Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Tettan monasterium, Tectan monasterium 681 BCS late14th

• to Tettan byrg 872–915 BCS582 11th

• Tettan byrig 11th ib

• Teteberie 1086 DB 1165–77 France

• Tetebir 1221 Ass

• Tetteberia c.1170 Monast

• Tettebur(y), Tettebir(e), Tettebiria, Tetteburi 13 ADi 1219 ClR 1220 Fees c.1220 Tetb 1220–30 Berk 1221 FF 1234 Cl 1499 FF

• Totteberia c.1170 Monast

• Tottebir' 1211–13 Fees

• Tottebury 1316 FA

• Tuttesbire 1212 ClR

• Tuttebury 1459 MinAcct

• Tettesbir(e), Tettesbyr 1214 ClR 1221 Ass 1285 Abbr

• Tettesbury 1303 FA

• Tetesbir' 1221 Ass

• Thettebur' 1287 Ass

• Tetbery 1288 Abbr

• Tetbury 1438,1460 Pat 1675 Ogilby

• Tedburie, Tedbury c.1300 Godstow 1455 FF 1486 Ipm 1700 PR

Etymology

'Tette's fortified place', v. burh . The burh was no doubt the encampment just south of the parish church. The OE  fem. pers.n. Tette is recorded only as that of a sister of King Ine of Wessex who founded Wimborne Abbey (c. 700) and of the mother of St Guthlac (c. 670) (cf. Searle s.n.). An OE  masc. name Tetta has been proposed for Tedburn (D 14, 451), on Tettan burnan 739 (11th) BCS 1331, but this could equally well be from the fem. Tette . Tetbury was, judging by the oldest spellings, a monastic foundation and was near the land granted by the Mercian king Æthelred to Malmesbury Abbey in 681, but we do not know the identity of the lady who gave her name to Tettan monasterium ; the locality does not favour Guthlac's mother, but if the hazy chronology of Ine's sister Tette can be extended backwards a little she might well be the founder, in view of Ine's interest in organising the church in Wessex and her own activities at Wimborne.