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.

Clipsham

Major Settlement in the Parish of Clipsham

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.