Boreham
Major Settlement in the Parish of Boreham
Historical Forms
- Borham c.1045 ASWills 14th DB 1086 Fees 1212 SR 1238 Pat 1265
- Boreham or Borgh'm 1594 N
- Borreham 1199 FF
- Borsham 1203 Cur 1365 Ct
- Barham 1216 ClR
Etymology
This name is a difficult one. It looks at first sight as if it were the same name as that found in Boreham Wood (Herts), bosci de Borham (1188 MP) and Boreham (PN Sx 483), Borha ' (12th AD iii), but there is the difficulty that the forms of the latter names are not inconsistent with OE bār , 'boar,' hence 'boar-enclosure,' or the like, while we cannot believe that bār would appear as bor in DB. The forms Borreham , Borsham suggest that there may have been some early closing up of the name, but it would be unprofitable to speculate just what it may have been.