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.

Wormcliff and Wormwood Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Box

Historical Forms

  • (a) la Wormeclyve 1274 Ass
  • Wornyclive (sic) 1332 SR
  • Wormecliffes mede 1558 FF
  • Wormecliffe 1629 WIpm
  • (b) Wormhirde 1259 WIpm
  • atte Wormherd 1312,1345 Ass 1322 FF
  • Wormyerd 1391 AddCh
  • Wormherde, Wormehurde 1409,1418 FF
  • Wormerde 1411 ib
  • Wormewood 1684 Recov

Etymology

Wormcliff (6″) and Wormwood Fm appear as (a ) la Wormeclyve 1274Ass (p), Wornyclive (sic)1332SR (p), Wormecliffes mede 1558FF , Wormecliffe 1629 WIpm, and (b ) Wormhirde 1259 WIpm, atte Wormherd 1312, 1345Ass , 1322FF (all p), Wormyerd 1391AddCh , Wormherde , Wormehurde 1409, 1418FF , Wormerde 1411 ib., Wormewood 1684Recov . These places are far apart, but the first element in each is probably OE  wyrm , 'worm, snake, dragon,' possibly in the genitive plural form wyrma in the first name. Wormcliff is at the foot of a steep slope and there may have been some legend of a dragon associated with it. v. clif . The second element in Wormwood is geard , 'enclosure,' as in Derriads infra 90, and the name may be descriptive of a snake-infested farm. See Addenda supra xxxix.