Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Agmodesham 1066 KCD824 12th Fines 1203 Bract 1218 Cl 1232 Fees 1237–40 Ass 1262 Ch 1282 FA 1284 Fine 1299 ADi 13th Pat 1317 Cl 1326 ADii 1339

• Elmodesham, Elnodesham 1086 DB

• Amodesham 1165 P 1227 1241,1247 Ass

• Agemodesham 1176 P

• Almodesham Ri P 1234 Bract

• Angmodesham 1197 Fines 1284 FA 13th ADi

• Aumodesham 1218 Pat 1222 WellsR 1227 1232 Cl 1235 Fees465 1235 Gross 1247,1262 Ass

• Admodesham 1227 FF 1262 Ass

• Amundesham 1227 Ass 1317 Pat 1326 Cl

• Ammodesham 1235 Fees469

• Amondesham 1241 Ass 1338,1362 Pat 1373 Cl 1400 Pat

• Augmodesham 1245 Gross 1262 Ass 1275 Ipm 1340 NI

• Agmundesham al. Agmodesham 1297 Ipm

• Agmundesham 13th ADiv 1312 Cl 1366 Cl

• Aumundesham 1301 Ipm 1302 FA 1331 Cl

• Aumomdesham 1318,1331,1420 Pat

• Aughmodesham 1325 Pat

• Aymondesham 1333 Pat

• Amondeshom 1340 Cl

• Aymundesham 1363 New22(Weedon)

• Amoundesham 1378 Cl

• Agmondesham 1348 Pat 1352 Cl 1361 Pat 1414 ADiii 1455 ADiv 1477 Pat 1485 Ipm 1488 ADv 1504 Pat 1519 LP 1526 1535 LDD 1604 Vern

• Amotesham 1414,1436 Pat 1440 ADi

• Hakmersham 1483 Pat

• Egmonsham 1513 LP

• Hamersham 1536 LP

• Agmondesham vulgo Amersham 1675 Ogilby

• Agmundesham 1290–1320 Linc

• Augmundesham, Aughmundesham 1300–20 Linc

• Agmodesham 1320–42 Linc

• Amondesham, Agmondesham 1347–62 Linc

• Amondesham, Agmundesham, Hamundesham 1363–98 Linc

• Amundesham, Amondesham 1405–20 Linc

• Amondesham 1420–31 Linc

• Agmondesham 1452–72,1480–96,1496–1514,1522–47 Linc

• (H)amersham 1522–47 Linc

• Agmundisham al. Amershams c.1600 Linc

Etymology

The first part of this name is a pers. name and the second element in that pers. name is either mōd , or, less probably, mund . If the former, the n is that intrusive n sometimes found in the unstressed syllables of polysyllabic words as in messenger and in several p.n. mentioned in PN NbDu 265. The first element of the pers. name is not easy to determine. Forms in Elm -, Alm -, Aum -, Am - can be explained on the basis of an OE  name in Aegel -, whether that is a late form for Aeþel - or an entirely distinct element. (For a full discussion of this problem v. Zachrisson, AN Influence , 101 ff. and Forssner, Continental - Germanic Pers. Names in England , 11 ff.) Such a name however would not explain the persistent Ag -, Aug - forms. For these we must look rather to some name of continental origin in Agil - borne perhaps by some 9th cent. holder of the manor.Such continental names in Agil - are found in OE. If the name of Amersham was once Agilmodesham the existence of OE  names in Aegel - might soon lead to confusion and one might, side by side with the right name, have a semi-anglicised one arising. Such a theory would explain the curious double development of the name. The Aug - forms can only be explained as the result of a conflation of these two types, Aum - (from Alm -) and Ag - (from Agil -). Those in Ang - may perhaps only be errors of transcription for ones in Aug - but they might also be explained as Angm - from Agm - in the same way that we find ME  Angnes for Agnes , and Angni for Agni .

Professor Ekwall is inclined to explain this admittedly difficult name by starting from an OE  Ealhmod , which would explain the DB forms. He adds: 'The early loss of l would have an analogy in early forms of Alconbury (Hu), DBAcumesberie , RH Acundberi , 1303 FA Aucmundebir '. The development of the OE h is best explained, if we may assume that the h was voiced between the consonants surrounding it. For the fricative g , Norman hard g would be substituted, and before this the l would be dropped as it was before the k (c ) in Alconbury. The common early form Agmodesham is thus explained. But this spelling must in many instances be a conventional, traditional one, behind which we have to assume a spoken form with fricative g , shown by spellings such as Augh - and the early assimilation to Amm -. This form is difficult to explain. Possibly it may be looked on as a compromise between genuine English Alghmodesham and Normanised Agmodesham .'