Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (æt) Godelmingum 880–5 BCS553 c.1000

• Godelming(e) 1086 DB 1476 FF

• Godelminges 1154 RBE 1161,1190,1202 P

• Godelmingges 1230 P

• Godhelming(es) 1173 P 1227 Bracton

• Godalminges 1221 ClR 1263 Ass

• Godalmynges 1294 Ch

• Godhalminges 1225,1263 Ass 1233 Bracton

• Goddalminge 1241 Ass

• Goddalmyngge 1307 Ass

• Godhalming(e) 1255 Ass 1267 Abbr

• Godalmingge 1270 Winton

• Godalmyn(e) 1485 SrWills 1535 VE 1622 FF

• Godlemynge 1599 FF

• Godalmin vulgo Godliman 1675 Ogilby

Etymology

'The people of Godhelm ,' v. ingas and cf. Ekwall, PN in -ing 53.This personal name is not on record, but is a regular formation, and the parallel Godohelm , etc. is common in OGer (Förstemann PN 681). Zachrisson (StudNP v, 23) postulates as the first element a lost stream-name Gōdwielm , 'good stream,' the lost name of the tiny stream which joins the Wey here. It would be difficult to find a parallel for such a stream-name. In a footnote he suggests an alternative first element god (d ), 'water, swamp,' for which we have no evidence in English place-nomenclature, a word which is alternatively interpreted as a 'hill' on p. 16 (op. cit.).