Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Badbery Hill 1539 CourtR

• Badbury Hill 1710 PubLib

• Badburrow Hill 1761 Rocque

Etymology

Badbury Hill (in Great Coxwell), Badbery Hill 1539CourtR , Badbury Hill 1710PubLib , Badburrow Hill 1761 Rocque. The forms are late, but this is probably one of a group of names, comprising Badbury in Do and W, Badby Nth and Baumber L, all apparently meaning 'Badda's burh', and in four cases, of which this is one, referring to prehistoric hill-forts. Another example is mentioned in The Agricultural History Review 16 Pt 11 (1968), p. 93, where E. A. Pocock says that a f.n. Badbury in Clanfield O refers to an ancient enclosure visible in air photographs. Ekwall (DEPN) suggests that Badda may have been a legendary hero, associated with ancient camps. It is possible, however, that the first el. of all these names is pre-English. Mons Badonicus , the unidentified site of the battle of c. 500, may be a pre-English name of similar form.