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.

Wringworthy

Early-attested site in the Parish of Marytavy

Historical Forms

  • Weringuerda, Weringheorda 1086 DB
  • Wringeworthy 1238 FF
  • Wringeworthe, Wryngeworthe 1488 Rental

Etymology

v. worþig . Wring occurs in So as a stream-name (RN 474) and here it may be the earlier name of the small tributary of the Tavy now called 'the Burne.' But since Devon names in -worthy are seldom compounded with a descriptive element, it is perhaps more likely that *Wringa was a pers. name, probably related to the verb wringan , 'to wring, twist, squeeze' (cf. RN loc cit .).Curiously enough, there are four Wringworthys in Cornwall.This on the whole favours a significant first element, but it is difficult to suggest its source or to determine its sense.

Places in the same Parish