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.

Welhamgreen

Early-attested site in the Parish of North Mimms

Historical Forms

  • Wethelham 1387 Walden
  • Wheldom Green 1675 Ogilby

Etymology

Welhamgreen is Wethyngham t. Ed 2, Wethenhamfeld 1333, Whethelham 1387WAM , Wethelham 1387Walden , Whethelhom grene t. Ric 2, Wythyngham 1429, Whelamgrene 1467WAM , Wheldom Green 1675 Ogilby. There is in OE  a form wiðing which seems to go back to OE  wiðign in the same way that worðing is found as a variant of worðign . These forms wiðing , wiðign may have given rise to ME  forms wething , wethen (cf. the common ME wethy for withy ) and the whole name may mean 'ham(m) overgrown with withies.' wethel for wethen shows common ME confusion of l and n .