Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Beubo(y)s 1288 Ass

• Fairwod(e) 1329 FF 1374 MinAcct 1404 Cecil

• le Fairwod(e) 1416 Hutch3 1436 FF

• Fairwood 1618 CH 1846 TA

• Fair(e)woude 1378 Hutch3

• Fayr(e)wod(e) 1404 Cecil 1422 Midd 1436 FF 1477 Hutch3

• Fayr(e)wood(d), Fayr(e)wodd 1619 CH

• Fairewode 1412 FA

• Le Fairewode 1416 IpmR 1508 Cecil

• Fairewood 1553 ib

• Feyyrwud' 1530 ib

• Wer-Wood 1575 Saxton

• Ferwood 1614 Cecil

• Fayerwoodd 1620 CH

• Wayrewood 1621 ib

• Verwood 1774 Hutch1

Etymology

'beautiful wood', from fæger and wudu . The 13th cent. Fr forms (from OFr  be(a)u, bois ) bear out the suggestion in Hutch3 3 421 fn.b, that this place gave its name to the family of de Beauboys (latinized as de Bello Bosco ), which had lands here and in Edmondsham par. supra in the 14th cent., cf. Richard de Bello Bosco 13Cecil , John de Bello Bosco 1329 FF, Maud-, John de Beauboys 1332 SR, William de Bello Bosco 1378 Hutch3.