Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (in) Weles burnan 840 BCS430 11th

• (æt) Weles burnan 862 12th 969 18th ib

• (æt) Walesburnan 872 BCS535 15th

• Waleborne 1086 DB

• Walesborna t.Hy1 Kenilworth

• Walisborne 1122 Ch 1314

• Walesburna c.1150 FW

• Walesburn Parva 1246 Ch

• Welesburna t.Hy1 Kenilworth 1123 Warwick

• Welesburne c.1150 FW 1235 Fees

• Welleburne 1175,1190 P 1247 FF

• Wellesburn 1267 Ipm

• Wellesburne Major 1267,1296 Ipm 1279 Nott

• Wellesburne Minor 1327 SR

• Wellesburne Montfort 1327 FF 1332 SR

• Wellesburne Hastang ib.

• Wellesburne le Strange 1385 Dugdale 1541 FF

• Wellesburne Hastingez 1492 Ipm

• Welsborn Hastings al. Welsborn Lestrange 1659 FF

• Hastanges in 1316 (FA)

• Munford' in 1185 (P)

Etymology

Wellesbourne must have been an old name for Dene Brook or part of it, v. supra 3. The persistent single l in all the earliest forms makes it difficult if not impossible to take the first element as the gen. of OE  wiell , wæll , 'spring, stream.' Equally difficult, in view of the early and persistent Wel -forms, is any attempt to connect the name with OE  wēales , gen. of wealh , 'foreigner.' The name must remain an unsolved problem.Wellesbourne Hastings was held by Thomas de Hastanges in 1316 (FA) and Wellesbourne Mountford by Robert de Munford ' in 1185 (P). Roger and John Lestrange are mentioned in connection with the former in 1376 (FF ).