Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Burwey, Burwey Marsshe, Borewe Marshe 1577 SpecCom

• Burway, Burway Marshe, Barwayfeelde, Burrow Marshe c.1605 RentSur

• Burway, Burway Marshe 1607 ib

• Burrow, Burrow Marsh 1761 Rocque 1790 Pride

• Borough Lake, Fm and Marsh 1846 Snare

• Burgeia 1194 P

Etymology

Borough Fm, Borough Bridge, Borough Lake, Borough Marsh, Burwey , Burwey Marsshe , Borewe Marshe 1577SpecCom , Burway , Burway Marshe , Barwayfeelde , Burrow Marshe c. 1605RentSur , Burway , Burway Marshe 1607ib , Burrow , Burrow Marsh 1761 Rocque, 1790 Pride, Borough Lake , Fm and Marsh 1846 Snare. A much earlier form is found in RSO I 285–6, in the surname of two men mentioned in a list of tenants at Sonning dated 1220. The tenants are called Rogerus Burgeia and Willelmus de Burgeia . The name, a compound of burh and (ī)eg, is identical with that of Laleham Burway in Chertsey Sr (Sr 110), and probably with Burroway in Bampton (O 304), in spite of the suggested etymology 'way to or from a borough' given in O.All three places are beside the Thames and near an ancient settlement, and the meaning is probably 'island meadow belonging to the borough', rather than 'island with a prehistoric camp' as suggested in Sr. A fourth example is Burway near Ludlow Sa, which is Burgeia 1194 P.