Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wedechesworde 1086 DB

• Wudotheswurde 1107 Ch 1300

• Wudekesworth' 1244 Ass

• Wudekeswurth 1244 ib

• Wodekesworth(e) 1244 Ass 1280 1281 FF c.1290 DCMDeed 1293 FF

• Wodekesworth(e) juxta Wymburn' 1306 1439 Cl

• Woddekesworth' 1462 Weld1

• Wythekeswurth 1250 Drew

• Wydekesworthe 1417 Marten

• Wodokesuuorth' 1253 Cl

• Wodokesworth 1293,1449 FF

• Wodekokkesworth 1412 FA

• Wodecokesworth 1425 Cl

• Wodcockesworth 1535 VE

• Wodecokesworthy 1433 IpmR

• Wodkysworth 1448 FF

• Lytel Wodekyworthy 1484 IpmR

• Little (Parva) Wodkesworth or Wodkeswurth' 1503 Ipm

• Wilkesworth 1508 Cecil 1593 Hutch3

• Wilkesworth als. Honnybrooke e18 Weld1

• Wilksworth 1795 Boswell

Etymology

The second el. is worð 'enclosure' (replaced by worðig in two 15th cent, forms), with lȳtel 'little', cf. Wimborne M. par. infra , Honeybrook infra . The first el. is probably an OE  pers.n. Wuduc , a diminutive of the recorded Wuda (Redin 58); an OE  *wuduc 'small wood' is formally possible for the first el., but a pers.n. is more likely in combination with worð , cf. Fägersten 79–80, Woodcray Brk 141–2. The 15th-16th cent, forms show some confusion of the first el. with woodcock . The modern form Wilks - may be partly due to influence from Wilkswood 136, but Kökeritz 129 accounts for it by supposing a side-form *widuc (hence the DB form with e for i , cf. also Wythekes - 1250, Wydekes - 1417), and by assuming dk > lk for ease of pronunciation after reduction of the unstressed second syllable.