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.

Owlpen

Major Settlement in the Parish of Owlpen

Historical Forms

  • Olepenn(e), Olepen 1189–1200 Berk c.1220 GlR 1220 Fees c.1230–1325 GlR c.1255 GlChvii,4
  • Holepenne e.13 Berk
  • Ollepenne 1315 Glouc
  • Wlpenne 1270 For
  • Ulpenne c.1290 Berk
  • Hulepenne 1287 Ass
  • Olpen(ne) 1287 QW 1489 Ipm
  • Olpen(ne) als. Telpen 1487 ib
  • Oulepen(ne) 1295 Episc c.1310 GlR 1457 FF
  • Owelpenne 1313 Pat
  • Owlepenne 1327 SR
  • Owpenne 1535 VE
  • Wolpen 1535 VE 1541 AOMB 1566 FF
  • Woolpen 1589 FF
  • Wo(u)ldpen 1643 PR 1705 Will
  • Woolepine 1679 PR

Etymology

'Ol(l)a's enclosure', v. penn 2 'pen, fold'. The pers.n. is an OE  Ol (l )a ; cf. Olan ige (v. Naight Brook 79supra ). On the later form Wol - cf. Phonol. § 42 (a ).