Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Erforde 1086 DB

• Erford 1414 WillsPCC

• Iraforda c.1115 LS

• Ireforde c.1115 1562 Pat

• Ireford(') 1150–60 Dane c.1189 LAASv 1200 Cur e13 HarlCh e13 RAviii 1220–23 HarlCh 1202 Ass 1204 Cur 1205 FF 1219 Ass 1254 ValNor 1316 Pat

• Irefford 1552 PrState

• Irreford l12 MiD 1291 Ipm

• Hireford a1150,c.1155,1155–60,1160–66 Dane

• Hireforda R1 Ch 1318 Fees 1212

• Hirefort 1160–66 Gilb 1409

• Hyreforth c.1150–55 Dane

• Yreford(') 1180,1181,1188all(p) P a1189 LAASv 1190,1191,1192,1193,1194,1195all(p) P 1202 Ass 1204 Cur 1281 QW

• Yreuord c.1200 RAiv

• Irfordie c.1155 Dane

• Irforda 1228–32 Gilb 1409

• Irford(') 1281 Ipm 1316 FA 1327,1332 SR 1341 Orig 1679 Terrier

• Irford(') iuxta Bynbrok' 1288 Ass

• Irford(') alias Urforth 1539 LPxiv

• Irforde 1556 AASRxxxvii

• Irforde alias Urforthe 1544 LPxix

• Irforde alias Urforth 1526 Sub

• Irforde alias Urforthe 1567 Pat

• Irforde alias Urforth Eliz ChancP

• Urford 1536 LPxi 1620–32 WillsA 1634 Terrier

• Orford 1662,1709,1715 Terrier 1824 O

• Orford House 1740 Cragg 1828 Bry

Etymology

According to Ekwall, DEPN s.n., this is either 'the ford of the Irish', from OE  *Iraford , or 'the ford of Yra', from an unrecorded OE  pers.n. *Yra and ford. For the latter, he compares Irchester, DEPN s.n., (PN Nth 192) and suggests there that the first el. is an OE  pers.n. Ira or *Yra , noting that the former is recorded as the name of a moneyer. (The editors of PNNth take the first el. to be the pers.n. Ira ). It is likely, however, that this is in fact an ON  pers.n. since the forms Iire , Ire and Irra occur on coins struck at York during the reigns of Cnut and Æthelstan II on which, v. Veronica Smart, Sylloge of the Coins of the British Isles 28, Cumulative Index of Volumes 1 –20 , British Academy 1981, p. 48b.Ekwall's alternative suggestion that the name means 'the ford of the Irish' from OE  Iras (gen.pl. Ira ) and ford , seems doubtful too, for Iras seems to be a late development in OE - BT points out that “the people of Ireland are often spoken of as Scottas in Old English sources”. Further, such a name compounded with ford has no parallel noted so far. Now, ON  Íri (gen.pl. Íra ) occurs not infrequently compounded with bȳ and as a hybrid with tūn , but a hybrid with ford seems improbable, unless Íri has replaced some earlier first el., though it should be noted that Smith, EPN 1 304, accepts Íri as the first el. of Irford (sic). Dr John Insley comments that Ekwall's OE  pers.n. *Yra “is a step in the right direction, but the etymology of this pers.n. is not discussed”. He goes on “We would rather seem to be concerned with an OE  pers.n. *Ȳra , which is to be connected with the rune-name ȳr . R.I. Page, An Introduction to English Runes , London 1973, p. 85, favours 'bow' as the meaning of the rune-name and thinks that ȳr originated as an i -mutated variant of the rune-name ūr 'aurochs' (ib 84; for this rune-name, v. Page ib 73–74). The etymologically identical pers.n. el. Ūr occurs in OHG (Alamannic Ūro , Ūr (w )ald , Ūrolf . Dr Insley concludes “Orford is therefore best interpreted as 'Ȳra's ford'” and this is no doubt the most plausible interpretation of the name.

The comparatively late (17th century) development to Orford does not seem to have any parallel. It should be noted that forms with prosthetic H - are common enough in p.ns. and f.ns. in north L, especially in names with eng as first el.

Orford is once described as near Binbrook.