Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Uedringmutha 680 BCS 10th

• introitus portus qui appellatur Wynderynge (sic), Wuderingemuðe 683 BCS 14th

• wedering muðe, wederingemuðan 956 BCS997 14th

• Wuderyng t.Hy2 Pat 1376

• Wudering' 1288 Ass

• Woderinge 1227 Ch 1332 SR

• Wideryng 1230 Pat

• Wyderingges 1234 Cl

• Wyderyng 1381 Pat

• Wytherynge 1455 Ct

• Witheryng 1496 Ct

• Withering t.Jas1 LRMB

• Wederyng(e) 1289 Misc 1434 Ch

• Wetheryng 1529 Ct

Etymology

This is the old name for the estuary which formed Selsey or Pagham Harbour and for the village, now lost, which formed the actual port. It would seem that this is an ing -formation rather than an ingas-one and Professor Ekwall suggests that it may be an ing -derivative of OE  weder , 'weather,' (ge )wider 'storm,' and denote 'a place which gave shelter against such' or alternatively 'a windy harbour.'