Where names originated

Most Wimbledon residents, however, are probably not aware that back in the days of the Anglo-Saxons the name had other connotations. It meant the hill settlement of a man called Wynnman, with the earliest recorded name being Wunemannedune, in 950 AD.

I'm also probably right in assuming the vast majority of Battersea residents are blissfully unaware their town's name means the island settlement of a man called Beaduric, and most people probably don't give a damn.

And why should they?

Because it's interesting, that's why!

Who the hell were Wynnman and Beaduric anyway? - and could these people have ever imagined they would be intertwined with the areas where they first made names for themselves, more than a thousand years ago?

We live in a country steeped in history, invaded by just about everyone, from Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, to Normans and Danes, and learning a bit more about the ancient origins of town names can teach us a bit more about our heritage - and that's a good thing by the way!

Historian David Mills, fuelled by his interest in medieval English and Anglo-Saxon, spent two years writing a book on the topic - The Dictionary of London Place Names - recently published by the Oxford University Press.

"I live in Greater London," he explained, "and I've lived here for nearly 50 years."

"It came naturally really to want to explain the names I was familiar with and to look at them more closely. It gave me a chance to look at the different boroughs, the small districts and hamlets. Most of the old names are Anglo-Saxon in origin. I find it fascinating that we are using labels for place names coined over 1,000 years ago."

David refers to place names as "linguistic fossils" because the names are closely tied to the history of the area.

For instance, one possible meaning of Tooting is the family or followers of a man called Tota, whereas Putney means either the landing place of the hawk, or alternatively, of a man called Putta.

"It's often difficult to learn more about the actual individuals," he continues.

"With Battersea the earliest spellings for the name are dated 693. At the end of the seventh century people in the locality will have known who Beaduric was.

"It's probable that where a name is in the first record quite often the Domesday Book - the actual estate will be much, much older."

So does David think residents take their town names for granted?

"I'm always surprised at the number of people who say that's a funny name' or I wonder what that name means'. It always tickles me that people are using names that have existed for 1,000 years and have underlying meanings.

"Tooting, like Barking and Ealing, is a particular type of name, which differs from most of the rest, and describes a tribe or clan. This is true of a lot of names that end in ing' which comes from the old English word ingas', meaning people of.

"It could be these names all go back to the actual arrival of the Saxons in this area, in the fifth and sixth centuries, who displaced the native Britons."

Certain names, though, are much more recent.

Collier's Wood, for instance, is named after a house built in 1777 with the middle English word, colier, referring to woodland used and occupied by charcoal burners. Raynes Park commemorates one Edward Rayne, who formerly owned the land developed by the London and South Western Railway Company in the mid 19th century.

David also finds time to mention some of the humorous qualities found in some place names, acknowledging Peter Sellers' famous sketch, Bal-Ham, Gateway to the South, and also the famous characters of Elizabeth Beresford.

"Wimbledon spawned the Wombles. In old Anglo-Saxon there is a pattern of vowel sounds, for example, drink, drank, drunk, and you can also do that with Wimbledon, Wambledon, Wombledon.

"There is something quite ancient about the word Womble," he jokes.

The Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names is available from all good book shops, priced £7.99.

December 7, 2001 13:08