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.

Burringham

Major Settlement in the Parish of Burringham

Historical Forms

  • Buringeham 1218 Ass 1223 RAii
  • Burengham 1196 ChancR
  • Burringham 1199 P 1272 Ass 1554 Pat 1576–7 AD
  • Burningham 1214 Cur 1218,1219 Ass 1271 Ch
  • Buringham 1219 Ass 1610 Speed
  • Buryngham 1340 Cl 1535 VEiv
  • Boringham 1300 Ipm 1301 KR 1316 FA 1329 Ass 1382 Misc
  • Boryngham 1327 SR 1329 Ass 1332 SR 1373,1375 Peace 1402 FA 1409 DCAcct 1412 Pat 1421 DCAcct 1574 Hall

Etymology

This is a difficult name, but Dr Insley suggests that it is perhaps 'the homestead, the estate of the Burgrēdingas or Burgrīcingas', v. hām . The first el. would then be the gen.pl. Burgrēdinga or Burgrīcinga of the OE  group-names Burgrēdingas or Burgrīcingas , 'the family, the dependents of Burgrēd or Burgrīc '. Burringham is an example of an OE p.n. formation confidently believed to belong to an early period of Anglo- Saxon settlement in the area in which it occurs.