Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (del) Bothes 1274,1275,1277 WCR

• le Bothes, les Bothes 1313–1331 ib

• leʒ Boethes 1452 WCR

• Boithes 1570 YDi

• Boethesbanke, Boethesfelde, Boethestown 1499 WCR2d

• Boothton 1509 WillY

• Bouthtowne 1580 PRHfx

• Booth(e)s Town 1636 WillY 1709 WMB

• Boothtown(e) 1642 PRMrf 1696 YDr

• Bows Town 1771 M

Etymology

Booth Town, (del ) Bothes 1274, 1275, 1277 WCR (p), le Bothes , les Bothes 1313–1331 ib (freq )1379 PT (p)1405WCR et freq to 1562 PRHfx, leʒ Boethes 1452WCR , Boithes 1570 YD i, Boethesbanke , Boethesfelde , Boethestown 1499WCR 2d, Boothton 1509 WillY, Bouthtowne 1580 PRHfx, Booth (e )s Town 1636 WillY, 1709 WMB, Boothtown (e )1642 PRMrf, 1696 YDr, Bows Town 1771 M. Originally 'the booths or sheds', v. bōth . Town was added when the district began its urbanisation (cf. Mickletown ii, 127supra ); there was a local family of Booth which took its name from the booths (cf. the references in WCR, PT, also John Boethes 1499WCR 2d, John Bothe 1562 PRHfx, Robert Bouthe 1580 ib, etc.). The spelling Boithes is dialectal (cf. Phonol. § 30).