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.

Wasperton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Wasperton

Historical Forms

  • Waspertune 1043 KCD916 17th
  • Wasperton c.1050 KCD939 17th
  • Waspreton 1139 RegAlb
  • Waspurton early13th CartMisc 1327 SR 1349 Wigorn
  • Washparton 1514 ADv
  • Wasmertone 1086 DB
  • Wesperton 1415 Pat

Etymology

This is a difficult name. It may be a compound of OE  (ge )wæsc , 'place liable to flood' and pertun , 'pear enclosure.'OE  wāse , 'mud' is also possible. Much of the district is liable to flood. Cf. Perton (St), Pertun KCD 824 and Parham (PN Sx 154). Professor Ekwall, noting the history of Ashburton (PN D 462) in which original b persistently appears as p from the 12th century onwards, suggests that the second element may be burhtun or bertun . Hence, 'fortified enclosure (or barton ) by the flooded land.'

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site