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.

Erpingham

Major Settlement in the Parish of Erpingham

Historical Forms

  • Erpingham 1044–7 (13 Sawyer 1055) KCD 785
  • Erpincham, Herpincham 1086 DB
  • Arpingeham 1177 P
  • Hertpingham 1198 Cur
  • Erpingham 1200 1209 Ass 1210–12 RBE 1242–3 Fees c.1250 HMC 1257,1269 Ass 1275 RH 1281 FF 1307 Ipm 1316 FA
  • Erpingeham 1201 FF 1220 Cur
  • Herpingham 1227 Cl 1242–3 Fees 1257 Ass
  • Erpyngham 1278 Ipm 1307to1428 FA 1347 BM 1357,1399 Pat 1379 FF
  • Arpyngham 1545 AD

Etymology

'The hām of the followers or people of *Eorp ', a pers.n. which is not independently recorded but can be a short form of names such as Eorpweald , Eorpwine (v. DEPN, Mills, PN -ing 134). Cf. OSax  Erp , Erpo . The pronunciation is given as /ə:piŋəm/ by Schram and Forster, as /ɑ:piŋəm/ by DEPN (dial. from Hope).