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.

Motcombe

Major Settlement in the Parish of Motcombe

Historical Forms

  • Motcumbe Hy3 Cerne 14 Ass 1244 1280,1288 GillCt 1292 Ipm 1310
  • Motcumb' 1268 Ass
  • Motcombe 1502 Ipm
  • Mottcombe 1609 LRMB
  • Motecumb(e) 1244 Ass 1258 For 1270 ib
  • Motecombe 1415 GillCt 1417 Pat 1455 Cl 1650 ParlSurv
  • Mocumb' 1268 Ass
  • Moucomb 1275 RH
  • Mottecumbe 1270 For 1288 Ass
  • Mottecombe 1372 Pat 1497 Ipm
  • Modecombe 1371 For 1397 WRO
  • Medecombe (sic) 1371 For
  • Notcombe (sic) Eliz ChancP

Etymology

'Valley where meetings are held', from (ge)mōt and cumb, identical with Motcombe Sx 431, cf. Modbury hundred and Modbury in Swyre par. both infra . This may well have been the meeting-place of the GeldR hundred of Gelingeham , v. under Redlane hundred supra .