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.

Bonsall

Major Settlement in the Parish of Bonsall

Historical Forms

  • Bunteshale 1086 DB
  • Bunteshal' 1195 P 1295 Abbr 1298 Ipm
  • Buntesale 1306 Ass
  • Bonteshā 1166 P
  • Bontis-, Bontishal(e), Bontisal(e) 1251 Ch 1252 RegAnt 1269 Ass 1474 DbCh
  • Bontsale 1419 DbCh
  • Bonteshall, Bontishall 1306 Ass 1519 DbAxix 1535 Val 1582 Lanc 1758 Bowen
  • Bontesall als Bondsall 1561 DbAxxvii
  • Bundeshale 1330 Ass
  • Bondeshal(e), Bondishal(e), Bondisal(e) 1330 Ass 1348 Cor 1361 DbCh 1428 FA
  • Bondsale 1340 Woll 1402 DbCh 1412 HardCh
  • Bon(e)sale 1427,1442 WollCh 1577 DbAi
  • Bonsall 1505 DbAxlv 1519 DbAxix 1541 WollCh
  • Bounteshall 1630 Derby
  • Nether Bonsall 1690 Derby

Etymology

'Bunt's nook of land', v. halh . The OE  pers.n. Bunt is not independently recorded, but appears in several pl.ns., such as Birchgrove (PN Sx 271), Bountisborough Hundred (Ha), and the weak form of the name in Benton (PN D 30). Cf. Upper Town infra 346.