Historically, Womenswold has been recorded with various spellings, including Wymynswold[2] and Wimlingswold.[3] A further one may be Wymelyngewolde[4]
Originally 'Wymelyngewolde', from the combination of the possible personal name of ‘Wimel’ and the Old English ‘ingas’ meaning the ‘people of’ and ‘wald’ as a ‘forest’. Thus Womanswold, or 'Wymelyngewolde', means the ‘forest of the people of Wimel’.
The church of St, Margaret of Antioch covers all three hamlets, in Womenswold proper rather than the woodland, cereal and pasture fields within its bounds. A small mediaeval building without any side aisles, it is part of the Barham Downs group of churches.
