Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wellecome 1086 DB(f.80b)

• Wellecumbe 1200 Cur 1288 Ass 1316 FA

• Wellecombe 1314 Pat 1316 FA

• Welecomb(e) 1303,1346,1428 ib

• Wulecumb' 1219,1220 Cur

• Wullecumb(e) 1236 Cl

• Wullecumb(e) Mautravers 1281 FF

• Wullecombe 1288 Ass

• Vlecumb 1268 FF

• Wilecumb' 1221 Cur

• Wyllecumb' 1280 Ass

• Wolecumb(e) 1268 Ass 1303 FA 1313 FF

• Wolecombe 1338 BMI

• Wollecumbe 1286 FF

• Wollecoumbe 1314 Pat

• Wollecombe Mautravers 1455 Cl 1465 Pat

• Wolcombe 1318 Ch 1327 SR 1447 Weld1

• Wollecombe Mautravers 1386 1431 FA 1465 Pat

• Wolcome 1325 Pat

• Woolcombe manner 1569–74 Map

• Wool(l)combe Matravers 1664 HTax 1795 Boswell

• Woolcomb 1811 OS

• Owelcombe 1356,1357 FF 1380 Cl

Etymology

'Valley with a spring or stream', from well(a), WSax  wiell(a), wyll(a), and cumb, cf. Woolcombe Fm in Toller Porcorum par. supra which has the same origin. For the characteristic Do dial. spellings in u , i and o found in both these names, cf. Wool par. 1 188. The 14th-cent Owel - forms suggest a vocalization of initial W -. Two streams rise here and several springs are marked on the 6″ maps. The manorial affix is from the Mautravers family: the manor was held by Hugh Maltrauers in 1086 DB (VCHDo 391) and by John Mautravers in 1281, 1286 FF and 1316 FA, cf. also John Mautrauers 1327, 1332 SR, and v. Lytchett Matravers par. 2 29 for the same family.