English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Offerton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Offerton

Historical Forms

  • Offretune 1086 DB
  • Offeton' 1199 P
  • Offerton 1200 P 1200 FineR Hy3 Brookhill 1281 FF
  • Offirtun, Offirton Ed1 WollCh 1423 Potter 1473 WollCh
  • Ouerton, Overton Hy3 DbCh 1306 Ass 1508 FF
  • Superior Offirton Hy3 Brookhill
  • Nether Offerton, Over Offerton Ed1,1398 Brookhill 1424 FF

Etymology

This is a difficult name for which no solution can be offered.Numerous suggestions have been made but none explains the run of forms. Ekwall (DEPN) suggests that the first element is a name in -ford , perhaps Offanford 'Offa's ford', or alternatively an OE  pers.n. Oftfōr or Ōsfrið . The latter is impossible (v. Feilitzen 339), though the first two are formally just possible. Williamson (Notes) proposes 'farm on the bank (overlooking the river Derwent)', v. ōfer 1 , tūn , but whilst topographically appropriate, the complete run of forms in -ff - does not admit it as a possibility.

Compound OE  pers.ns. of Off - are not recorded, but if such were possible an *Offhere might well be suggested here. Numerous examples have been noted of the occurrence of pers.ns. in -here with omission of genitival s and the forms of the present examples may well be compared with those of Balderton (PN Nt 209–10). The possibility of a comparative example in Offerton Ch need not rule out this suggestion altogether. Perhaps 'Offhere's farmstead', v. tūn .

Places in the same Parish