Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Comptone 843 ASCharters(S391)

• Cumptone 843 BCS739(alsoS391)

• Contone 1086 DB

• Contona Exon

• Cumbton' 1212 Fees

• Cumpton(') 1288 Ass 1311 Pat 1317 MiltC

• Compton(e) 1291 Tax 1332 SR 1338,1447,1481 DCMCt

• Compton' Abbatis de Middelton' 1280 Ass

• Cumpton Abbatis 1291 Tax

• Compton Abbot 1428 FA

• Compton Abbas 1664 HTax 1774 Hutch1

• Compton Abbas or West Compton 1795 Boswell 1870 Hutch3 1903 6″

• West Compton 1811 OS

• Compton Abbas West (or West Compton) 1939 Kelly

Etymology

'Valley settlement, farm or estate in a valley', from cumb and tūn , one of five Do pars. with this name, cf. the neighbouring par. of Compton Valence some 2 miles SE. The affix Abbas (Lat  abbas 'abbot', gen.sg. abbatis ) is from the early possession of this manor by Milton Abbey (3 222). It is now usually called West Compton to distinguish it from Compton Valence (sometime East Compton in the 18th and 19th centuries) and from the other Compton Abbas (3 99) near Shaftesbury (although it should be noted that in this name the affix Abbas has a different origin).For the valley which gives rise to the name, v. Bottom Barn and the f.n. Combe both infra .