Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• stagn. de Clappyng 1391–2 Soke

• Clappinges 1483–5 Rent

• Clappyngdam 1493 Soke

• Clappyngdam 1499 Ct

• Clempyn Dame 1511–2 ib

• Claping Dam, Clappin dam 1634 Ct

Etymology

, stagn . de Clappyng 1391–2 Soke, Clappinges 1483–5Rent ,Clappyngdam 1493 Soke, Clappyngdam 1499Ct , Clempyn Dame 1511–2ib , Claping Dam , Clappin dam 1634Ct . According to the earliest evidence this was the place for a stagnum ' a pond ' . The ON  word dam could have both the sense ' a bank across a stream ' and ' a pond soformed ' ( v. dammr ) . Clapham Dams would seem to mean simply ' thedams at a place called Clapham ' . What Clapham originally referred to is more difficult to say . The first element of Clapham YW , Ekwall(Studies2 139 f.) and Smith ( PN YW VI232 f. ) explain as a stream - name *Clæpe , derived from the verb ME  clappen ' clap, clatter ' , i.e . ' theclattering stream ' , describing the noise produced by a swift water course . A corresponding -ing derivative as the name of a water course in South Repps might meet the case . Mr E . J . Rose draws my attention to the Sussex name Clapwater , which is suggested to be near a clapmella 1206 , i.e. a noisy mill ( PN Sx II 345 ) . The second element of Clapham could be hām or hamm . Since there are no Clop - spellings I prefer to keep it apart from the Claphams in Bd , Sr and Sx , discussed by Ekwall (DEPN) .