Welham
Major Settlement in the Parish of Welham
Historical Forms
- Walendeha' 1086 DB
- Waleha' 1086 DB
- Weleha' 1086 DB
- Weleham c.1130 LeicSurv Hy1 Dugd l.12 Rut 1328 ShR 1331 BelCartB e.15
- Welleham 12 Peake 1221 Fine e.13 Peake 1315 GildR 1362 LCDeeds
- Welham 1208 Fine 1210 P 1220 MHW 1247 RGros 1254 Val
- Wellam c.1291 Tax 1384 Peake 1402 Wyg 1540 Conant 1550 Peake
- Welam 13 ShR 1427 Peake 1439 MktHPR
Etymology
Perhaps 'the village, estate by the stream', v. wella , hām ; the watercourse in this case being the river Welland. Alternatively, the specific may be an unrecorded OE masc. pers.n. Wēola , a pet-form of names in Wēoh - (cf. OGer Weila ), hence 'Weola's village, estate'. The Wal - spellings in two of the DB forms are due to AN interchange of a and e , while Walendeha ' of 1086 appears to show attraction to the river name.