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.

Feckenham

Major Settlement in the Parish of Feckenham

Historical Forms

  • Feccanhom 804 BCS313 11th
  • Feccanham c.960 BCS1006 11th
  • Fec(c)heham 1086 DB Hy2 Ch 1266 Ch R1 1326
  • Feckeham, Fekkeham c.1086 EveA 1190 Ch Matilda Cl 1266 1233,1244
  • Fekeham Matilda Ch 1266 Cl 1233 SR 1275
  • Feccaham Hy2 Ch 1313
  • Fekkam R1 Ch 1266
  • Fecham 1232 Ch, Cl
  • Fe(c)kenham 1233 1312 Ch
  • Fayknam 1524 Middleton
  • Feckingham 1675 Ogilby
  • Fecnom 1699 Marr

Etymology

In DB we have pers. names Fech and Feche which seem to be the same as the pers. name which must lie behind fecceswudu (KCD 752). Here we seem to have a pers. name in a weak form corresponding to this. The cc would normally be palatalised in this name and some of the later spellings suggest this but, as often, we get a k -pronunciation developing before n . The hamm is probably that spoken of under Ham Green infra 319, just half a mile to the north of the church.