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.

Munstead

Early-attested site in the Parish of Godalming

Historical Forms

  • Monsted(e) 12th HMCvii 1288 Ass 1332 SR 1335 Ass
  • Monstedeheth 1448 Loseley
  • Munested 1229,1339 FF
  • Munstede 1235,1259,1263,1279 Ass
  • Munstedesheth 1325 Loseley
  • Mundstede 1255 Ass
  • Moundstede 1550 Pat
  • Northmounstede, Southmonstede t.Hy8 MinAcct
  • Mownsted 1585 FF
  • Munstead 1816 O.S.

Etymology

With stede we expect a descriptive epithet and not a personal name as first element. The 1255 form suggests that this may be OE  mund in some sense, possibly that of 'protection, security.'Alternatively, especially when we consider the topography of Munstead, the first element may, as suggested by Manning and Bray (i, 621), be OE  munt , 'mountain, hill.' Hitherto, neither element has been noted in p.n. compounds.