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.

Haldish Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Wonersh

Historical Forms

  • Havelders 1228 Ch 1255 Ass
  • Haveldersh 1304 FF 1332 SR 1336 Ass
  • Havelderssch 1325 Ass
  • Hevelders 1263 Ass
  • Hauldershe 1544 SR
  • Haldershe 1593 SACxix
  • Halldersh 1596 Musters
  • Haldesh 1602 SrWills

Etymology

There can be little doubt, as Dr Ritter suggests, that the first element here is the same word as OE  hefeld , 'thread for weaving,' modern dialectal heald , hevel . It is difficult to see by what association of sense such a word could be used to describe a piece of ersc or stubble-land. Dr Ritter suggests that it might be from its fancied resemblance to a hefeld-gyrd or 'weaver's beam.' He notes a possible parallel in the old Bavarian place- name Hevelt (11th cent.) and Hevelde (12th cent.) (Förstemann, ON i, 1354). OE  hefeld should give later heveld , but Dr Ritter suggests that there may have been an alternative OE  hæfeld , a parallel form to ON  hafald . Professor Ekwall suggests the same elements but notes the possibility that hefeld , which meant originally 'instrument for raising,' may have also had some such sense as 'eminence.'