But then I started thinking, "Why not?" Kimberley is from a surname/place name meaning "Cyneburga's field", after all. Since -ley is "field", wouldn't Kimber kind of just be a modern form of Cyneburga? Plenty of Old English (and Norse) names exist today only in places or surnames, so why can't we just lop off the locational ending to reclaim lost first names?
Some would arguably work better than others (and I also think that some of the original OE names could still be usable today, too), but I still had a lot of fun finding them! ;)
(unless otherwise noted, the original name was likely male)
- Alcon(bury)--"Ealhmund's fort"
- Arle(sey)--"Aelfric's island"
- Balton(sborough)--"Bealdhun's mound"
- Beck(ley)--"Becca's field"
- Becon(tree)--"Beohha's tree"
- Bermond(sey)--"Beornmond's island"
- Bren(ton)--"Bryni's town"
- Camber(well)--"Cantbeorht's spring"
- Caver(sfield)--"Cafhere's field"
- Chell(ington)--"Ceoldwynn's people's town" [feminine]
- Chella(ston)--"Ceoldheard's town"
- Cogen(hoe)--"Cugga's spur of land"
- Cothel(stone)--"Cuthwulf's town"
- Dagen(ham)--"Daecca's home"
- Dare(sbury)--"Deor's fort"
- Dayle(sford)--"Daegel's ford"
- Ember(ton)--"Eanbeorht's town"
- Ender(by)--"Eindrithi's village"
- Essen(dine)--"Esa's valley"
- Ever(ingham)--"Eofor's people's home"
- Fulmod(eston)--"Fulcmod's town"
- Garmond(sway)--"Garmund's road"
- Gilmon(by)--"Gilman's village"
- Hedger(ley)--"Hycga's field"
- Idridge(hay)--"Eadric's enclosure"
- Ingold(mells)--"Ingjald's sand-hills"
- Ilket(shall)--"Ylfketill's land"
- Kelve(don)--"Cynelef's valley"
- Kemer(ton)--"Cyneburg's town" [feminine]
- Kilver(stone)--"Kilvert's town"
- Kimbol(ton)--"Cynebald's town"
- Kinwal(sey)--"Cyneweald's enclosure"
- Laven(don)--"Lafa's valley"
- Levis(ham)--"Leofgeat's home"
- Mauger(sbury)--"Maethelgar's fort"
- Melson(by)--"Maelsuithan's village"
- Ocken(don)--"Wocca's hill"
- Ossul(stone)--"Oswulf's rock"
- Pax(ton)--"Poecc's town" [coincides with the Latin word for 'peace']
- Renn(ington)--"Regna's people's town"
- Rickman(sworth)--"Ricmaer's farm"
- Rosli(ston)--"Hrothlaf's town"
- Sydmon(ton)--"Sidumann's town"
- Syson(by)--"Sigsteinn's village"
- Thedd(ingworth)--"Theoda's farm"
- Thurla(ston)--"Thorleif's town"
- Tyther(ton)--"Tydre's town"
- Wenha(ston)--"Wynhaeth's town"
- Whit(ington)--"Hwita's people's town"
- Wilbra(ham)--"Wilburh's land" [feminine]
- Witten(ham)--"Witta's pasture"
- Wolgar(ston)--"Wulfgar's town"
- Wolver(ton/cot/ley)--"Wulfhere, Wulfgar, or Wulfweard's town/cottages/field"
- Wymer(sley)--"Wigmaer's field"
- Wymond(ham)--"Wigmund's home"
- Wyrard(isbury)--"Wigred's fort"
- Yelver(ton)--"Geldfrith's town"
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