Ballyhemlin, County Down
Origin
Ir. Baile Haimlin ‘Hamlin’s townland’; perhaps earlier Eng. Ham(e)lin(s)ton
Background
The earlier historical spellings clearly suggest that modern Ballyhemlin represents a gaelicization of an earlier Anglo-Norman place-name Ham(e)lin(s)ton. Reaney (1958, 152) cites a family name Hamlin, Hamlen, Hamblin etc. in Britain, e.g. Robertus filius Hamelin 1130 AD, and then goes on to describe the medieval name Hamelin as a diminutive of Old German Haimo. Earlier Reaney (xxiv) describes the suffix -elin as a double diminutive containing the particles el and in. Ballyhemlin townland seems to provide us, then, with evidence for the presence of this Ham(e)lin family among the Anglo-Norman settlers in the Ards.
References
Hughes A. J. (1992): Place-Names of Northern Ireland vol. 2 p. 107Additional Information
Historical name form
| Old Form | Ref. Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| ?Ballyhumlyn | 1605 | Inq. Ult. (Down) $2 Jac.I |
| Ballihemeline | 1605 | CPR Jas I 73a Jas.I |
| Ballyhemeline | 1605 | Inq. Ult. (Down) $2 Jac.I |
| Balle-Hamlin | 1623 | Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xxxiv |
| Ballehamlin | 1623 | Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xlii; xlvi |
| Ballehamlin | 1623 | Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xxxii |
| Ballehamlin | 1644 | Inq. Ult. (Down) $104 Jac.I |
| Ballehamlin | 1644 | Inq. Ult. (Down) $104 Jac.I |
| Ballyhamline | 1659 | Census 1659 92 |
| Ballehamline | 1661 | BSD |
| Ballyhember (?) | 1663 | Sub. Roll Down 17 |
| Ballyhamlin Half | 1681 | Ham. Copy Rental 108 |
| Ballyhemlin | 1810 | Wm. Map (OSNB) E.174 |
| Ballyhemlin | 1830c | High Const. Applot. (OSNB) E.174 |
| Ballyhemlin | 1830c | Bnd. Sur. (OSNB) E.174 |
| Ballyhemlin ""Hamlin''s Town"" | 1834c | J O'D (OSNB) E.174 |
- Barony
- Ards Upper
- Parish
- St. Andrews alias Ballyhalbert
- Parish in 1851
- St. Andrews alias Ballyhalbert
- Townland
- None
- Place name ID
- 17296
- Place name type
- T