Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• on þe schort mannes pol 948 ShaftR(S534(1)) 15

• on seortmannes pol 955 14 ib

• Shortmanpole 1489 Ct

• Shipman(')s Pool(e) 1575 Saxton 1579 Hutch3

• Chapmans Pool 1811 OS

• Chapman Poole 1826 Gre

Etymology

Possibly 'Sc(e)ortmann's pool', from an OE  pers.n. Sc (e )ortmann and pōl1 . However, in view of the def. art. þe in the earliest form, Professor Löfvenberg thinks it probable that mannes reflects OE  (ge)mǣnnes 'community', the reference being to a pool used in common, with sc(e)ort in the sense 'short in extent, small'. It may therefore be significant that Chapman's Pool, a small coastal bay, lies in two pars., since it is roughly halved by the par. boundary between Corfe C. and Worth Mat., as well as by the older boundaries in the two OE charters cited. The later forms with shipman 'sailor' and chapman 'merchant' are probably the result of popular etymology, although Chapman is in fact also an old local surname, cf. Robert le Chapman de Purbyk 1321 Orig, Thomas Chapman 1698 Hutch3.