Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Imere 1086 DB

• Ilmere 1161–3 RegRoff 1230 FF 1229 Pat 1232 Fees 1241,1247 Ass 1306 Ipm 1338,1339 Cl 1346 FA

• Ylmer 1208 Fees20 1260 Ipm

• Illemere 1210–2 RBE 1284,1302 FA

• Ilemere c.1218 WellsL 1222 WellsR

• Ymmere 1244 Fees

• Ylemere 1250 Fees 1338 Cl

• Illmer 1472 ADiii

• Elmer 1485 Ipm 1535 VE

• Ilmere, Elmere Eliz ChancP

Etymology

Possibly 'boundary or mere of Ylla .' v. mere , mære . There does not seem to be any actual mere though the parish lies so low that we might assume one. Alternatively, it is perhaps significant that the parish lies on the borders of Bucks and Oxon. If so, the form Illemere suggests that the first element here is a pers. name. In Searle's Onomasticon two names are entered, either of which might explain the present name: Ylla , from LVD, and Illa , implied in Illan leah , now Monks Eleigh (Sf) (BCS 1289), but Illa is probably only a 10th cent. form for Ylla , cf. Giddingcforda for a site near Gedding (Sf) (< OE  Gydda ). Ylla is the only recorded name which will explain Ilmer, Monks Eleigh (Sf) and Ellington (Nf). Taking mere as the second element Ekwall suggests with a good deal of likelihood that the first element is OE  igil , il , 'hedgehog,' cf. ilmere (BCS 1037).