Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Aisemare 1086 DB

• Aisemara Exon

• Essemera, Essemere 1100–35 Pat 1496 Ch 1107 P 1300 Cl 1194 Banco 1230 Pap 1284 1289

• Essemor(e) 1247,1250 Cl

• Esmere 1268 Ass

• Esshemere 1284 Banco

• Eshemere 1399 Cl

• Ashesmera 1233 Cl

• Assemere 1235 Cl 1268,1280,1288 Ass 1291 Tax 1303 FA

• Aysmere 1242–3 Fees

• Ayssemere 1268 Ass

• Asmere 1280 ib

• Aysschemere 1283 Cecil

• Has(s)emer(e) 1288 Ass

• Aschemer(e) 1303 FA 1332 SR 1536 AD

• Asshemer(e) 1305 FF 1494 Cecil

• Ashmere 1314 Ipm

• Ashmere als. Ashmore 1619 CH

• Ashmere als. Aysmer 1661 CollA

• Asshemore 1316 FA

• Asshmer(e) 1340 NI 1346 FA

• Aysshmer 1412,1431 ib

• Aysemere als. Ashemeer 1579 CollA

• Ashmeere 1618 CH 1664 HTax

• Ashmore 1618 CH

• Aishmere 1619 ib

Etymology

'Pool where ash-trees grow', from æsc and mere 1 , cf. Ashey Knap infra , with reference to the pond at the centre of this hill-top village (700′), situated on a ridgeway and beside the Badbury Rings-Kingston Deverell Roman road (Margary 46).OE  (ge)mǣre 'boundary', with reference to the situation of Ashmore on the county bdy with Wiltshire, is a formally possible but perhaps less likely alternative, as is the OE  pers.n. Æsca for the first el. (DEPN). The second el. has been confused with, and eventually replaced by, mōr 'marshy ground'.