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.

Bledisloe

Early-attested site in the Parish of Awre

Historical Forms

  • Bliteslau 1086 DB
  • Blithesla(u)we 1221,1248 Ass
  • Blitheslowe c.1270 For
  • Blihelauhe c.1230 GlR
  • Blideslawe, Blydeslawe, Blydeslowe c.1250 Berk 1270,c.1275 For 1276 RH 1461 Pat
  • Bledeslowe 1453 Cl
  • Bledisloe 1618 FF

Etymology

Bledisloe, Bliteslau 1086 DB, Blithesla (u )we 1221, 1248Ass , Blitheslowe c. 1270For , Blihelauhe c. 1230 GlR (p), Blideslawe , Blydeslawe , Blydeslowe c. 1250 Berk (p), 1270, c. 1275For , 1276 RHet freq to 1461 Pat, Bledeslowe 1453 Cl, Bledisloe 1618FF , cf. also Bledisloe Hundred (249supra ). 'Blīð's mound', v. hlāw , referring to a tumulus (grid 156– 682082), where the hundred presumably met. An OE  pers.n. Blīð is not on record, but it would be a normal hypocoristic form of such names as Blīðhere , Blīðwald , etc.