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.

Dunchurch

Major Settlement in the Parish of Dunchurch

Historical Forms

  • Donecerce 1086 DB
  • Donechir(e)che 1143 PipewellReg 1283 Ch 1291 Tax 1343 Pat
  • Duneschirche c.1150 Pipewell 1201,1207 Cur
  • Duneschirice 1247 Ass
  • Donescherche 1221 ib
  • Dimescherche (sic) 1223 Bracton
  • Donischurch 1251 Fees
  • Dunneschirche, Dunnescherche 1201,1208 Cur
  • Dunneschirch 1235,1242 Fees
  • Dunnischurch 1251 ib
  • Duncherch 1250 Fees 1260 FF
  • Dunchirche 1287 Ipm 1316 FA 1375 Ipm
  • Dunkyrke 1444 BM

Etymology

The interpretation of this name depends a good deal on the stress to be laid on the genitival forms. If we take the earliest forms as authoritative, then Dugdale (190) is doubtless right in interpreting the name as compounded of “Done or Dune , signifying in our old English, a Hill, and Cerce a Church, which agrees with the situation thereof.” If that is so the genitival forms must be explained as due to the influence of the neighbouring Dunsmore (supra 12). If the es is original then church and moor were named after the same man Dunn and s was early lost from the consonant combination nsch .

Places in the same Parish