Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Amerdene 11th KCD907 c.1200 InqEl 1086

• Amredene t.Hy3 BM

• Amberdanā 1086 DB

• Amberdenam 1141 Mandeville

• Amberden(e) 1203 LibR 1230,1251 Ch

• Amberden Depeden 1293 FF 1303,1428 FA 1305 FF t.Ed1 QW

• Amberdyne t.Eliz ChancP

• Ambirdyne 1303,1346 FA 1335 Ipm

• Ambirdon t.Ed1 QW

• Ambyrdenhalle 1450 MinAcct

• Ambreden(e) 1086 InqEl 1195 P 1307 Ipm

• Ambresden 1251 Ch

• Ambrosden hall 1577 Takeley

• Emberden' 1254 Ass

• Hamreden t.Hy3 BM

• Hamperden 1533–8 ECP

• Aumberdon 1285 Ass

• Aumberden 1296,1316 FF 1304 Cl

• Aumbreden 1297 FF 1348,1349 Cl

• Aumbredon 1309 Cl

• Ammodon hall or Amberdon hall 1594 N

Etymology

The Amber -names furnish a difficult problem and it may well be that they have not all the same history. They have been discussed s. n. Amberley (PN Sx 146). There is an old river-name Ambre (RN 12) found in the Derbyshire Amber, but that cannot be used to explain Amberley (Gl) or (He) which are both well away from water, and it is difficult to believe it can explain Amberley (Sx), for the latter is on the Arun , formerly known as the Tarrant . It is probable that all three examples of Amberley go back to the OE  feminine pers. name Ēanburh (cf. DB Amburlege for the Herefordshire one). We may have this pers. name here, or Ambre may be a river-name, the name of one of the headwaters of the Cam. v. denu .

It should be noted however that there is another possibility.The element may be OE  ampre , 'sorrel,' cf. Ampleforth (PN NRY 56) DB Ampreforde , Ambreforde and v. Folly Lane in Walthamstow supra 106. See further examples in PN Sx loc. cit .