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.

Morcombe Fm & Morcombe Green, Morcombelake

Early-attested site in the Parish of Whitchurch Canonicorum

Historical Forms

  • Mortecumb 1240 DEPN
  • Mortecumbe 1341–2 GlastF
  • Mortecombe 1469 Poul 15
  • Mortescumbe 1240 Sarum
  • Mortescombe 1280 Ipm
  • Manerium de Morecomb(e)lake 1558 Val 1577 Hutch3
  • Morcomblake Tenement 1769 DCMMap 1811 OS
  • Morcomb-Lake, Morcumblake, or the Black-Heathes Hill 1774 Hutch1
  • Morcombe Green 1769 DCMMap

Etymology

From cumb 'valley', and with the later addition of lacu 'stream'. The first el. is uncertain, but is probably an OE  pers.n. *Morta (alternating with a strong form *Mort ). However the apparently analogous f.n. Mosscombe Bottom (Mortescum 1317) in Cattistock par. supra is to be noted: the same combination with cumb suggests that a first el. *mort in the sense 'young salmon or similar fish' should perhaps be considered for both names. This is one of several problematical p.ns. containing an el. mort -, cf. further discussion and references s.n. Mosterton par. supra .

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name

Major Settlement