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.

Radford

Early-attested site in the Parish of Enstone

Historical Forms

  • Radeford 1086 DB 1324 Dean
  • Rodeford 1316 FA

Etymology

The absence of -e - and the solitary form with -o - suggest that the first element is OE  rād , 'riding,' rather than rēad, 'red,' as in most occurrences of the name. The meaning here may be 'ford which can be crossed on horseback.'