Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wircesburg 1086 DB

• Wircasburc 1148 YCh179

• Wyrcaburc 1156 YCh186

• Wirkeburc, Wirkeburg(a) Hy2 Riev 1172–81 YCh 1173 1196 P 1219 Ass8 1260–80 Bodl44

• Wirkesburg(h), Wyrkesburg(h), Wirkesburc 1170–84 YCh1689–90 1175–85 1180–90 Bodl43 1194,1196 P 13 1249 Ch 1382 YDiii

• Wirkisburg 1196 Riev l.12 YChvii

• Werkesburg(h) 1219 FF 1381 Ch 1433,1435 Hall

• Wyrseburgh 1363 Edmunds

• Wirsburgh 1366 Test

• Workesburg, Workesburgh, Workesburge, Workesburghe 1449 Hall 1474,1491 Brett 1524 Edmunds

• Worsburgh 1458 Brett 1519 FF 1612 YDi

• Worsburght 1522 Testv

• Worsborghe 1537 Edmunds

• Worsbroughe 1570 WillY

• Worsseburgh 1489 Brett

• Worseborghe 1550 WillY

• Wursbrughe 1559 Edmunds

• Woursbroughe 1575 Dep

• Worspur 1556 WillY 1695 M

• Wosper 1669 PRCnt 1796 PRFrick

Etymology

'Wirc's fortification', v. burh and on the relation of this to other burh -names in the Don-Dearne valleys, v. Introd. The pers.n. Wirc or Wyrc is not recorded, but is assumed for several p.ns., Wirksworth Db 413, Worsall YN 173, Worksop Nt 105, and a weak form Wirca for Wortley iii, 212infra ; it may well be a variant of Weorc which probably occurs in OE  Weorcesmere BCS 1282, and a fem. form Verca , Werca is found in Bede (Searle s.n.)., with a change of eo to y after the labial, as in OE  -byrht for -beorht (cf. Feilitzen 62). The latest reduced forms Worspur , Wosper are dialectal, as with Worsborough Dale infra .