RrvTNGTON Pike.
Rawtenstall (Rossendale) . Sic 1585, but 1465 Rowtanstall.
It was on a ' Rowtan clough/ and so prob. means ' roaring,
noisy, boisterously windy place.' It is Oxf. Dict.'s rout vb'*
fr. O.N. rjota, N. ruta, ' to roar,' in Eng. 3 rute, 4 roiite, rowte.
Cognate with rout vb^, O.N. rauta, Sw. rota, ' to bellow or roar.'
1513 Douglas speaks of ' rowtand Caribdis,' and ' a haly routand
well',' while Carlyle in his Reminiscences speaks of ' a rowting
Brig.' It is possible, however, that the first part is the name
Hrothwine or Rothin, of whom there are 3 in Onom. ; -stall is
O.E. steall, steel, ' place, stable.' Cf. Rowten or Roiiten Cave
(Ingleboro'), and Ratten, older Routand Clough (Thieveley Pike).
Rayleigh (Essex) . Perh. ' meadow on the stream".' Ray or
Rea is a frequent name for ' a small river,' the r corning on by
attraction fr. the preceding O.E. art.— ^' on thoere ea,' ' on the
river.' Cf. Nechells, 1161-2 Pipe Raelega (Devon), and Rye.
But Sir H. Maxwell thinks =- Raelees (Selkirk), O.E. rd-ledh,
'roe meadow.' This is confirmed by Raygill, Craven, Dom.
Roghil. See -gill, ' ravine.'
Reagh (Swaffham,. Cambs). 1279 Reche, a * reach ' or extension
of land, O.E. rcecan, ' to reach.' The earliest quot. for the sb.
in Oxf. Diet, is 1536, Limehowse Reche.
Reading. Pron. Redding. 871 O.E. Chron. Readingas, 1006 ih.
Rsedibgan (late dat. pi.), Dom. Redinges, 1254 chart. Rading.
Patronymic. ' Home of the descendants of Reada,' or the Red,
now found spelt as a surname Reid, or Reade.
Reculver (N. Kent), c. 410 Not. Dign. Regulbi, a. 716 chart.
Raeulf, Bede Racuulfe, Raculph. O.E. Chron. 679, Ra-, Reculf'
811 chart. Reacolvensa ecclesia, 1241 Racolor; also Raculfs
Cestre, where Raculf is imagined to be a man's name. The root
is unknown, but the present form has been influenced by O.E.
culfre, culfer, ' a culver dove or wood-pigeon.'
Redannick (the Lizard). Corn, = ' place of ferns.' Cf. W. rhedyn
. It. raithneach, G. raineach, ' fern.' The -ick is the same ending
as Ir. and G. -ach, ' place of,' or ' abounding in.' Cf. Trelissick,
etc.
Redbridge (Southampton)'. Perh. Bede iv. 16. 'A place called
Hreutford, v.r. Reodf ord ' — i.e., ' ford with reeds ' ; but cf.
RfiTFORD.
REDCAE 414 KEEPHAM
Redoab (WMtby). Not in Dom, 1179-80 Redkier. ' Red rock/
O.E. carr, cognate with or derived fr. Keltic car, ' a rock/ See
Cabr Rocks (Sc).
Redcuffe (Bristol). Dom. Redeclive. O.E. for 'red cliff.' Cf.
Clevelajstd. There is another ' Redeclive ' in Cheshire Dom.
Redditoh. (843 chart, in readan sloe, ' to the red slough ')• 1300
Redediche, 1642 Red ditch, Reddiche, ' red ditch ' ; but Reddish
(Stockport) is 1296-97 Radish, which is quite doubtful. The
vegetable radish is found in O.E. as redic, 3 redich, 5 radish.
Redesdale (Mid-Northumbld.). 1421 Redes-, Rydes-, Ridesdale,
a. 1600 Risdale. On R. Mede, which may be O.E. hreut, hreod, or
read, 4-5 red, ' a reed.'
Redmahley d'Abitot (Newent). 963 chart. Reode maere leage,
and 978 ib. Rydem-, Dom. Redmerleie, Ridmerlege, 1275
Rudmereley, Redmereligh, Rudmareligh. Prob. O.E. hreod mere
imh, ' reedy lake meadow' ; see -ley. But it may be as in RoD-
MABTON. Urse d'Ahitot held lands here under the Bps. of Worces-
ter, in Dom.'B time.
Redmire (Yorks). Dom. Ridemare, Rotmare. Prob. ' reedy lake,'
O.E. hreod, read, ' a reed,' and mere. Mire is O.N. myr-r,
' swamp, bog,' and not found in Eng. a. 1300. Cf. above.
Rednal (Bromsgrove). 730 chart. Wreodan hale, 1275 Wredin-
hale. ' Nook of Wreoda,' not in Onom. See -hall.
Red Pike (Wastwater) . 1322 le Rede Pike. Pike, Oxf. Diet, sb^, is
the North. Eng. name for a pointed or peaked hill or mountain,
and is chiefly foimd in Nthn. Lancashire, Westmorland, Cum-
berland, and the Sc. borders. The earliest case cited is c. 1250
Lane. Charters, ' Ad Winterhold pike.' The furthest S. cases
seem to be Thieveley Pike, Rossendale, Rivington Pike, Mid-
Lanes, and Backden, Haw, and Pinnar Pikes in Yorks. The
range is much the same as the kindred fell, and confirms the
suggested deriv. fr. N. or West N. dial. ^J^A;, ' a pointed mountain,'
piktind, ' a peaked summit.' There is one curiously corrupted
example in Northbld., Wansbeck, which is orig. Wannys pike.
Redeuth (Cornwall). Corn, rhe Druth, 'stream, swift current of
the Druids.'
Red Swire (Nthbld.) . c, 1375 Red Swyre, O.E. swira, ' neck, pass.'
Cf. Manor Sware (Sc).
Reedham (Norfolk), c. 1300 Redhamme, 1424 Redeham, 1460
Redham, ' enclosure,' O.E. hamm, ' among the reeds.' See
Redesdale, and -ham.
Reepham (Lincoln), a. 1100 chart, (dated 664). Refham. Perh.
' home on the rock.' O.N. rif, ' a rock, a reef.' Change fr. / to
p is very rare. It may be fr. Ecefen, a name 3 times in Onom.
REETH 415 RHOSCEOWTHER
Reeth (Richmond, Yorks). Dom. Rie. O.E. nt5, ri^e, ' a stream.'
Of. Rye.
Reigate. 1199 Regat, later Reygate. ' Gate, opening (O.E. geat,
2-6 gat) on the ridge/ O.E. hrycg, 4 reg, 4-5 regge, 5 ryge. Its
pre-Oonquest name was Cherchefelle, ' church-field."
Reighton (Bridlington). Dom. Rictone. Prob. 'town of Rica,'
one in Onom.
Remenham (Henley). Dom. Rameham, a. 1290 Remeham, 1316
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