Bromham
Major Settlement in the Parish of Bromham
Historical Forms
- Bruneham, Brimeham 1086 DB
- Bruham 1164,1165,1173 P 1220 1242 Fees885 1247 Ass 1258 FF 1274 Ipm 1276 Ass 1284 FA 1287 Ass 1296 Ipm 1302 FA
- Bromham 1227 Ass 1248 Cl 1271 FA 1276 Ass 1286,1295 Ipm 1297 Ch 1316 FA 1324 1328 Ipm 1338 Cl 1346 FA 1361 Cl 1366 Ch 1428 FA
- Braham 1227 Ass
- Bramham 1228 FF
- Brumham 1262 FF 1287 Ass 1576 Saxton
- Brunham 1276,1287 Ass 1291 Tax
- Brumbham 1276 Ass
- Brynham 1276 Ass
- Broham 1278 Fine
- Bronham 1338 Fine
- Broam 1360 Ipm
- Brounham 1361 Fine
- Burnham 1361 Cl
Etymology
It is evident that in this name there has, from an early date, been hopeless confusion. Skeat was probably right in suggesting that the earliest form was Brūnan -ham , 'hamof Bruna,' the second form in DB showing the common error of transcription im for un . The curious and persistent loss of n in the 12th and 13th cent. must be ascribed to Anglo-Norman influence, which may well have been strong in a place so near to Bedford and its castle. The n being weakened or lost in pronunciation it is not perhaps surprising that the unmeaning first element was then often turned into Brom - (v. brom ), a common p.n. element, which at once gave sense to the name. Forms such as Brum(b)ham , Bronham are due to conflation of these alternative first elements, while the Bram - forms show the influence of ME brame , 'bramble,' which is very often confused with brom in p.n. forms.