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.

Alderbury

Major Settlement in the Parish of Alderbury

Historical Forms

  • (to) Æþelware byrig 972 BCS1286 14th
  • Ædeluuaraburh 976 Hist.Monast.deAbingdon 12th
  • Athelwarabyrig 10th Swithin
  • Alwaresberie 1086 DB
  • Alwarberie ib.
  • Alwarbiri 1109–20 StOsmund
  • Alwarberia 1158 HMCVari
  • Alwarbyr' 1249 Ass
  • Alwarburi 1257 Ipm
  • Alwarbury 1394 Ass
  • Alewarbir' 1198 Fees
  • Alwardberia 1139 SarumCh
  • Alwardberi 1179 P
  • Alwardbury, Alwardburi 1291 Tax 1535 VE
  • Alwardeberie 1190 StOsmund
  • Alwardebir' 1212 Cur
  • Alwardebyr' 1255 RH 1256 FF
  • Alwardeburi, Alwardebury 1257 Ipm 1316,1324 FA 1356 Pat
  • Alwardesburi 1288 Ipm
  • Ailwardesberie 1195 P
  • Aylwardebur' 1250 Fees
  • Aylwardesbyr' 1279 Ass
  • Alwaldesbir' 1196 P
  • Aldwardbiria 1211 RBE
  • Aldwardbury 1356 FF
  • Aldwarbur' 1249 Ass
  • Aldwarbury 1316 Pat
  • Alrebury 1341 Ch
  • Alwarbury al. Alderbury 1649 Recov

Etymology

'burhbelonging to a woman named Æþelwaru .' The development of forms with d may have been helped by the fact that Alward held five hides here in DB (Jones 56). Alward House (6″) is presumably an antiquarian reminder of this.