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.

Weymouth

Major Settlement in the Parish of Weymouth & Melcombe Regis

Historical Forms

  • (of) Waimouþe, (on ðan) Waymouþe 843 ASCharters
  • (apud) Waimudā 1130 PR
  • Waymue 1152–8 Mont 1244 Ass
  • portus de Waymue 1249 Acct 1293 Cl
  • Waymud 1243 Pap
  • Waymuth(e) 1252 Cl 1290 Fine 1382 et freq
  • Waymo 1282 Cl
  • Waymoth 1288 Ass 1348,1411 AD
  • Waymouth(e) 1322 Cl
  • Waymouth(e) Porte 1565 SPDom
  • Waymewe 1322 Pat
  • Waymeuth 1323 Ct
  • Waymeth 1327 SR
  • Waigmouth 1535–43 Leland
  • Weymue Hy3 Cerne 14 ClR 1225 Cl 1308
  • Weymuth(e) 1248 Ch 1258 Pat 1408 et freq
  • Burgus de Weymuth 1275 RH
  • Weymuwe 1280 Ass
  • Weymouth(e) 1290 Cl
  • Weymoth(e) 1296 Ipm 1383 Cl 1389 ADI 1539 LP
  • Weyemouthe 1371 ADII
  • Wymue Hy3 Cerne 14
  • Wymuth(e) 1256 Ch 1258 1317 Pat 1395
  • Wymouth 1360 Ipm 1420 Pat
  • Wyemue 1293 ib
  • Wemue 1268 Ass 1275 Fine
  • Waymouthe side, Melcombe side in 1625 WeyM

Etymology

'The mouth of R. Wey', v. mūða , RNs. infra , cf. Broadwey par. supra ; -mue , -mewe , etc. are AN spellings, v. Zachrisson ANInfl 82 f, 93 f; Porte 1565 is from port 1 'harbour', cf. Harbour infra .The old town of Weymouth lay to the south of R. Wey, Melcombe Regis infra to the north, cf. the use of the phrases Waymouthe side , Melcombe side in 1625 WeyM; the (spurious) OE  charter claims that Athelstan granted to Milton Abbey al þ water binne staþe of Waimouþe , and half strym on ðan Waymouþe out on see ('all the water within the shore (i.e. inshore) from the mouth of the Wey, and half the river in the Wey estuary out to sea'). For the bounds of Weymouth in 1252, v. Hutch3 2429. According to DBGazetteer 117, (at least) one of the eight DB manors of Wai (a ) is to be identified with Weymouth, cf. Broadwey par. supra .