Dated Placenames from Lincolnshire: S-Z

by Gunnvör silfrahárr (Christie L. Ward) and Talan Gwynek (Brian M. Scott)

© 2004 Christie L. Ward; all rights reserved

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S

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Some Early Spellings Date Etymology Modern Name
S" Maria de Stou1086From OE stôw "a place, a place of assembly, a holy place". The name is short for "St. Mary's Stow": there was a religious house there in the 10th century.Stow
Sapretone1086"The soap-makers' settlement", from sâpera, gen. pl. of OE sâpere "a soap-maker", and tûn "settlement, farm, village".Sapperton
Saxebi
Saxlabi
1086
1115
The second element is from ON "a farmstead, a village", but the first is very uncertain. The extant forms do not support the traditional derivation from the ON masculine name Saxúlfr, though it cannot be completely ruled out. It has been suggested that it might be an unrecorded river-name *Saxel derived from ON seax "a knife", referring to an artificial watercourse cut by the Romans.Saxilby
Scallebi1086"The village or farm on the bare slope" or "Skalli's farm or village", from ON "a farmstead, a village" and either skalla, gen. sing. of ON skalli "a bare hill" (literally "a bald head"), or Skalla, gen. sing. of the ON masculine name Skalli.Scawby (Scawby with Sturton)
Scaltorp1086The earliest form appears to be "Skalli's outlying settlement" "outlying settlement on the bare slope", from ON þorp "an outlying settlement" and either Skalla, gen. sing. of the ON masculine name Skalli, or skalla, gen. sing. of ON skalli "a bare hill" (literally "a bald head"). Later forms show the influence of the ON masculine names Skáld and Skalk, and the modern form is taken from nearby Scotton.Scotterthorpe
Scapeuic1086"The sheep farm", from OE scêap "sheep" and wîc "a dwelling-place, a habitation", but in place-names "buildings used for a special purpose, esp. dairy-farming". Sc- instead of Sh- and -wick instead of -wich are the result of ON influence.Scopwick
Scarhou1086Probably "gap hill, gap mound", from ON skarð "a notch, a gap" and haugr "a hill, a mound".Scartho
Scarle
Scaruell'
Parva Scarle
Northscarle
1185
1202
1230
1240
North Scarle was probably a secondary settlement dependent on South Scarle; its name may have the same origin, but Scaruell' and a few other forms suggest that it may originally have been "dirty spring", from scearn and OE wella "a spring". Parva Scarle is "little Scarle".North Scarle
Sceggenesse12th c.Probably "Skeggi's headland", from Skegga, gen. sing. of the ON masculine name Skeggi, and nes "a ness, a headland"; possibly "beard headland", i.e., "headland that juts out like a beard", from ON skegg "a beard" and nes, but the forms favor the first etymology.Skegness
Scornelei
Suthscarl
1086
1240
"Dung wood or clearing", from OE scearn "dung, muck" and lêah "a wood, a clearing, a pasture", with Scandinavian Sk- instead of English Sh-.South Scarle
Scotere1086Perhaps "the tree of the Scots", from Scotta, gen. pl. of OE Scot "a Scot", and trêow "a tree".Scotter
Scotone1086"Settlement of the Scots", from Scotta, gen. pl. of OE Scot "a Scot", and tûn "settlement, farm, village".Scotton
Sechebroc1086"Brook where sedge grows", from OE secg "sedge" and brôc "a brook".Sedgebrook
Sibolci1086"Sigebald's island", from Sigebaldes, gen. sing. of the OE masculine name Sigebald, and êg "an island".Sibsey
Sidestan1086"The broad stone", from sîda, an inflected form of OE sîd "broad", and stân "a stone".Syston
Skinnand1086Uncertain. It may be from ON skínandi "shining", present participle of skína "to shine", applied to the river Brent; alternatively, it may be from ON skinnari "a tanner".Skinnand
Slioforda
Sliowaforde
Eslaforde
852 [12th c.]
852 [12th c.]
1086
"Ford across the river Slea", from OE ford "a ford" and an OE river-name Slîo "muddy, slimy water". The modern river-name, however, is a back-formation from the place-name Sleaford: ca.1540 the river was still called Sleford water. (The E- in the 1086 Domesday Book form is Anglo-Norman; the Anglo-Saxon charter Sawyer 1440 has (of) Sliowaforde and (æt) Slioforda 852 [12th c.].)Sleaford, Old Sleaford
Sneleslunt1086"Sniallr's grove" or "Snell's grove"; the second element is from ON lundr "a copse, a grove", and the first is either from Snialls, gen. sing. of the ON masculine name Sniallr, or from Snelles, gen. sing. of the OE masculine name Snell.Snelland
Spallinge
Spaldingis
1086
1115
