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.

Footland Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Sedlescombe

Historical Forms

  • Fodilant 1086 DB
  • Fodiland(e) c.1180 Pens 1210–12 RBE 1291 Tax
  • Fodylonde 1377 Pens
  • Fudiland(e) 1195,c.1197,1198 Pens 1293 Ch
  • Fudlond 1535 VE

Etymology

This name would seem to contain the same pers. element as Foddington (So), DBFodintona , found perhaps in a diminutive form in the field-name Fodelindenne (1210) in Sussex. No such pers. name is known but it might be associated with OE  fōda , 'food,' which in ME is used in the sense 'race, offspring.' The full form must originally have been Fōdingland , i.e. 'Foda's land.' The u -forms are difficult to explain.

Places in the same Parish