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.

Bodgate

Early-attested site in the Parish of North Petherwin

Historical Forms

  • Bodget 1286 Ass
  • Bodgyete 1364 Ass
  • Bageyeat al. Bodgate 1661 Recov
  • Bagyeat al. Badgeyeat al. Bodgate 1718 Recov

Etymology

This is a difficult name. We are just on the Cornish border and it may be that the first element is British bod , 'house,' common in Cornwall. If so, we should have to take the second element as British cet , 'wood,' with an otherwise unparalleled ME  development to get , gyet . The only alternative possibility is to take the name as derived from OE  Bodangeat , 'Boda 's gate,' v. geat .