Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Mirefeld, Mirefelt 1086 DB

• Mirefeld, Myrefeld 1170–85 YCh1692 1180–93 l.12 Font 13 ADvi 1245 Ebor 1252 FF 1297 WCR 1329 FF 1391 YDi

• Myrefeud 1219 FF

• Mirfeld(e), Myrfeld(e) Hy2 Dugdv 13 YDi 1202 FF Hy3 Arm 1276 RH 1285 KI 1288 YI 1303 Aid 1309 YDiii 1314 YDi 1316 Vill 1323 Ass4 1537 WillY

• Myrfeud 1297 WCR

• Myrfill 1558 NCWills

• Myrfeild 1605 FF

• Mirifeud, Myrifeud 1195–1215 YChviii 1246 Ass11d

• Mirifeld, Miryfeld 1246 Ass5d 1251 FF

• Merefelde 1293 Ebor 1486 MinAcct

• Merfeld 1303 ib

• Murfeld(e) 1531 Testiv 1641 PRThl

• Murfeild 1615 FF

Etymology

'Pleasant stretch of open country', v. myrig , feld . The first el. is hardly likely to be mýrr 'mire, swamp' on topographical grounds; the name must have described the steep hillside on the north side of the Calder and only one small piece of ground by the river (the Lowlands) could have been swampy. As in other names (such as Marley K 225, 558), myrig is here, perhaps more persistently, reduced to ME  Mir (e ), but the Miri - spellings leave no doubt about the interpretation, v. Addenda.