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.

Rowde

Major Settlement in the Parish of Rowde

Historical Forms

  • Rode 1086 DB
  • (la) Rode 1230 Cl 1254 Pat 1283 Ch
  • Rudes 1186,1196 P 1198 Abbr 1268 Ass
  • Rodes 1196 P 1217 ClR 1228 Cl
  • Rude 1212 Fees
  • Roud' 1263 Cl
  • Roudes 1287 Misc 1289 Ass 1291 Tax 1316 FA
  • Rowd(e) t.Eliz WMxxi

Etymology

OE  hreod is used both of the reed itself and of a place where reeds grow and Ekwall (DEPN) suggests that Rowde derives from this word. It would suit its low-lying situation, hreod commonly develops to ME  rod (e ), rud (e ) in Wiltshire (cf. Rodbourne supra 32, 51).