Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cuniton' 860–6 Cott 14

• on Cumtun bricgge, to Cumtun bricgge 903 SherC(S516)

• Cumbtun 998 SherC(S895) 12

• Comtona…alia Comtona 1125 SherC 12

• Cumtona et superior Cumtona …et parva Cumtona 1145 12 ib

• Comton(a) 1160 Osm

• Comptonam et aliam Comptonam 1163 Dugd

• Cumpton(e) 1201 FF 1212 P 1236 FF 1265 CottCh 1280 Ass 1285 FA

• Cum'ton 1244 ib

• Compton' 1280 1428 FA

• Contone 1086 DB

• Nether(e) Compton 1297 Pat 1316 FA

• Nythercompton(') 1332 SR

• Nythercompton(') Abbatis 1396 FF 1516 Digby

• Nethercompton(') 1406 Digby 1575 Saxton

• Nethircompton 1428 FA

• Neither Compton 1569–74 Map

• Over Compton 1316 FA 1340 NI

• Ouercompton('), Overcompton(') 1332 SR 1473 Digby

• Ouyrcompton 1473 ib

• Ouer Compton 1575 Saxton

• Compton Over, or Hawey 1795 Boswell

• Cumpton' Haweye 1288 Ass 1318 Banco

• Cumpton' Hauwey 1303 FA

• Cumpton' Haweys 1309 Banco

• Cumpton' Harveye 1318 FF

• Compton(') Hawey(e) 1288 Ass 1342 Misc

• Compton(') Hawey(e) alias Over Compton 1542 Hutch3

• Compton(') Howey 1320 Cl

• Compton(') Hawy 1349 Pat

• Compton(') Hawy alias Over Compton 1423 Pap

• Compton(') Hawe 1391 Pat 1408 Cl 1431 Fine

• Coumbhaweye (sic) 1325 Pat

• Upcompton 1349 Pat

Etymology

'Farm in the valley', v. cumb , tūn , the two pars, distinguished by the affixes neoðerra 'lower' and uferra 'higher, upper' or upp 'higher up'.

The alternative affix -Hawey for Over Compton is manorial; John de Hawey held half a knight's fee in Cumpton in 1285 FA, cf. also Hutch3 4167. Both places belonged to Sherborne Abbey, hence the addition -Abbatis ('of the abbot') in 1396. The form Cumtun bricgge occurs as a boundary point in the Anglo-Saxon bounds of Thornford par. infra . It is fairly certain that it refers to this place even though the point in question is on R. Yeo about a mile from (Nether) Compton itself, at ST 620149; the meaning must be 'river-crossing associated with Compton, i.e. on a route leading to Compton', v. brycg .