Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Kylpesham, Kilpesham 1203 FF 1203 Cur 1225 1327 Pat 1375 Peake Edw3 Rental

• Kilpisham 1268 Abbr 1275 RGrav 1316 FA

• Kylpysham 1458 Pat

• Chylpesham 1266 For

• Kylpsham, Kilpsham 1254 Val 1327 Banco 1377 Peake 1385 Cl

• Clipesham 1286 Ass

• Clyppesham, Clippesham 1346 FA 1416 Wyg 1428 FA

• Clipisham 1471,1472 Pat

• Clypsham, Clipsham 1329,1337 Pat 1366 LCh

Etymology

Perhaps 'Cylp's village or estate', v. hām . The first element appears to be an unrecorded OE  pers.n. Cylp , possibly a by-name related to Norw  kylp 'a small sturdy fellow'. Clipsham is one of a series of early Anglo-Saxon place-names in hām related to the earlier pattern of Romano-British settlements and routeways. The Roman villa site in the parish has produced late Roman military metalwork which has been associated with Germanic foederati , as well as so-called Romano-Saxon pottery, v. BrownArchSites 6.