Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Earl's Mead 1554,1861 Hutch3

• prati voc' Eorlesmed 1393 MinAcct

• Earles meade 1620 DCMDeed

• Earls-Mead, Earls Mead 1774 Hutch1 1843 TA(WarehamHolyT.)

Etymology

Earl's Mead (lost), Earl 's Mead 1554, 1861 Hutch3, prati voc ' Eorlesmed 1393MinAcct , Earles meade 1620DCMDeed , Earls -Mead , Earls Mead 1774 Hutch1, 1843TA (Wareham Holy T.), 'the earl's meadow', v. eorl , mǣd , situated 'on the west side of Wareham Causeway' (Hutch1 1 25, cf. South Causeway infra ) and possibly named either from the Earl of Leicester who held the manor of Wareham in 1272, or from the Earl of Gloucester who held it in 1316 (Hutch3 181).