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.

Lundsford

Early-attested site in the Parish of Etchingham

Historical Forms

  • Lundresfort c.1170 Pens
  • Lundresford(e) 1176 Pens 1296 SR
  • Lundesford c.1200 Pens
  • Lunesford 1200–5,c.1210 Pens
  • Lundredisford c.1220 Pens
  • Londresford, Landresford 1279 Ass
  • Lonesford(e) 1308 Battle 1327 SR 1372 FF
  • Lounsforde 1347 FF
  • Lunceford 1388 Banco 1893 O.S.

Etymology

This is a difficult name. The first element is clearly a pers. name, apparently of the form Lundrǣd . The element Lund is found in the Frankish name Lundoaldus (cf. Brückner, Spyache d. Langobarden 8 f.) to which Dr Ritter calls our attention. It is found also in the OSw name Lundbiorn (Lundgren-Brate s. n .).This element may also have been in use among the South Saxons and a compound with ræd have been formed. The element lund is not known in Old English. It might be the cognate of ON  lund , 'mind, temper, manner' or of ON  lundr , 'grove.' The former seems more probable.

Places in the same Parish