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.

North and South Ambersham

Major Settlement in the Parish of Ambersham

Historical Forms

  • Embresham, Æmbresham 963 BCS1114 12th
  • Ambresham 1166 P 1327 Cl
  • Ambersome 1570 Wills
  • Amersham 1575 Saxton

Etymology

The earliest forms point to a pers. name Æmbre which is perhaps possible as a pet-form of the OE  pers. name Ēanbeorht .It can hardly be simply a phonetic reduction of that name as early as the 10th cent., for the language is good OE, though found in a 12th cent. copy. Hence, 'Aembre's ham.'