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.

Hepworth

Major Settlement in the Parish of Kirkburton

Historical Forms

  • Heppeuuord 1086 DB
  • Heppewrth 1274–1308 WCR
  • Heppeworth 1313,1323 ib
  • Hepworthyn' 1462,1492 MinAcct
  • Hepworth 1550 YDii

Etymology

In view of the Heppe - spellings this can hardly be OE  hēope 'hip'; it is no doubt an OE  pers.n. Heppa , which is not recorded but finds a cognate in OG  Heppo ; it could be a hypocoristic form of some such pers.n. as Helpric . This is the more likely, as worð 'enclosure' is most often combined with a pers.n. v. also Hepshaw infra . The Merc  form -worthyn (v. worðign ) is noteworthy; v. Introd.

Places in the same Parish

Other OS name

Early-attested site