Childswickham
Major Settlement in the Parish of Childswickham
Historical Forms
- Wicwone, Childeswicwon 706 BCS117 14th
- Wicwona 709 c.1200 ib
- Eildesuucque (sic) 714 BCS130 16th
- Cildesuucque 714 KCD64
- in Uuiguuennan 972 BCS1282 10th
- Wicvene 1086 DB
- Wikewan(ne), Wykewan(ne), Wykewane 1220 Fees 1221 Eyre 1274 RH 1277 Episc 1287 Ass 1290 FF 1474 Pat
- Childes Wykewan(ne), Chyldes Wykewan(ne) 1378 FF 1413 ADiii 1585 FF
- Wykewon(e) 1274 RH Hy6 AddCh 1480 Pat
- Wickewane, Wyckewane 1221 Eyre 1287 QW 1306 Pat
- Childes Wyckewane c.1560 Surv 1569 FF
- Wykkewane 1316 FA
- Childes wican 1577 M
- Childeswi(c)kham 1637 Rec 1648 M 1684 PR
Etymology
This place is near Wickhamford (Wo 273), both being on Badsey Brook. The spellings for the two names are not very consistent, a fact which suggests that they are not from OE els. which had any significance. Professor Ekwall, who noted a possible parallel in the Wiltshire stream-name Wigewen broke (KCD 706), regarded the name as British and suggested that it could be OWelsh *guic 'lodge, wood' and *guoun 'plain, meadow, moor' (DEPN s.n.). 'Childs' is from OE cild 'young person' and later in ME 'a noble born youth' as well as 'a young man'. The reference here is obscure.