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.

Barrowden

Major Settlement in the Parish of Barrowden

Historical Forms

  • Berchedone 1086 DB
  • Berchedun e13 Rut
  • Bergedunam 1141 Reg
  • Bergedona(m) 1153 ib
  • Bergedon' 1202 Ass 1220 Cur
  • Bergendona 1105–7 Reg 1130 P
  • Beregedun 1201 Ass
  • Beregedon' 1202 1206(p),1210 Cur
  • Ber(h)don 1316,1317 Cl 1349 Ch 1428 FA
  • Ber(o)ugdon 1342,1344 Pat 1431 Fine
  • Berewedon(e) 1212 RBE 1220 FF 1364 Pap
  • Berwedon(e) 1213 FF 1219,1231 Cur 1377 Fine
  • Berewdon' 1205 RFinib
  • Bereudon(e) 1321 FF
  • Berudon' 1268 Cl 1268 Ipm 1336 BelCartB e15
  • Berwdon' 1272 e15 ib
  • Beroudon' 1269 e15 SR 1327
  • Berowydon 1556 Conant
  • Barghedon 1263 Ass
  • Barghdon 1459 Pat
  • Barugdon 1428 FA
  • Barroghdon 1459 AD
  • Barowghdon 1486,1551 Pat
  • Bar(r)oug(h)don 1490 1535 VE 1555 Conant 1610 Speed
  • Barodon 1471 Peake 1537 MinAcct
  • Bat(r)owdon 1479 Pat 1511 LP 1552 Pat
  • Bar(r)adon 1503 1621 FF
  • Bar(r)oughden 1479,1551 Pat 1552 Conant
  • Bar(r)owden 1487 Cl 1498 Ipm 1695 Map

Etymology

'The hill with burial mounds upon it', v. beorg , dūn . The barrows, already ancient when the Anglo-Saxons arrived in the region, stood on the ridge overlooking R. Welland. The line of barrows continued in neighbouring Seaton, in Thorpe by Water and in Lyddington. To the north-east, the crop marks of what are probably ploughed-out tumuli lie along R. Welland in Tixover parish, v. Crop Marks 64–5, 74–5.