Throapham
Early-attested site in the Parish of St John's Parish
Historical Forms
- Trapun, Trapu' 1086 DB
- Thropon 1352 YDviii 1366 FF 1499 YDxii,244 1535 VE 1591 FF
- Thorpen 1472 Fabr
- Thorpon 1596 FF
- Thropen 1490 YDviii 1498 HCY 1526 FF
- Throapham 1822 Langd
Etymology
With the material available it is uncertain whether Throapham is from an OE þrāpum (with normal rounding of ā to ME ǭ ) or OE þropum (with ME lengthening of OE ŏ to ǭ in the open syllable), though the DB spellings point to the former. Since there appears to be no root þrāp , we must assume the name to be from þropum with the DB spellings erratic. The name would then mean 'at the outlying farmsteads', from OE þropum , dat.pl. of þrop ; v. -um . Along with Thrope Ho. (Fountains Earth) pt. v infra , Throapham would be a rare northern example of OE þrop .