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.

Birch (Park)

Major Settlement in the Parish of Baschurch

Historical Forms

  • Bircha 1194–5 SAC
  • Birch c.1270 SAC 1672 HTR
  • Byrche Hy8 RentSur
  • Leybyrch 1545 SBL17285 1773
  • Birche Growndes 1609 SBL17410
  • Birch Park 1833 OS

Etymology

v. birce 'birch tree'. The forms give no indication of a plural, such as is found in those for Much Birch He and Little Birch He (HePN 33) and Birch Hall Db (PN Db 115), so this name may derive from a collective use of the singular. Another instance of such usage may be Birch Fm in Frilsham, Berks (PN Berks 246), which is Birche , Burch ' 1202. The 1545 form has the French definite article prefixed.