Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Westmoringa land 966 ASC c.1150
• Westmerland(e), Westmerlandia, Westmerlandie 1129–33 YCh 1200–30 Bart 1203–27 CWix,258 1234–6 Weth 1268 Pat 1278 Weth 1281 ADiv 1288 Kend 1292 Weth 1302,1310 Carliol 1351 Pat 1394 Cl 1707 CWiv,3
• la Counte de Westmerland(e) 1170–80 Kend
• comitatus Westmerland(e) 1204 NB 1244 MdMb 1262 Cockers 1312 Carliol 1356 Furn 1438 MdMb
• the countie of Westmerland(e) 1516 NCWills 1546 Testvi 1552 RichWill 1580 NCyWills
• Wesmerl' 1424 Test86
• Westemerland 1530 Visit
• Westermerland c.1540 Leland
• provinciam Westinerilandia c.1150 GMv,159
• Westmarilond 1150–62 YCh1241
• Westmariland(e) c.1170 Lowth(Ab3)
• Westmaria l.12 Whitby
• Wesmariland 1172,1179 Pipe
• West-marieland 1176 ib
• (comitatu) Westmeria(e) 1173 Fantosme 1260–75 Cockers 1294,1295,1297 Carliol
• Westmeriel(and)' 1183 Pipe 1190–1212 P
• Westmeriland(e) 1190 LaCh 1196 1197 Pipe 1199 l.12 Lowth(Ab2) 1201–1223 Cur 1208 1211 P 1225,1228 Pat 1230 P 1235 1357 Kend
• Westmeryland 1204 Pat 1398 Cl 1237
• Westmeril' 1224 Cur 1237 Cl
• Westm'iland 1237 Cl
• County of Westm'land 1675 Wndm
• Westmereland 1237 Cl
• Westmerel' 1257 Cl
• Westmerelandshire c.1540 Leland
• Westmoriland(a) 1199 Mem 1235 Pipe
• Westmorland(a) 1257 P 1292 QW 1298 Leng 1440 NCyWills 1546 Testvi 1550 NCWills 1591 Dep 1748 WilsonL
• Westmoreland 1371,1375 Ipm

Etymology

'District of those living west of the moors', the moors being the moorlands of the North Yorkshire Pennines, v. west , mōr , -ingas , land ; it would presumably refer to the folk living in the fertile parts of the Eden valley. The predominant ME  -mer (i )- spellings arise from loss of stress in the medial element or from the influence of OE  (ge)mǣre 'boundary', or possibly a Scandinavian i -mutated form Vestmøringa -, and from a not uncommon reduction and loss of -ing -.As the name of an administrative district, Westmorland at first denoted the northern half of the present county, that is, the Barony of Westmorland or, as it was sometimes called, the Barony of Appleby (ii, 1infra ). It appears to have denoted the whole county (the Baronies of Appleby and Kendal) by the time of Henry II (cf. Pipe xliii ff, Ferguson 85–6, 90–3).