English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Gosfield

Major Settlement in the Parish of Gosfield

Historical Forms

  • Gosfeld 1198–1239 FF 1346 FA
  • Gosfeud 1232–71 FF 1238 SR 1255–85 Ass 1260 Ipm
  • Godfeud 1285 Ass
  • Gosfel 1315 FF
  • Cosfeld 1248 Ass 1360 Ipm
  • Corsfeld 1266 ib
  • Gosefeld 1276 FF 1360 Ipm
  • Gossefeld 1349 Ipm 1412 FA
  • Goffeld 1510 LP
  • Gosfeld or Gesfeld ib.

Etymology

No certainty is possible with regard to this name, for we do not know what stress to lay on the one form with medial r or the three with initial c . Confusion of initial g and c is fairly common and perhaps the most likely suggestion is that the name is for earlier gorstfeld , 'gorse-grown open land,' with early simplification of the consonant group. Cf. dial. goss for gorse . Goose -field is also possible. Neither the forms nor the topography make British cors , 'fen, bog,' very likely. Cf. Corse Lawn (PN Wo 197) and Corsley (PN Sx 371).

Places in the same Parish