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.

Tortworth

Major Settlement in the Parish of Tortworth

Historical Forms

  • Torteword 1086 DB
  • Torteoda c.1100 France
  • Tortewurð, Tortewrth(e), Torteworth(e) 1178 P 1220,1236 Fees 1248 Ass 1378 Works
  • Torteworth als. Torteworthy 1546 FF
  • Tortiworth 1291 Cl
  • Toteworth 1290 Cl 1315 Ipm
  • Totworthe 1561 FF
  • Tortworth 1487 Ipm 1505 Pat
  • Tortworthy 1555,1632 FF 1652 ParlSurv
  • Tortery 1583 Will

Etymology

'Torhta's enclosure', v. worð (later worðig , a SW variant). The unrecorded OE  pers.n. Torhta would be a hypocoristic form of such names as Torhthelm , Torhtrēd , etc.