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.

Paddleford

Early-attested site in the Parish of Boddington

Historical Forms

  • le Padylford als. Padulford 1466 AddRoll
  • Padelford 1467 ib

Etymology

Paddleford (lost), le Padylford als. Padulford 1466AddRoll , Padelford 1467 ib. Probably 'a ford which can be crossed by paddling, a shallow ford', v. ford . As in Padlewath (YW vi, 48) the first el. would seem to be a derivative of e.ModE  paddyll 'to paddle, to walk in shallow water', which is first evidenced in 1530 (v. NED s.v. paddle vb., where it is connected with LG paddeln 'to tramp about', from padjen 'to tread', cf. OE pæððan 'to traverse'). These p.ns. would carry its use back a considerable time.