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.

Guphill

Early-attested site in the Parish of West Anstey

Historical Forms

  • Gopewell 1281 Ass
  • Gopewille 1291 Ass

Etymology

Probably 'Guppa 's spring' as suggested by Blomé (68), Guppa being a pet-form of such OE  pers. names as Gūþbeald , Gūþbeorht , through an intermediate stage *Gubba . We may note Gupworthy (So), Guppewurþe 1155–8 (1334) Ch, Gopeworthy 1327SR , as supporting the suggestion. Wallenberg (StudNP 2, 91) suggests associating the first element in Guphill with OE  gupe , 'buttock,' but it is difficult to see how that word would explain the two recorded compounds. It may be, however, that Guppe is a late OE name (of the nickname type) derived from OE  gupe .

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name

Major Settlement