Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (at) Widecome 843 BCS738

• Wydecombe 843 ib

• Widecome 1086 DB

• Widecoma Exon

• Widecumb(e) 1198 P 1212 Fees 1288 Ass

• Widecume 1285 FA

• Widecombe 1310 Inqaqd 1461 Ct 1487 Weld1

• Widecoumb 1339 Cl

• Wydek(o)umbe 1280 Ass

• Wydecume 1285 FA

• Wydecumb(e) 1288 Ass 1291 Tax 1421 DorR

• Wydecomb(e) 1311 Pat 1487 Weld1

• Widicumbe 1212 P

• Whydecumbe 1288 Ass

• Wytecombe 1291 Tax 1428 FA

• Wytcombe, Witcombe 1460 Fine 1682 Weld1

• Wattcomb(e), Wettecomb(e), Vettecomb(e) 1460 Ct

• Wettcombe 1461 ib

• Wydcombe 1461 Ct 1559 DCMCt

• Widcombe 1486 Weld1

• Whitcombe 1573 DCMCt 1795 Boswell

Etymology

'Wide valley', v. wīd (wk. obl. wīdan ), cumb , cf. Witcombe Gl 2158. The 15th cent, spellings in Watt -, Wett (e )- may suggest that the first el. was thought to be from OE  wēt (WSax  wǣt) 'wet, damp'.