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.

Godalming

Major Settlement in the Parish of Godalming

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.).