Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Bereleseie, Berdesei 1086 DB

• Berdes(eia), Berdesea, Berdesia, Berdesee, Berdesey(a), Berdesay(a) 1158–1193 P 1200 OblR 13 Pont 1201 ChR 1201,1205 Kirkst 1205,1207 OblR 1208 P 1209 FF 1218 Pat 1546 YChant

• Berdessay 1219 Fees

• Berdessey 1246 FF

• Berdsay 1428 FA

• Bardesey(e), Bardesay 1244 Kirkst 1303 KF 1409 DiocV 1537 Dugdv

• Bradsey 1535 VE

• Bardsey 1540 Testvi 1641 Rates

• Bardsawe 1576 Dep

• Barsaie 1661 PRHrd

Etymology

Probably the first el. is a reduced form of the OE  pers.n. Beornrēd , as Moorman 18 suggested; Bardsea La 210, which has a similar run of forms, is Berretseige in DB. The second el. may be OE  ēg 'island' in some such sense as 'island-like hill' (which is not inappropriate) or it may be OE  (ge)hæg 'enclosure' or the OE  hēah 'high place, hill', which seem preferable in some other p.ns. like Wibsey iii, 10supra .