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.

Dishenhurst

Early-attested site in the Parish of Itchingfield

Historical Forms

  • Dyssenhurst 1279 Ass
  • Dessenhurst 1288 Ass
  • Disscheherst 1296 SR
  • Dissenhurst 1316 FA
  • Dys(c)henhurst 1327,1332 SR

Etymology

Dishenhurst (lost) was in Itchingfield and is recorded as Dyssenhurst (1279Ass ), Dessenhurst (1288Ass ), Disscheherst (1296 SR), Dissenhurst (1316 FA), Dys (c )henhurst (1327, 1332 SR). The site not being known it is difficult to settle the meaning of the name. The second element is hyrst. The first may perhaps be connected with OE  dic, Diss - and Dish - being Anglo-Norman spellings (cf. Zachrisson in Vising Mélanges 180) but the -en - spellings point to a weak pers. name rather than the significant word, cf. Ditchling infra 300.