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.

Wanborough

Major Settlement in the Parish of Wanborough

Historical Forms

  • (æt) Wenbeorgan, (æt) Wænbeorgon 854 BCS477,478 12th
  • Wemberge 1086 DB
  • Wamberg(a), Wamberg (e) 1091 StOsmund 1160 SarumCh 1177 P 1198 Cur 1229 Cl 1242 Fees
  • Westwamberge 1334 Ass
  • Estwambergh 1365 Pat
  • Wanberga, Wanberge 1146 SarumCh 1194 P
  • Wanbrow 1553 Phillipps
  • Wanbro al. Wanborough 1805 Recov
  • Wenberge 1196,1204 Cur 1198 Abbr
  • Wenburgh 1354 Cl
  • Wanborowe al. Wenborowe 1542 LP
  • Waneberge 1268 Ass
  • Wanebergh 1374 Cl
  • Wauneborough 1500 Pat
  • Whanburgh 1325 ib
  • Wonborough 1685 ParReg

Etymology

There can be little doubt that here, as in Wanbarrow (PN Sx 275), Wanborough (PN Sr 151) and Wambarrow (So), Wanburgh 1324 BM, we have a compound of OE  wenn , wæn , 'wen,' the term being used of a barrow which suggested such an excrescence. It should be noted that in the OE reference we have the plural form (dat.). Mr Young paints out that the reference is probably to a conspicuous group of four barrows close together on Sugar Hill (WM xxxviii, 156).