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.

Merrington

Early-attested site in the Parish of Elmley Lovett

Historical Forms

  • Merynton 1375 ADiv 1388 IpmR 1389 Pat

Etymology

Possibly 'farm of Mǣra '(v. ingtun ), Mǣra being a shortened form of one of the OE  names in Mǣr -, found also in Meering (Nt) and Kirk Merrington (Du). This estate however lay on the borders of three parishes and it is possible therefore that the name stands for OE  mǣringa -tun , 'farm of the dwellers on the meare or boundary,' v. (ge)mære.