Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Weneswell(a) 1170–90,1243–5 Berk 1248 Ass 1276 RH 1339 ADv

• Waneswell(e) e.13 Berk 1248 FF 1287 QW 1401 ADv 1573 FF

• Woneswele 1276 RH

• Wayneswelle 1304 Baddeley

• Wanneswill 1444 IpmR

• Wanneswell 1470,1498 FF

• Wanneswyll 1492 Aug

• Wameswill, Wameswell 1516 MinAcct

• Wansewell 1540 MinAcct

• Wanswell 1428 Aug 1577 M 1658 PR

• Wanswell Court, Wanswell Green 1830 M

• Wanswall 1575 TRMB

• Wandyswell 1553 FF

• Wansworthie 1575 TRMB

Etymology

The well is probably Holywell Spring 300 yds north of Wanswell Court, v. wella (Merc  wælla, WSax  wiella) 'spring'. The first el. may appear also in a local f.n. Wansworthie 1575TRMB . The possible occurrence of the first el. in the f.n. Wansworthie suggests that we may have a pers.n., and Professor Löfvenberg thinks that this might have been an unrecorded OE  pers.n. Wægn , which would correspond to the ODan  pers.n. Vagn ; the latter occurs as the affix in Wootton Wawen (Wa 242, Feilitzen 402). Wanstead (Ess 109), which Ekwall (DEPN) considers to be from OE  wægn 'wagon', has similar forms in wen - and wan -.