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.

Frenchay

Early-attested site in the Parish of Winterbourne

Historical Forms

  • Fromshawe 1248 Ass 1277 Mrk 1352,1369 FF
  • Fromeshawe 1405 Ass
  • Frompshahe 1250 Mrk
  • Framshaw(e) 1397 FF 1533–8 ECP
  • Framesshawe 1552 Asht
  • Franshawe 1608,1640 FF
  • Franchehay 1628 ib
  • Frenchay 1607 FF
  • Frenchaw 1675 Ogilby

Etymology

'Copse on the R. Frome', v. Frome (2) i, 7supra , sceaga . On the form Fram - cf. Frampton (ii, 196supra ); the assimilation of -m - to -n - before -sh - produced Franch - which was then wrongly associated with French -.