"The Spaldingas, the people of the district called Spald", from the OE folk-name Spaldingas, from a district name *Spald and the suffix -ingas. The district name is related either to OE spâld "spittle" or to an OE *spald cognate with OHG spalt "a ditch, a trench", either perhaps referring to a Roman drainage canal.Spalding
Stamford1086"Stony or stone-paved ford", from OE stân-ford, a compound of stân "a stone" and ford "a ford".Stamford
Stigeswalde1086"Stig's wold or woodland", from Stigs, gen. sing. of the Old Danish masculine name Stig, and OE wald "wold, woodland, forest".Stixwould (Stixwold)
Stimblebi
Timblebi
1086
1115
The second element is from ON "a farmstead, a village"; the first is uncertain. It may be from *Þymla, gen. sing. of the unattested ON masculine names *Þymill and *Þymli, from OE þýmel "thimble, thumb-stall" (perhaps referring to the shape of the ridge on which the village stands), or from an OE byname *Þýmel.Thimbleby
Stochithe12th c.Stockwith is "landing-place with a post", from OE stocc "a stump, a stock, a post" and hýð "a landing-place, a hithe"; the second element was later confused with ON viðr "a wood".East Stockwith
Stragerthorp1242Perhaps "Straker's outlying farm"; the second element is from OE þorp "an outlying farm", but the first element is uncertain. Straker would most likely be a byname, either "one who strokes", from Middle English strake "to stroke", or "a hunting dog, a hound", from Middle English stracur.Stragglethorpe
Stroðistun
Stroustune
Strouueston
ca. 1067
1086
1254
Perhaps from strôðes, gen. sing. of OE strôð, strôd "marshy land overgrown with brushwood", and tûn "settlement, farm, village" strôðes-tûn.Stroxton
Stvbetvne1086"Tree-stump farm or village", from stubba, gen. pl. of OE stubb "a tree-stump, a stub", and tûn "settlement, farm, village".Stubton
Suindrebi1086Perhaps "swine Derby", from ON svín "a swine" and an earlier place-name, "the deer farm", from djúra, gen. pl. of ON *djúr "a deer", and "a farmstead, a village"; the affix would have served to distinguish it from Darby not far away in Lincs. (Derbi 1086) and Derby in Derbyshire.Swinderby
Svavetone1086Perhaps "Swâfa's village or estate", from Swâfan, gen. sing. of an OE masculine name *Swâfa, and tûn "settlement, farm, village". Alternatively, the first element might be from Sváfa, gen. sing. of the ON masculine name Sváfi.Swaton
Sverefelt
Surfleit
1086
1167
"The sour creek", from OE sûr "sour" and flêot "an estuary, an inlet, a creek".Surfleet
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Some Early Spellings Date Etymology Modern Name
Talintune1086Perhaps "the estate called after T(e)alla", from an OE masculine name *T(e)alla, the suffix -ing, and tûn "settlement, farm, village".Tallington
Torchesey1086"Turoc's island", from *Turoces, gen. sing. of an OE masculine name *Turoc, and êg "an island".Torksey
Toresbi
North Thoresby
South Thoresby
1086
1292
1426
"Þórir's village or farm", from Þóris, gen. sing. of the ON masculine name Þórir, and "a farmstead, a village".North Thoresby, South Thoresby
Totele1086The Domesday Book form appears to be "Tôta's wood or clearing", from Tôtan, gen. sing. of the OE masculine name Tôta, and lêah "a wood, a clearing, a pasture". The modern name, however, suggests "look-out hill", from OE tôt-hyll, a compound of tôt "a look-out" and hyll "a hill".Tothill
Turoluesbi1086"Þórúlfr's village or farm, from Þórúlfs, gen. sing. of the ON masculine name Þórúlfr, and "a farmstead, a village".Thurlby by Lincoln, Thurlby by Bourne
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Some Early Spellings Date Etymology Modern Name
Ulestanestorp1086"Wulfstân's outlying settlement", from Wulfstânes, gen. sing. of the OE masculine name Wulfstân, and þorp "an outlying farm or hamlet".Woolsthorpe (Woolsthorpe by Belvoir)
Ulvesby1086"Ulfr's village or farm", from Ulfs, gen. sing. of the ON masculine name Ulfr, and "a farmstead, a village".Ulceby by Barton
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Some Early Spellings Date Etymology Modern Name
Wellebi1086"The spring village or farm", from OE wella "a spring" and ON "a farmstead, a village".Welby
Wellebruna1086"The spring stream", from OE wella "a spring" and burna "a stream".Welbourn
Wellingoure1086Either "the flat-topped hill at or called Welling", or "the flat-topped hill of the Wellingas". The -ore is from ON ofer "a flat-topped ridge". Welling is either from *welling "the spring (place)", from wella "a spring" and a suffix -ing used to form place-names, or from *Wellinga, gen. pl. of *Wellingas "the spring people", from wella and the suffix -ingas used to form folk-names.Wellingore
