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.

Putney

Major Settlement in the Parish of Putney

Historical Forms

  • Putelei 1086 DB
  • Puttenhuth(e) 1279,1303 Ass 1327 Banco 1330 FF 1332 SR
  • Puttenhyth 1350 FF
  • Puttenheth(e) 1332 SR 1502 ADiii
  • Puttenhith 1461 WimbCt 1535 VE
  • Pottenheth(e) 1370 FF
  • Potenheth 1382 Ass
  • Potenhith 1406 Pat 1474 FF
  • Putneth 1474 WimbCt 1505 FF 1538 LP
  • Putteneth 1494 FF
  • Putney 1503 FF
  • Putney al. Puttenheath 1639 Recov

Etymology

The great gap between the DB and 1279 forms is noteworthy; Putney was a chapelry of Mortlake and is seldom mentioned in early records. The DB spelling shows common confusion of n and l and loss of intervocalic ð . The meaning of the name is 'Putta 's landing-place or quay,' v. hyð . Cf. Puttenham infra 209, and for the modern form cf. Chelsea and Stepney (PN Mx 14, 80).

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site