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.

Weybridge (Fm)

Early-attested site in the Parish of Alconbury

Historical Forms

  • Wardeberg 1107–13 Rams c.1350
  • Wauberge, Wauberge nemus c.1110 Warden c.1350 P 1198 For 1209 BM 1216–30 Cl 1227 Ass 1286 BM 1299 Rams 1301 Cl 1343,1378
  • Walberg(ia) a.1138 RW 1199 ChR c.1350 Rams
  • Waubergh 1227,1247 Cl
  • Waberg, Waberch 1247 Cl 1286 Ass
  • Wagheberg 1260 Ass
  • Wahberg 1282 Cl
  • Wauberga 1285 Cl 1286 Ass 1394 Cl
  • Waweberg(e) 1287,1395 Cl
  • Wabrig(e) 1461,1542 BM
  • Wayebrig 1470 IpmR
  • Waybridge 1565 BM
  • Wabridge 1579 FF 1580 BM
  • Weybridge 1603 D

Etymology

This name is the last relic of the Huntingdonshire Forest which gave importance in the early Middle Ages to the royal manor of Brampton. There can be little doubt that the name is a compound of OE  weald (Anglian wald ) and beorg , and that the whole name denotes either 'wold-hill' or 'forest-hill.'Weybridge Farm stands at the extremity of a well-marked ridge above a plain traversed by a number of streams which converge to join the Ouse near Huntingdon. This ridge is doubtless the beorg to which the name refers. The l was vocalised to u before the following (d )b and the Waghe -, Wah - forms are inverted spellings due to the normal development of Waghe - and Wah - to Wau -. The later developments are quite irregular.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Major Settlement