Wenflet
Weynfled Beate Marie
1086
1254
Wainfleet is "the wagon creek", i.e., one that can be crossed by wagons, from OE wægn "a wagon, a wain" and flêot "an estuary, an inlet, a creek". The affix appears quite early: Weynflet Omnium Sanctorum 1229. It is also called High Wainfleet to distinguish it from Low Wainfleet, otherwise known Wainfleet St. Mary (Weynfled Beate Marie 1254).Wainfleet St. Mary, Wainfleet All Saints
West Depinge1086"The deep place, the deep fen", from OE *dêoping, a derivative of dêop "deep". Nearby is Deeping St. James (Estdepinge 1086, Deping Sancti Jacobi ca.1221).West Deeping
Westburg1086"The western fortified place or manor", from OE west "west" and burh "fortified place, fortified manor".Westborough
Westune1086"Western settlement, farm, village, or estate", from OE west "west" and tûn "settlement, farm, village, estate".Weston (Weston St. Mary)
Widerne
Widerne
1086
14th c.
Probably "the wood house", from OE widu "wood", later replaced by ON viðr "wood", and OE ærn "a house, a building"; a less likely alternative is *wîðern "a clump of willows", a derivative of OE wîðig "a withy, a willow".Withern
Widme
Wime
Wimme
Suthwyme
1086
1086
1086
1231
A river-name of unknown etymology; there is no obvious source in either Germanic or Celtic, so it may be a pre-Celtic name. North Witham (Nortuuine 1086) and South Witham take their names from the river.South Witham
Wiflingham
North Willyngham
1086
1502
Willingham is "homestead of the Wifelingas", from OE hâm "homestead, village, settlement" and *Wifelinga, gen. pl. of *Wifelingas "the people called after Wifel", which is from an OE masculine name *Wifel and the suffix -ingas.North Willingham
Wilchetone1086"The willow-tree settlement", from wil(i)ga, gen. pl. of OE wilig "a willow-tree" and tûn "settlement, farm, village".Willoughton
Wilgebi1086"Willow-tree farm or village", from wil(i)ga, gen. pl. of OE wilig "a willow-tree", and ON "a farmstead, a village".Willoughby
Wilingehâm
Wivelingeham et Stowe
1086
1210x12
Willingham is "homestead of the Wifelingas", from OE hâm "homestead, village, settlement" and *Wifelinga, gen. pl. of *Wifelingas "the people called after Wifel", which is from an OE masculine name *Wifel and the suffix -ingas. The place is near Stow.Willingham :by :Stow
Wilingheham
Cherwellyngham
Chyry Wylynham
1086
1373
1386
Willingham is "homestead of the Willingas", from OE hâm "homestead, village, settlement" and *Willinga, gen. pl. of *Willingas "the people called after Willa", which is from the OE masculine name Willa and the suffix -ingas. The affix is from ME chiri "a cherry-tree".Cherry Willingham
Winetorp1154x89"Wina's outlying settlement", from Winan, gen. sing. of the OE masculine name Wina, and þorp "outlying farm or settlement".Winthorpe
Wintringeham1086The second element is from OE hâm "homestead, village, settlement". The first is either from *Winteringa, gen. pl. of a folk-name *Winteringas "the people called after Wintra or Winter", from an OE masculine name Wintra or Winter and the suffix -ing; or from *Winteringe, dat. sing. of a place-name *Wintering "the place called after Wintra or Winter". Thus, the name is either "homestead of the Winteringas" or "homestead at or at Wint(e)ring".Winteringham
Wintrintune1086The second element is from OE tûn "settlement, farm, village". The first is either from *Winteringa, gen. pl. of a folk-name *Winteringas "the people called after Wintra or Winter", from an OE masculine name Wintra or Winter and the suffix -ing; or from *Winteringe, dat. sing. of a place-name *Wintering "the place called after Wintra or Winter". Thus, the name is either "farm or village of the Winteringas" or "farm or village at or at Wint(e)ring".Winterton
Wispinctune1086Probably "brushwood settlement", from an OE *wisping "a place growing with brushwood, a thicket", derived from *wisp, *wips "a wisp, a twig" and the suffix -ing, and tûn "settlement, farm, village".Wispington
Witenai1086"Hwîta's island", from Hwîtan, gen. sing. of the OE masculine name Hwîta, and êg "an island". An alternative possibility is "(at the) white island", OE (æt þære) hwîtan êge, but the earliest forms appear to fit êg better than êge.Whitton
Wivelesforde1086"Wifel's ford", from Wifeles, gen. sing. of the OE masculine name Wifel, and ford "a ford".Wilsford
Wroth1157"The snout", from OE wrôt "a snout", used in the topographical sense "a snout-like spur of land".Wroot

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