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.

Billacombe

Early-attested site in the Parish of Kelly

Historical Forms

  • Billercombe 1319 Ass 1482 IpmR
  • Bilercombe 1333 SR
  • Bilricomb 1330 SR

Etymology

v. cumb . The first element is very probably OE  billere , dial. bilders , billers , used in Devon of the cow-parsnip and in Cornwall of the water-dropwort (v. NED s. v. bilders ). Cf. Bilbrook (St), Bilrebroch DB, Bilrebroch , Billebroc 13th (PN St) and Bilbrook in Old Cleeve (So), Bilrebroc n.d. AD iv, Byllerebroke 1527 AD iii.

Places in the same Parish

Major Settlement