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.

Bittlesham

Early-attested site in the Parish of Kirdford

Historical Forms

  • Betilsham 1541 BailiffsAccts

Etymology

Bittlesham (6″) is Betilsham in 1541 (Bailiffs Accts ). Possibly it should be connected with the unidentified Betlesparrioc (Dugd iii. 247) of a charter of Henry I where it is associated with the not very distant Buckfold in Petworth. These all point to a pers. name Bētel found also in Betteshanger (K), Betleshangre 1284 Ch.