English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Doddershall

Early-attested site in the Parish of Quainton

Historical Forms

  • Dodereshell' Roberti 1167 P
  • Doderesberge 1204 FineR
  • Dodereshille 1207 Fines
  • Doderhull 1227 FF
  • Dodereshull 1235 Fees461 1241,1247 Ass 1255 For 1284,1316 FA 1343 Misc
  • Dodhereshull 1255 For
  • Dodreshulle 1316 FA
  • Dodershull 1342 Cl, Misc
  • Doreshull 1374 Pat
  • Dedersell 1392 Pat
  • Daddersill 1539 LP

Etymology

'hill' v. beorg , hyll . It may be suggested that Doddershall contains a personal name consisting of the well-recorded OE  name-element Dod , extended by an r suffix. Such formations do not seem to be recorded independently in OE, but their existence is virtually proved by place-name evidence. Hothersall (La) and Huddersfield (Y) present problems which are best solved by assuming that a bare Hūd , occurring in the recorded name Hūda (cf. Hudnall supra ), was extended in this way to form a new personal name, cf. Elwall PNLa. It is probable that other examples will appear when place-name material has been more minutely analysed. Ivershagh from Oxton Grange (Nt), e.g., is much more likely to contain such an extension of the bare If (a ) contained in Ivinghoe, above, than a hypothetical compound Ifhere .

Places in the same Parish