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.

Wickmere

Major Settlement in the Parish of Wickmere

Historical Forms

  • Wicmara, Wicmera, Wicmaret 1086 DB
  • Wikemera, Wichemere c.1145 CAcre
  • Wikemere 1166 RBE 1201 Abbr 1201 Cur 1234 FF 1275 RH 1316 FA 1553 Pat
  • Wigemere 1227 FF 1250 Ass
  • Wygmere 1227 FF
  • Wykemere 1252 Cl 1254–75 Val 1257 Ass 1272to1368 AD 1275 RH 1286 Ass 1302,1346 FA 1303 Ch 1307 Ipm 1309,1328 DeBanco 1310to1346 FF 1316 Pat 1428 FA
  • Wygemere 1269,1286 Ass 1339 Cl
  • Wyckemere 1280 FF
  • Wikkemere 1373 Ipm
  • Wykmere 1401–2 FA 1432 FF
  • Wykmer 1461 AD 1483 FF 1535 VE 1578 BM
  • Wikmere 1467,1480 Pat
  • Wycmar 1547 ib

Etymology

A compound of OE  wīc and mere1 'pool'. The meaning of wīc is not always easy to establish. Ekwall's study of OE  wīc (Nomina Germanica 13) is a useful survey of this place-name element and still largely valid.He thinks this is a case where it can be translated 'dairy-farm', which is accepted by Mills, although he widens his brief explanation to 'pool by a dwelling or dairy-farm'. One of the DB spellings ends with the ampersand. Schram writes it Wicmaret .