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.

Spuncombe Bottom

Early-attested site in the Parish of Wotton under Edge

Historical Forms

  • Spuncombe 1545 AOMB
  • Spincombe 1575 TRMB
  • Spanscum Cliffe, Spontcomb(es Cliffe), Sponcombe meade Eliz Surv
  • Spancomb Bottom 1830 M

Etymology

Spuncombe Bottom, Spuncombe 1545AOMB , Spincombe 1575TRMB , Spanscum Cliffe , Spontcomb (es Cliffe ), Sponcombe meade ElizSurv , Spancomb Bottom 1830 M. The forms are too much at variance for any certainty, but OE  spōn 'chipping, shaving', possibly also 'shingle tile' (as in Spoonbed and Spoonley i, 133, ii, 27 supra ), would account for most of them, esp. when shortened in the compound to ME  spon . 'Valley where chippings from timber-dressing or shingles were made', v. cumb .