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.

Balderton

Early-attested site in the Parish of Myddle

Historical Forms

  • Balderton c.1175–8 HAC
  • Baldreton 1221–2 Ass 1330 Ch
  • Ballederton 1486 Ipm

Etymology

There are three instances of this name, the others being in Nottinghamshire (PN Nt 209–10) and Cheshire (PN Ch 4157). It appears to be a compound of tūn with Baldhere , with the personal name uninflected.As PN Nt notes, this type of name is common in that county. The omission of genitival s in such compounds is not common in Shropshire, though there are some examples, neighbouring Alderton being probably one of them.