Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Derningamdike 1282 YI

• Dernynghamdyke 1303 YI

• Derynghamdyke 1415 YI

• Darnyngham Dyk 1447 Pat 1462

Etymology

Derringham Dike (6″) is Derningamdike 1282 YI, Dernynghamdyke 1303 YI, Derynghamdyke 1415 YI, Darnyngham Dyk 1447 (1462) Pat. Derringham may have as its first element a pers. name De (a )rna or De (o )rna , which would be either a nickname 'the sly one' from (Angl. dearne ) OE  dierne 'secret,' or a short name from OE  Dēornōð (found in Darrington, PN WRY 57, cf. also Darlington, PN NbDu 60–1). 'Homestead of Derna and his people,' v. ingaham . The prefixed elements in the different early spellings are from leah , wiella , eng ; Sene - is obscure unless it be for Seue -, from OScand  sef 'sedge.' The prefixing of words of this kind is unusual, but we have another example in Hollows supra 171.