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.

Lemsford

Early-attested site in the Parish of Bishops Hatfield

Historical Forms

  • Lymersford 1461 Cecil
  • Lemysforth 1478 AddCh
  • Lemsford mill bridge 1653 Sess
  • Lambsford Mills 1740 ib
  • Lemste(a)d 1693,1838 Sess
  • Lemmesworth 1491 Ipm
  • Lemmanesworth 1302 Ass

Etymology

Lemsford is Lymersford 1461Cecil , Lemysforth 1478AddCh , Lemsford mill bridge 1653 Sess, Lambsford Mills 1740 ib. Also Lemste (a )d 1693, 1838 Sess. The forms are too late for any certain suggestion, but it may be noted that there was a Lymeresfeld in the neighbourhood in 1277 (Ely ). The first element is possibly the OE  personal name Lēofmǣr , cf. Lymsworthy (Co), Lemmesworth in 1491 (Ipm), earlier Lemmanesworth (1302Ass ).