Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• æt Werham, into Werham, from Werham, fram Werham, to Werham, on Werham 784,876,877 ASC l9 ASC 982 ASC m11 877 12

• Werham 893 Asser e11 Coins 979–1066 BurgHid c.1025 FW 1562 SD e12 Pat 12 Cl 1348 1405

• Wer(ha), Wer(h)e(i), Werhn, Wre, Weri 1066–1087 Coins

• Wereham 1535–43 Leland

• æt Wærham, to Wærham c.930 DEPN 784,876,979,980,1113 ASC 12

• on Werhamme, æt Werhamme 979,980 ASC 11

• at Warham, æt Warham 979,980 ASC e12

• Warham 1086 DB 1148 1408 Pat 1194 P 1431 Cl

• Wara, Warh Hy1 Coins

• War(r)am 1152–8 MontC 1244 Ass 1442 Pat

• Waham Hy2 CartAnt

• Warrhā 1214 ClR

• Wharam 1340 NI

• Wareham 1476 Cl

• Weyrham 1280 Ass

Etymology

'Homestead by a weir', v. wer , wær , hām , cf. Warham He, Nf (DEPN). Kökeritz 128 thought hamm 'river meadow' a preferable second el. on account of the town's situation on low-lying land between R. Piddle and R. Frome, but the overwhelming majority of the early forms favour hām (v. Tengstrand MN 101, where the spellings for the first el. are also discussed). For the weir and fishery here, v. The Fishery infra . Wareham is called Burgus de Warham 1288Ass , the Burrough of Wareham 1640DCMDeed , cf. Warhamhdr '1168 P, Warham maner et hundred 1425 Ipm which refer to the hundred of the borough itself (Anderson 124).