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.

Kingcombe, Hr Kingcombe & Lr Kingcombe

Early-attested site in the Parish of Toller Porcorum

Historical Forms

  • Chimedecome 1086 DB
  • Kemedecumba John AddCh
  • Kendecumb 1212 Fees
  • Kendecumbe 1268 Ass
  • Kemthecumb 1226 FF
  • Kenittecumbe 1231 Pat
  • Kemtecumbe 1244 Ass
  • Kemdecomb, Kemdecumbe 1275 RH
  • Keindecumbe 1285 FA
  • Candecumbe (sic) 1288 Ass
  • Kemelecumbe John AddCh 1288 Ass
  • Kenilecumb' 1251–2 Fees
  • Kendelcombe (sic) 1280 Ass
  • Kemlecumbe 1305 FF
  • Overkenilecumbe 1311 ib
  • Kentecumba 1236 Fees
  • Kentecome 1280 Ass
  • Kentecumb(e) 1285 FF 1288 Ass 1297 Cl 1315 Hen1
  • Nither Kentecumb(e) 1367 Weld2
  • Kentecomb(e) 1285 FA 1315 Hen1
  • Nethere Kentecumb(e) 1315 FF 1327,1332 SR 1337 Lane
  • Nither Kentecumb(e) 1346 FA 1355 Ipm 1474 Pat
  • Kentecoumbe 1315 Ipm
  • Overkent(e)combe 1385 IpmR 1386 Cl 1401,1413 Fine 1414 Cl
  • Netherkent(e)combe 1386,1400 1462 ib
  • Nytherkentecombe 1400 Cl 1431 FA
  • Nither Kenticombe 1428 ib
  • Kentencumbe (sic) 1288 Ass
  • Keinecumbe 1303 FA
  • Nether Keinecumb 1303 FA
  • Nuther Keincombe 1303 FA
  • Netherkencombe 1465 Pat 1510 DCM 1653 ParlSurv
  • Overkencombe 1510 DCM
  • Higher Kencomb 1686 DCMCt
  • Kencombe Inferior 1700 Mont
  • Overkingcombe 1653 ParlSurv 1664 HTax
  • Nether Kingcombe, Over Kingcombe 1795 Boswell
  • Nethere Kentecombe 1315 FF

Etymology

Possibly 'valley where wall-germander grows', from OE  cymed and cumb, as first suggested by Ekwall RN 228, DEPN and since generally accepted, as by Smith EPN 1 123 and Gelling LandscapePNs 107 (cf. Tengstrand MN 102). However the consistent early (post-DB) e -spellings for the first el. (Kemede -, Kende -, Kemthe -, Kente -, etc.) are perhaps a problem, as already pointed out by Fägersten 236. Moreover the late John Pafford (pers. comm.) thought it unlikely that the plant in question (not otherwise evidenced in English p.ns.) would flourish in a damp, marshy valley. An interesting alternative possibility for the first el., suggested by Professor Richard Coates (pers. comm.) is an OE  *cemde 'having a comb or crest' (cf. camb ). A pers.n. does not look possible, but cf. the mysterious Cened 925 (BCS 641, S 394) thought by Redin 27 to be an error for Cenred . If the early Kemele -, Kenile -, Kemle - forms are genuine, and not errors for Kemde -, Kemte -, etc., the somewhat similar interchange of early spellings for Hemsworth 2260–1 might be compared. The distinguishing affixes Over - and Nether - first appear in the early 14th cent., v. uferra 'higher', neoðerra 'lower'. It will be noted that the development to King - is relatively late: in 1774 Hutch1, Higher and Lower Kingcombe are still Higher -Kentcomb , Over -Kentcomb and Lower -Kentcomb , Nether -Kentcomb , North -Kentcomb respectively, cf. also Higher Kentcomb , Lower Kentcomb on 1811 OS. There was a mill Nethere Kentecombe in 1315 FF.