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.

Winterbourne

Major Settlement in the Parish of Winterbourne

Historical Forms

  • Wintreborne 1086 DB
  • Winterburn(a), Wynterburn(a), Wynterburne 12 Glouc 1155–1195 P 1156,1158 RBE 1179–1205 Glouc 1202 Cur 1203 Abbr 1211–13 Fees 1440 Pat
  • Wynterbourn(e) 1291 Tax 1316 FA 1535 VE
  • Maydene Wynterbourn(e) 1339 Orig
  • Wynterborn' 1303 FA 1492 Comp

Etymology

'Stream which runs chiefly in winter', v. winter , burna .Rudder 834 reported that the stream ran in both summer and winter; but such names could denote streams which in winter carry a sufficient body of water to be useful, as distinct from a summer trickle.The allusion in the affix Maydene - is not known, but usually it refers to a tenure by maiden ladies or nuns (v. mægden ).