What's in a name? Exploring the history of our local place names
By The Editor
25th Oct 2020 | Local News
Frodsham is the only settlement in the UK to be so called, and one of only a handful of towns and villages whose name begins with 'Frod-'.
While we know that the '-ham' ending comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for 'village', this 'Frod-' prefix remains something of a mystery.
It has been suggested that 'Frod' could have been the Anglo-Saxon chief who founded the settlement.
This could well have been the case, for Frod was a common element of many early Germanic names, including Frodegard, Frodwin and Frodulf.
Meaning 'wise' or 'prudent', this element also sits at the origin of the name Frodo, which was made famous by The Lord of the Rings' hobbit hero.
However, the 'Frod' in Frodsham could also be a corruption of the word 'ford', referring to a shallow river crossing in the original homestead.
If the town was really once called 'Fordham', it might be translated from the Old English as 'Village on the Ford'.
Frodsham shares part of its name with Frodesley in Shropshire and the hamlet of Frodingham in Lincolnshire, which is also home to a St Lawrence's church (although spelt differently to our own St Laurence).
Three peas in a pod: Manley, Alvanley and Kingsley
The nearby village of Manley also derives its name from Anglo-Saxon words. The 'Man' comes from the Old English mæne, meaning 'common' or 'shared', while the suffix '-leigh', '-lee' or '-ley' is from leah, refering to a forest clearing.
This name provides a trace of the history of the village. Manley once formed part of the ancient forests of Mara and Mondrem, which were later used for hunting by the Earls of Chester.
Similarly, the name Alvanley is thought to originate from the words Ælfwaldan leah, perhaps referring to the Anglo-Saxon founder of another woodland village.
The beginning of Kingsley is thought to have evolved from the Old English word cyninges, making the village 'the wood or clearing of the King'.
The settlement was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Chingeslie, and soon gave its name to Sir Ranulph de Kingsley, who lived there with his family following the 11th century Norman Conquest of England.
What about Helsby?
Whereas the names Frodsham, Manley, Alvanley and Kingsley appear to originate from the descriptions of Anglo-Saxon settlers, the 'by', of Helsby indicates Viking roots. Helsby would have been founded in the early 10th century, as Viking settlers were expelled from Dublin and forced to flee to the Isle of Man and the North West of England. The name 'Helsby' is probably derived from the Viking Hjallr-by, or 'farm/village on the edge', which is a fitting reference both to its positioning below the lip of Helsby Hill, and its proximity to the nearby Mersey Estuary. Faced with the modern roads, railways and wind turbines which surround our communities today, it is hard to imagine that they have been there for so long, provided a home for 1500 year's worth of people. If you enjoyed this article, you might want to read our history of Frodsham Castle.
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