Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Siford 1086 DB

• Siffort 1102–22 Ch 1332

• Sifort 1103–6 1333 ib

• Scifford 1155–8 1333 ib

• Sifford', Sifford 1204 HunterFines

• Shiford' 1206–7 1241 Ass

• Parva Siford' 1222–3 FF

• West Shifford' 1241 Ass

• Estsifford', Estscifford' 1242–3 Fees

• Westsheford 1282 Cl

• Estshyfford, Esscheford', West Shifford, Westsciford' 1284 Ass

• Est Syfforde, West Scifford 1294 SR

• Estshifforde, Westshyfford 1316 FA

• Westchifforde 1428 ib

• West Shifford als Shifford Magna, Shifford Parva 1535 VE

• West Shefford als Great Shefford 1757 ArchJ

• Sipford' c.1160 OxonCh

• Schipforda 1167 P

• Sipford', Westsipf' prioris de Sireburn', Westsipf' Templariorum, Estsipf', Sipf' Hospitalium, Sipford comitisse de Ferrariis 1220 Fees

• Shipford' 1233 Cl

• Estshipford, Estchipford', Shipford, West Schypford', West Schipford' 1284 Ass

• Chefford 1340 Cl

Etymology

'Sheep ford', identical with Shefford BdHu 172 and Shifford O 327. The O and Berks names probably contain WSax  scīep, an i-mutated side-form of scēap.

Five hides in Great or West Shefford were granted to the Priory of Sherborne t. Hy 1. There is nothing in the descent of the manors as traced in VCH iv, 235–41, to account for the suffixes Templariorum and Hospitalium , or for a reference to the Countess of Ferrers. These are appropriate to Sibford Ferris O 404, and it looks as if some forms for that place have been mistakenly written under Eagle Hundred Berks in the Book of Fees. Shefford is not mentioned in Templars, but it is noted there that Sibford O is mistakenly placed among the Berks estates in the inquest of 1185. There is, however, a Templars Fm in Great Shefford, for which no explanation has been found.

The two Berks estates, both of which are described in DB, were distinguished as 'Great' and 'Little' or as 'East' and 'West'. Great Shefford was probably the earlier settlement, and the ford is likely to have been near where the road from Wantage to Hungerford crosses the R. Lambourn.