Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Pi(t)retone 1086 DB

• Pidretone, Piretona Exon

• Pideltona Hy2 HarlCh

• Pideltun 1219 Fees

• Pidel(e)ton(e), Pydel(e)ton(e) 1212 1231 Cl 1244 Ass 1379,1495 Pat

• Pydeltoun 1280 Ass 1539 AOMB

• Pydeltowne 1539 ib

• Pydeltun, Piddelton Ed1 ChrP 1372

• Piddilton 1429 Pat

• Pydilto(u)n, Pidilto(u)n 1450 Eton

• Pyteltowne 1508 DLCt

• Piddle Towne alias Puddle Towne 1665 Ilch

• Piddletown 1795 Boswell

• Pudel(e)ton 1246 ChrP 1372 1270 Ass 1372 AOMB 1280 1539

• Pudel(e)toun(e) 1270 ChrP 1372 Ass 1280 AOMB 1539

• Pudel(e)tune 1290 Ch 1415 Fine

• Pudultoune 1349 Ipm

• Pedeltowne 1462 Pat

Etymology

'Farm on R. Piddle', v. tūn , RNs. infra , cf. Affpuddle par. supra.For the DB spellings, v. ANInfl 142. DEPN, following Fägersten 175, cites the OE  forms (at ) Vppidelen , uppidele here, but they belong under Piddletrenthide par. infra . The bounds of Puddletown are described in 1270 (1372) ChrP (f. 119). In 1956, there was considerable local controversy over the name of this village. Dorset County Council wanted to change its name to Piddletown in order to make it conform with the other villages in the Piddle valley (Piddle - generally occurring as prefix as in Piddlehinton and Piddletrenthide, -puddle as suffix as in Affpuddle, Tolpuddle and Turners Puddle); but fierce local protest against the change (mainly on the grounds of the expense involved, but also because Puddletown sounded 'nicer') eventually won the day.