Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Spaldesforde 1086 DB

• Spaldeford 1182 P 1258,1280,1302 Ass 1265 Misc 1302 FA 1306 Ipm 1333 SR 1343 FF

• Spaldyngfordwath 1329 QW

• Spawdforth 1567 FF 1608 DKRxxxix

• Spawdford 1690 FF

• Spaudforth 1581 Ct

• Spawforth 1624 FF

• Spawford 1783 Recov

• Spawdforth Wathe c.1620 CoRec

Etymology

Names in Spald - offer great difficulties of interpretation. The best known is Spalding (L) (v. PN in -ing 88–9). Others are Spaldwick (PN BedsHu 247–8), Spaldington (PN ERY 241), Holme upon Spalding Moor (ib. 234) with early forms Spaldiggeholm , Spalding more . All these names, together with Spalford (Nt) must be linked with Spalde (BCS 297), the name of the people who at the time when the Tribal Hidage was compiled were living somewhere in the neighbourhood of Spalding. It has been suggested that the Spald -names are to be associated with OE  spāld , 'spittle, saliva, foam,' giving rise to a river-name Spald , but this is certainly not applicable to the tiny river at Spalford. Alternatively there may have been an OE  *spald cognate with OGer  spalt , 'trench, ditch, cleft,' used of a fenland river and Spalford may denote 'ford on the spald .' For the later Spaldyngford cf. Peuerellingethorp supra 91. wath is OScand  vað, the equivalent of OE  ford.