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.

Fordington

Early-attested site in the Parish of Dorchester St Peter & All Saints

Historical Forms

  • Fortitone 1086 DB
  • Fortitona Exon
  • Fortintun 1155 PR
  • Fortyngton 1378–1404 Pat
  • Fortyngdon 1404 Cl
  • Fordinton(e), Fordintun 1155,1156 RBE 1156,1157 PR 1160 P 1345 Pat
  • Fordentun 1196 ChancR
  • Fordyntun 1280 Ass 1397 Cl
  • Fordington(e) 1155 RBE 1200 CartAnt 1205 RC
  • Fordingeton(e) 1205 ClR 1554 DuCo
  • Fordyngton(e) 1288 Ass 1547 Ct
  • Fordyngton(e) by Dorcestre 1326 Pat
  • Fordyngdon(e) 1291 Tax 1483 Ct
  • Forthington 1242 Cl
  • Forthyngton 1347,1358 Pat
  • Furthyngton 1452 ib

Etymology

Probably 'farm at Fording ' ('the ford place'), from ford, -ing 2 , tūn ; the ford was no doubt across R. Frome, cf. Robert atte Forde 1335Ct . The rare forms in -inge - do not support the presence of gen.pl. -inga- or the interpretation 'farm of the ford dwellers' proposed by Fägersten 187, cf. also Ekwall DEPN. The East Tything , West Tything 1841TA are mentioned from 1329Ct (Decen ' oriental ', Decen ' occidental '), cf. Upper Fordington 1863 Hutch3 (adjoining Dorchester on N and W) and West Fordington (Kelly). For Fordington liberty, v. note under St George hundred supra . The bounds of Fordington are described in 1607 Clegg 159–61 and 1615DuCo .