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.

Holsworthy

Major Settlement in the Parish of Holsworthy

Historical Forms

  • Haldeurdi 1086 DB(Exon)
  • Haldeword
  • Halleswrthia late12th BM 1291 Tax
  • Haldewurth 1228 FF
  • Aldeswrh' 1257 Ipm
  • Haldeswrthy 1277 Ass 1389 ADiv
  • Holdesworthe 1308 Exon
  • Hollesworthi 1327 Ass
  • Holdiswortħ et non Haldiswortħ 1330 Ass
  • Houlsworthy 1675 Ogilby
  • Holsworthy vulgo Holsery 1765 D
  • Healdesworthe c.1320 Exon
  • Hyallesworthi 1326 Exon

Etymology

This place must be considered along with healdesuuyrth in a Sussex charter (BCS 197), cited by Blomé (145), Holdstrong infra 188 and Halsworthy infra 520, all alike containing a first element Healdes -. The triple occurrence of this otherwise unrecorded element in genitival form is in favour of interpreting it as a pers. name Heald , rather than a common noun (ge )heald , 'stronghold,' postulated by Blomé or an unmutated OE  heald , 'slope,' allied to OE  hielde. If it is a pers. name it must be derived from OE  heald , 'bent.' Cf. also Holdworth (Y), DB Haldeuurde , Holdsworth (Y) 1276 RH Haldewrthe , and the pers. name Halda recorded in OE, apparently the weak form of this name.