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.

Wilden

Early-attested site in the Parish of Hartlebury

Historical Forms

  • Wineladuna 1182 Hab 17th
  • Winelduna 1182 RBB 18th
  • Wybeldone 1275 SR
  • Wiveldon 1299 Cl
  • Weldon 1327 SR
  • Wildon 1480 Deed Eliz ChancP

Etymology

The 1275 form makes it certain that the n of the earliest forms is an error of transcription for u . There is good ground for assuming an OE  pers. name Wīfel (a ), a weak form of Wīfel , which is common in place-names and we probably have here 'Wifela's hill,' v. dun .