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.

Fadmoor

Major Settlement in the Parish of Kirkby Moorside

Historical Forms

  • Fademor(a) 1086 DB 1221 FF 1231 Ass
  • Faddemor c.1150 Riev 1185–1201 Dodsvii.179 1201 ChR 1219 Ass
  • Fadmore 1285 KI 1301 LS 1399 YI 1462 Test
  • Fadymor 1301 LS

Etymology

v. mor . The first element is probably a personal name but its source is uncertain and it is almost impossible to do more than speculate amongst possibilities. As the neighbouring Gillamoor is of very early origin it is probable that this name belongs to the same period. There is an ON  by-name Faddi (LindBN) which Lind suggests is a short form of ON  faðir , but it may be of common Germanic origin: cf. OGerm Fato , Fadiko (Förstemann, NP 492), Fadi (Fick, Wörterbuch der Indo -german. Sprachen , iii. 168), all cognate with Gothic -faþs 'man, warrior.' Fadenus is adduced from a Latin source as being similar to OHG  Fadi (Werle, Die ältesten german. Personennamen , 36); it is probably Fadi extended by an -n suffix. An OE example of this common Germanic name is, therefore, not improbable, especially if we take Fadmoor to be an early name.Its form would be Fad (d )a , and further evidence of this pers. name is found in the OE  pers. n. Fadol and in the p.n.'s Vaddicott (D), Faddecote 1212 and Faddiley (Ch), Faddelee 1259.