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.

Windridge Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of St Michaels

Historical Forms

  • Wenrige 1086 DB
  • Windringe t.Ric1 Ch 1301
  • Wyndryng 1279 FF
  • Vuindring 1303 FA
  • Wyndringe 1329 FF
  • Winrigge 1195 P
  • Winregge 1195 CR
  • Wenringe 1198 FF
  • Wenrenge 1287 Ass
  • Winringe t.John Dugdii
  • Wynryng 1279 FF
  • Wynrynge 1294 SR
  • Wenrug, Wenrugge 1228 Pat 1232 Bracton
  • Wanrugge ib.
  • Wyndrug, Wyndrugge c.1275 Gesta 1342 Ass 1428 FA 1430 Annales
  • Wyndregge 1377 FF
  • Wyndrigge 1389 ib

Etymology

This is a difficult name, chiefly because we cannot be sure if the second n in many of the early forms is organic or an occasional irregularity due to repetition of the n of the first element.We find such repetition in some of the forms of Thundridge infra 205, but it is nothing like so persistent there. If the n were organic we might attempt to associate the second element with OE  hring , 'ring,' but that would make it very difficult to explain the rigge , regge , rugge forms. The place stands high above the valley of the Ver and it is most probable, as suggested by Dr Ritter, that the name is a compound of OE  wind and hrycg , hence 'wind-ridge,' and that we must take the forms with a second n as irregular.