Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Bush-Head Gdn c.1753 DROMap

• loco vocat' Beresherd 1445 DCMDeed

• unu' croft' in Warham voc' Birdesierd 1456,1457 Weld1

• 1 croft iuxta Warham vocat' Birdeseyrd 1461 Rent

• Butsherd 1545 DCMDeed

• Butshot(t) Ground 1545,1547 ib

• uno gardino apud busharde 1584 ib

Etymology

Bush-Head Gdn (lost, about SY 925877), Bush -Head Gdn c. 1753 DROMap, loco vocat ' Beresherd 1445DCMDeed , unu ' croft ' in Warham voc ' Birdesierd 1456, 1457Weld 1, 1 croft iuxta Warham vocat ' Birdeseyrd 1461Rent , Butsherd 1545DCMDeed , Butshot (t ) Ground 1545, 1547ib , uno gardino apud busharde 1584ib . The second el. is gerd 'measure of land' or geard 'enclosure'. The first el. is probably a pers.n. or surname; it may be tempting to connect it with the Burde who held Rushton (3 miles W of Wareham in E Stoke par. supra ) TRE (VCHDo 395), and whose name Feilitzen 211 thinks may be from OFr  Burdely a derivative of Lat  burdo 'mule', cf. also the surnames Robert Berde 1332 SR, Edward Burd , John Burd 1664 HTax (all Wareham), though other origins are possible for these (v. Reaney s.n. Beard , Burd ). A somewhat similar name to this one is Bridzor W 197 (Bredesherd 1207, Brudesherd 1208, etc .).