Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Melecumb(e) 1100–7 WinchCath l13 FF 1223,1225 Cl 1238 Cerne 1249 Ass 14 1268 1280 et freq

• Melecumb(e) Regis 1340 NI

• Melecomb(e) 1268 Ass 1280 Pat 1391 Fine

• Melecom 1290 ib

• Melecoumbe 1322 Cl 1341 Fine

• Melecum regis 16 RoyMap

• Mellecumb 1244 Ass

• Mellecomb(e) 1366 Pat

• Melcoumbe 1280 Ass 1375 Pat 1336 et freq

• Melcomb(e) 1285 Ch 1371 Cl

• Melcumbe 1314 Ch 1350 Cl 1381 ADI 1407 Pat

• Melcum 1539 LP

• New-Melcombe 1774 Hutch1

• Meldecombe 1322 MinAcct

• Melchecombe 1366,1401 Pat

• Milcombe 1436 Pat

• Mylcomb Regis 1460 Ct

• Milto(u)n (sic) 1535–43 Leland

Etymology

Probably 'valley where milk was got, fertile valley', from meoluc and cumb (DEPN, EPN), cf. the bdy point meoluccumb BCS 620 (Ha) and Melcombe Horsey par. infra ; the forms in Melche - seem to show alternation of the first el. with melce 'milch, yielding milk' (a derivative of meoluc ), but they are too late to be of certain significance. Melcombe Regis was anciently a royal demesne (Hutch3 2 446 ff, Eyton 82 f), v. rex (gen. sg. regis ). For the bounds of Melcombe R. in 1649, v. WeyR 116, cf. also Cerne (DoNHAS 29202).