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.

Little Bredy Littlebredy

Major Settlement in the Parish of Little Bredy

Historical Forms

  • in Bridian 987 KCD656(S1217,Finberg613) 13
  • Litelbride 1086 DB 1346 FA
  • Litelbrida Exon
  • Litlebrid 1275 RH
  • Litlebride 1280 Ass
  • Littelbride 1428 FA
  • Litlebridie 1204,1219 FF 1365 Pat
  • Litulbrydy 1469 Cl
  • parva Brudye 1291 Tax
  • Luttebridie 1268 Ass
  • Ludlepridie 1268 Ass
  • Lyt(t)le Bredye 1574 Prideaux
  • Lit(t)le Bredy(e) 1585 Prideaux
  • Litlebreddy, Lytlebreddy 1593 Prideaux
  • Little Breedie 1594 Prideaux
  • parva Bredy, Litle Brede als. Lytle Bredye 1596 Prideaux
  • Lytle Bredy als. Lytle Breddy 1596 Prideaux
  • Litlebready 1653 ParlSurv
  • Little Briddye 1604 Russ
  • Little Briddy Tithing 1664 HTax
  • Little Briddy als. Little Breddey 1678 Batten

Etymology

Like Long Bredy par. q. v. infra , named from the River Bride which rises here near Bridehead infra , v. lȳtel 'little' (in the 987 charter this estate consisted of 6 mansas as against the 12 mansas of Long Bredy).The form (to ) brydian in the Burghal Hidage (c.1025 (1562) BurgHid) has been identified with this place, specifically with reference to the earthwork (perhaps originally an Iron Age hillfort) at Old Warren q. v. infra , but the burh of the Burghal Hidage is most likely to have been Bridport q. v. infra for further discussion.