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.

Wraxall Moor

Early-attested site in the Parish of Pucklechurch

Historical Forms

  • Froxhalemore 1228 Ch
  • Wroxalesmore 1431 Pat
  • Wraxall More 1580 Asht
  • Wraxall moor 1841 TA

Etymology

Wraxall Moor (lost), Froxhalemore 1228 Ch, Wroxalesmore 1431 Pat, Wraxall More 1580Asht 52, Wraxall moor 1841TA . It is difficult to decide whether the first el. is OE  frosc, frox 'frog' or an OE  wrocc thought to denote some bird of prey as in the p.ns. Wraxall and Wroxall. If the former, the name has been influenced by other Wraxalls in W and So and this seems the more likely phonetic substitution, as well as 'frog' being a more appropriate term in combination with mōr 'marsh', v. halh 'nook of land'.