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.

Dunsfold

Major Settlement in the Parish of Dunsfold

Historical Forms

  • Duntesfold 1241,1255,1263 Ass
  • Duntesfaude 1259 ADiii 1428 FA
  • Duntefold 1279 Ass 1321 Cl
  • Duntefeld c.1270 Winton 1279 Ass
  • Dunterfeld 1272 FF
  • Duntresfolde 1307 Ass
  • Dontesfold 1279 Ass 1304 Ch 1342,1434 Pat
  • Dunttesfold 1315 FF
  • Dountesfeld 1388 Winton
  • Dountesfold 1405 FF
  • Dunnesfold 1430 Moulton
  • Dunsfold 1480 FF
  • Donnysfold 1504 FF
  • Duncefolde 1577 Ct
  • Dounteshurst (1294 Ass)
  • Dunteshurst (1315 Ass)
  • Donteshurst (1332 SR)

Etymology

This name must be taken along with the place called D (o )unteshurst in the immediate neighbourhood, which was the home of John de Dounteshurst (1294Ass ), Richard de Dunteshurst (1315Ass ) and John de Donteshurst (1332 SR). The proximity of these two places, with names which are both genitival in form, suggests that they take their origin from the same personal name Dunt , a name which is also found in Duntisbourne (Gl), DBDuntesborne and Downstow (PN D 291). No such name is on record in OE, but it has its cognate in OGer  Tunzi , Tunza , Tunzili (Förstemann PN 434) and in OWSc , where we have personal names Dynta , Dyntill , Dyntr , belonging to the same stem. They are clearly related to OE  dynt , 'blow, dint,' but the name cannot be derived directly from this, for then we should have ME  forms Dint , Dent , as well as Dunt . They must come from some unmutated form such as is found in English dialectal dunt , used in much the same sense as dint . For the forms with r cf. Tuesley supra 200. 'Dunt 's fold,' v. falod .