Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Tolre 1086 DB 1091–1106 MontC 1100–22 Ch 1270 P 1195 ChancR 1196 P 1197–1199 FF 1222,1236 Cl 1435

• Toure 1196 ChancR

• T(h)ore 1235–6 Fees 1244 Ass

• Tholre 1244 Ass 1248 FF 1249 FF 1259 FF

• Tollr(e) 1244 Ass 1250 Cl

• Tolere 1275 RH

• Toller 1478 DLCt

• Swine Tolre 1251 Hutch3

• Swynetolre 1260 Drew 1346 FA

• Swyne Tolre 1303 ib

• Svnetolre 1292 Salis

• Suenetolre, Swenetolre 1337 Ass

• Swynestolre 1258,1262,1294 Drew 1386 Cl 1428 FA

• Suinestholre, Swynestholre 1259 FF

• Swonestolre (sic) 1293 Cl

• Swynnestolre 1313 Drew 1337 Cl

• Sweninges Tholre, Tolre Swening 1268 Ass

• Swyninge & Tolere (sic) 1275 RH

• Swyninge (sic) 1280 Ass

• Sevenyngetolre (sic) 1300 Hutch1

• Swiming Toller (sic) 1621 Strode 17

• Swuyngetolre 1325 Brid

• Swyntoller 1457 IpmR

• Optolre 1268 Ass

• Swyngeton' 1280 Ass

• Swythenetolre (sic) 1288 Ass

• Swynen(e)tolre 1313 Drew 1337 FF 1345 Pat 1367 et freq

• Swenene Tolre 1315 Drew

• Swenenetolre 1329 FF 1337 Lane

• Tolre Porcorum 1340 NI 1412 FA 1462 Pat

• Tolreporcorum 1474 ib

• Toler Porcorum 1400 Cl, Fine

• Toller Porcorum 1400 Cl 1417 ADII

• Toller Porcorum alias Hog's Toller Eliz ChancP

• Toller Percorum (sic) 1628 Strode 17

• Great Toller 1762 Hutch3

• Toller Porcorum (Great) 1795 Boswell

• Toller Porcorum (or Great Toller) 1939 Kelly

Etymology

Named from R. Toller (the old name for R. Hooke) like the adjacent par. of Toller Fratrum supra and Toller Whelme in Corscombe par. infra .For the river-names, v. RNs.infra . The DB form cited here probably represents both Toller Fratrum and this Toller. The distinguishing affixes Porcorum and Swyne (s )-, Swynen (e )-, etc. mean 'of the pigs', an allusion to the 'great quantities of swine being anciently fed in the commons and woody tracts with which this parish abounded' (Hutch3 2709). Porcorum (gen.pl. of Lat  porcus 'pig'), seems to be somewhat humorously contrasting with Fratrum in the next par., and it will be noted that these two Lat affixes do not occur until 1340. The vernacular affix from OE  swīn 'swine, pig' is in use almost a century earlier: here the diverse spellings reflect alternation between forms with OE  gen.sg. -es . OE gen.pl. -a , and ME  analogical gen.pl. -ene . For the development to Swyn (in )ge -, etc. cf. Swingfield PN K 454. The single instance of Hog 's Toller may be the result of a translation of Toller Porcorum rather than reflect actual usage, although Hog -Toller is listed as an (older) alternative for the name in 1774 Hutch1 1529 along with Great , or Higher Toller . These last, like the 13th-cent. Optolre (from OE  upp 'higher up river', are in relation to Toller Fratrum par. supra .