Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• æt Speresholte 963 BCS1121 c.1240

• Spers(h)olt, Spersold 1086 DB

• Spere(s)holt' c.1160–70 S c.1280

• Speresholt 1156 P 1284 Ass

• Speresolt 1210–12 RBE 13th

• Spersholt' 1212 Fees 1517 DInc

• Persholt 1235–6 Fees

• Esperesholt Hy1 Abingdon c.1200

• Sperholte 1220 Fees 1315 Pat

• Spars(e)holte 1284 Ass

• Sparesholt 1761 Roque

Etymology

Identical with Sparsholt Ha and Sparcell's Fm W 36. The triple occurrence of the compound with holt 'wood' suggests that the first el. is a significant word. DEPN and Elements give spere 'spear', and consider that the name refers to a wood where spear-shafts were obtained. This would be more satisfactory if the el. were nom., as apparently in Sparhanger D 64. Analogous compounds include Tanholt Nth 235 'wood where materials for osier-baskets are obtained', and the group of names in which wudu is compounded with a word for a timber product, as in Borthwood PN Wt 53–4, Sparrwood Sx 107, Tymberwood PN K 108, Yokewood Nth 169.In these the first el. is in the nom. sing. Cf. also Shebbear D 107, OE  Sceft bearu . Professor Löfvenberg suggests that spere may be used in a specialised sense, e.g. of a spear set as a trap for wild animals. This would give a compound comparable in sense and type of formation to Tengstrand's suggestion of an OE  *lūtegāreshale (from lūtegār 'trapping spear' and halh ) for Ludgershall Bk, W, Luggershall Gl, Lurgashall Sx, Lotegoreshale Ess.

The estates later known as Kingston (Lisle) and Fawler were described by the name Sparsholt before the Conquest and in DB, v. supra 372, although they were in a different Hundred.