Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wellacome, Wilecome 1086 DB

• Wellecumb(e) 1200 Cur 1280 Ass

• Owelcombe 1403 Cl

• Welcombe 1412 FA

• Wulecum 1204 Ch 1313

• Vl(l)ecumb(e) 1244 Ass 1268 ib

• Ul(l)ecumbe 1244 Abbr 1255 Sarum

• Wllecumba 1265 Misc

• Wllecombe 1338 DCM

• Wollecumbe 1285 FA

• Wollecombe 1327 SR

• Ollecombe 1300 Hutch3

• Wolcombe 1318 Ch 1364 Cl

• Woolcomb 1811 OS

• Wulcome Bingham 1303 Ipm

• Wollecombe Bingham 1311 1335 Drew

• Wellecombe Byng(e)ham 1311 Ipm

• Wolcombe Byngham 1412 FA 1433 Cl

• Wolcomb-Bingham 1774 Hutch1

• Woolcombe Bingham 1795 Boswell

• Wollecombe Piterych 1317 Ipm

• Wolcombe-Pertriche 1774 Hutch1

• 'wood called Bynghamswode' 1335 Drew

Etymology

'Valley with a spring or stream', from well(a), WSax  wiell(a), wyll(a), and cumb, cf. Woolcombe in Melbury B. par. infra which has the same origin. A stream rises here and a spring is marked 6″, cf. John atte Wolle 1327 SR (taxed at Kingcombe in this par.). The manorial affix Bingham , Byng (e )ham is from the de Byngham family: Robert de Bingeham held Wllecumba in 1265 Misc, cf. also Robert (de ) Byng (e )ham 1303, 1311 Ipm, 1433 Cl, Richard Byngham 1400 ib, and for the same family v. West Stafford par. 1 243 and Bingham's Melcombe 3217–8. Part of the estate here was the 'wood called Bynghamswode '1335 Drew. The alternative affix Piterych is also no doubt manorial, although the surname has not been traced in this par., but cf. Petersham Fm in Holt par. 2 151–2 for the OE  pers.n. *Peohtrīc from which the surname derives, and, for a possible instance of the ME surname itself, cf. Piterig (no forename) 1327 SR (a taxpayer in W. Stour par.). It will be noted that Hutch1 (1 530) gives this affix as Pertriche : this surname is relatively common in Do, cf. Nicholas Pertrich '1327 SR (Minterne M. par.), Elias Pertrich ' (Burton Brad. par.).