Ipswich
“It possibly refers to the harbour or trading centre (taken from the Old English wīc ) of a man with the personal name of ‘Gip’,” explains A.D. Mills. “Alternatively, ‘Gip’ could be from the Old English ‘gipe(s)’ or ‘gype’, meaning ‘opening gap’, referring to the wide estuary of the River Orwell. In the early days, ‘Gip’ was pronounced as ‘Yip’ with a soft ‘g’. The current spelling of Ipswich is first on record in the 13th century.”
Ipswich port - it s thought the town s name refers to the harbour or trading centre, taken from the Old English wīc .
A sign welcomes drivers to Ipswich on Norwich Road.
- Credit: Archant
Suffolk has continuously been settled since the 5th century, so it’s no surprise its place names have changed countless times over the years.
But how did we get the names we know today, and why are they so important?
Monks Eleigh-based A.D. Mills is an Emeritus Reader in Medieval English at the University of London, a member of the Council of the English Place-Name Society and a member of the Society for Name Studies in Britain and Ireland.
He has spent years studying the origins and meanings of a variety of English place names, including those here in Suffolk.