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.

Witchampton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Witchampton

Historical Forms

  • Wichemetune 1086 DB
  • Wichamatuna Exon
  • Wichamton(') 1216 ClR 1280,1288 Ass
  • Wich(h)ampton(e) 1242–3 Fees 1280 Ass 1318 Cecil 1412 FA
  • Wycham(p)ton(e) 1263 Ipm 1268 Ass 1280 1281 FF 1456 Pat
  • Wycham(p)toun 1349 Ipm
  • Wichehampton 1271 Pat 1280 Ass
  • Wychehampton(') 1278 Pat 1494 Cecil
  • Whichampton' 1280 Ass
  • Wycampton' 1370 Ilch
  • Wykehampton 1375 IpmR
  • Wich Hampton, Wych Hampton 1633 Hutch3

Etymology

Probably, as indicated by the DB forms in -heme -, 'farm of the Wīchǣme ', i.e. 'farm of the dwellers at a place called Wīchām ', or 'farm of the dwellers at the wīc ', v. wīc , wīc-hām, hǣme (gen.pl. hǣma ), tūn , cf. Tengstrand MN 97.In fact 'farm of the dwellers at a place called Wīchām ', with wīc-hām in the sense 'village associated with a Romano-British settlement or vicus ', would seem to be the more likely meaning in view of the site of Witchampton, as pointed out by M. Gelling, Med Arch 11 104: there are extensive Roman remains here including a villa at Hemsworth (cf. Wall's Ctgs infra ), the Roman road from Badbury Rings to Old Sarum (Margary 4c) crosses the par., and the junction of Roman roads at Badbury Rings is only 2½ miles SW. There is no evidence to support the supposition (made by Ekwall DEPN, Smith EPN 1 216) that Witchampton was owned by the inhabitants of Wimborne Minster, and the suggested meaning 'farm of the dwellers at the wīc (i.e. Wimborne Minster)' is therefore extremely unlikely.