Map of West London in the 19th Century
showing Ealing, Acton, Gunnersbury, Chiswick, Hammersmith, Barnes

Acton

"Oak Town, Enclosure in the Oak Forest"

from OE ac = Oak tree, tun = enclosure, farmstead, village

Acton Vale is properly shown as Acton Bottom (OE botm = valley) on the map.

Barnes

Berne 1086 Domesday Book.

"[Place by] the Barn(s)"

from OE Bereærn = Barn; where Bere = barley (hence, beer), ærn = store, building. 

Brentford

"Ford over the River Brent"

Chiswick

Ceswican, ca 1000. 

"Cheese Village or Farm" 

from OE Ciese / Cyse / Cæse / Cese = cheese; wic = farm, small village.

It is attractive to think of the milch cattle grazing down on the meadows near the river and being led home for milking every evening in the little village. 

Ealing

        Gillingas, ca 698.

"[Settlement of] Gilla's people"

from OE Gilla (personal name, pronounced 'Yilla') and inga = people.

Gunnersbury

Gounyldebury 1334.

"Gunnhildr's Manor House"

from Gunnhildr (Norse personal name), ME bury from OE burh = fort, stronghold

Hammersmith

Hamersmythe 1294.

Possibly "Hamoder's harbour (hythe)"; "Smithy where hammers were made/used" seems fanciful.

from OE Hamoder (personal name); hyð = landing place, harbour, creek, port

Kew

Cayho 1327.

"Spur (of land by) a Quay", or "Key-shaped Spur"

from OE caeg = key, hoh = heel, spur; or ME key = quay. 

London Stile

"Turnstile on the road to London", presumably a turnpike where a toll was collected.

from Londinium 115 (mentioned by Tacitus, Antoninus); a Latin name, possibly derived from a British (ie Celtic) root. 

Stamford Brook

"Brook with a Stony Ford"

from OE stan = stone, ford = ford, river crossing. 

It was still called Stanford Brook, visible for most of its length, in the19th Century, as you can see from the map.

Strand [on the] Green

"Beach (village with a) Green"

from OE strand = beach, strand, sea-shore

Sutton

"South Village"

from OE suth = south, tun = enclosure, village

Turnham Green

"Village Green"

from OE ham = village, grene = green

Discovering Dickens has this: "The Annual Register of 1776 records that on September 6,

The lord-mayor of London was robbed near Turnham-Green, in his chaise and four, in sight of all his retinue, 
by a single highwayman, who swore he would shoot the first man that made resistance, or offered violence."

Wormwood Scrubs

Wormholte 1200

"Snake (or Dragon) Wood"

from OE wyrm = snake, dragon, reptile; holt = wood; Scrubs (scrubland, bushy place) added later; Wormholt Farm lies to the south of the Scrubs.

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