ɐn ˈɛseɪ pɹɪzˈɛntᵻd tə ðɪ ˈɑːksfɚd jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi dʒˌiːnɪˈælˈɑːdʒɪkəl ænd həɹˈældɪk səsˈaɪəɾi ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi fˈaɪv sədʒˈɛstᵻd ðætðə nˈeɪm wʌz "dᵻɹˈaɪvd fɹʌmðɪ ˈæŋɡloʊsˈæksən, bˈɑːkɔːɹd, ɐ lˈaɪbɹɛɹi ɔːɹ ˈɑːɹkaɪv".
An essay presented to the Oxford University Genealogical and Heraldic Society in 1835 suggested that the name was "derived from the Anglo-Saxon, bochord, a library or archive".