Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (in) Winceburnan (sic, for Winteburnan) 987 KCD656(S1217,Finberg613) 13

• Wintreburne 1086 DB(f.78a)

• Wintreborna Exon

• Wintreburne 1212 Fees

• Winterburn(e) 1244 Ass 1285 FA

• Winterborne 1653 ParlSurv

• Wynterbo(u)rn 1318 Ch 1332 SR 1346 FA

• Wyntrebourne 1428 ib

• Wynterburn Abbatisse (sic) de Cerne, Wynterburn' Abbatis 1244,1268 Ass

• Winterborn(e) Abbatis 1288 Ass 1344 Cerne 14

• Winterburn Abbots, Wynterburn Abbots 1297 Cl, Pat

• Wynterbourne Abbot 1428 FA

• Abbas Winterborne 1795 Boswell

• Watreleswyntreburn 1291 Fine 1292 1365 FF

• Watreles Wyntreburn 1292 Hutch3

• Wynterborn Waterlyse 1303 FA

• Waterleswyntreburn 1306 Pat

• Winterborne Abbott alias Waterless 1644 Prideaux

• Winterborne Abbas alias Waterless 1699 Prideaux

• Winterborne Abbas otherwise Winterborne Waterless 1727 Prideaux

Etymology

One of the several places named from R. South Winterborne, a tributary of R. Frome. For the DB identification, v. VCHDo 376 and ThornDB 11, 11. The affix Abbas (Lat  abbas 'an abbot', gen.sg. abbatis 'of the abbot') refers to the possession of this manor by the Abbey of Cerne. The alternative affix is from ME  watreles (OE  wæter-lēas) 'waterless', from the dryness of the South Winterborne river (which rises here, v. Wherry Pit infra ) in some seasons.