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.

Ledsham

Major Settlement in the Parish of Ledsham

Historical Forms

  • on Ledes-ham c.1030 YCh7
  • Ledesha' 1086 DB
  • Ledesham(a) c.1090,1119–21 Pont 1119–35 Nost7d Hy2 YCh1431 1230 Ch 1155–8 YCh 1216–56 RegAlbiii,12 1219 FF 1229 Ebor 1251 Ass 1252 FF 1428 FA
  • Ledisham 1238 Pont 1286 Ebor 1341 FF
  • Leddesham 1436 Testii 1519 WillY
  • Leddysham 1484 TestLds
  • Ledsham, Ledsam 1559,1612 PRLed

Etymology

'Homestead near Leeds', v. hām , cf. Leeds 124, Ledston 50infra .Leeds is some 10 miles west of Ledsham and Ledston and this suggests, since no other administrative connexion is known, that the regio Loidis of Bede extended into this part of Elmet (1supra ).