Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ferentone 1086 DBf.266b

• Aldefordia 1153 Dugd c.1170 Dieul

• Aldeford 1154–60 Ch 1330

• Ald(e)ford c.1200 13 Chest

• Aldeford 1561 ChRR

• le Aldeford 1430 Sheaf

• Aldford alias Odford 1724 NotCestr

• vetus vadum c.1195 Luciani

• Audeford 1208–15 ChQW 1499 Pat 1254 Court 1260 ChQW 1499

• Audford 1620 Sheaf 1656 Orm2

• Aldreford 1290 Cl

• Alderford 1290 Ipm

• Alderforde 1498 ChRR

• Elleford 1314 ChRR

• Elford 1351 BPR 1515 et freq

• Adleford 1400 ChRR

• Aldford 1493 ChRR 1558 Orm2 1521 ChRR 1558 1586 ib

• Hadford 1535 VE

• Odford 1663,1672,1698,1719 Sheaf 1694 Mere

• Aldford alias Odford 1724 NotCestr

• Oldford 1666 Sheaf

Etymology

'The old ford', v. ald , ford , cf. Farndon 68, 73supra . The Chester–Malpas Roman road (1 42 (Route VIII)) crossed R. Dee at Ettoneford near Iron Bridge infra , and the site of Aldford castle, commanding this line of road and the Iron Bridge crossing (cf. Blobb Hill, Hales Fd infra ), suggests that it would be this old ford which gave name to the village. The adj. old , i.e. 'former', would be applied when the Roman ford was superseded by the ford at Aldford Bridge infra . This had taken place by Lucian's time (c.1195), when the usual route from Chester to Aldford seems to have been that through Boughton and Huntington rather than the Roman road through Eaton. The spellings suggest that there was a form containing ME  alder , comparative of ald , i.e. 'the older ford', in which alder was confused with alor (alre -) and ellern .