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.

Bidna

Early-attested site in the Parish of Northam

Historical Forms

  • atte Bydene 1330 SR

Etymology

Blomé (44) suggests that in this name we have the OE  byden , 'bushel, tub,' used in some topographical sense. This suggestion finds support in two OE examples noted by him. Beedon (Berks) is Byden (BCS 802, 1171), Beden (ib. 866) and is near the head of a long valley. Bidden (Ha) is byden (e ) (KCD 783), and lies in a hollow. From the context it may be the name of a river, now the Whitewater, on which Bidden stands. Bidna itself lies in a hollow. Cf. further Bennah, Betham, infra 430, 398. The corresponding OGer word may possibly be found in the p.n. recorded under Butino in Förstemann (ON i, 654).