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.

Langham

Major Settlement in the Parish of Langham

Historical Forms

  • Langeham Hy2 Dugd 1263 Pat 1298 Ipm 1334 Pat
  • Langham 1202 Ass 1231 RegAnt 1248 RGros 1272 FF 1320 Pat 1330 Deed
  • Longhame 1536 LP

Etymology

Perhaps 'the long water-meadow or low-lying pasture', v. lang 1 , hamm . There are no early spellings in -hamme , -Homme , -hom so that we cannot be certain here of distinguishing hamm from hām 'a village, an estate'. However, the settlement extends at length on level ground on both sides of a meandering stream, while the medieval church stands in a long shallow loop of the watercourse.This stretch of land hemmed in by the stream may be the original hamm.