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Peak District Place Names
Origins:
Place names in the Peak can be linked to the languages of peoples who have lived in it in past times. Nothing is certain in this area of research, but place names are static where there is continuity of occupation. Most place names in the Peak can be traced back to Anglo Saxon; few places retained the names they had before the plague and turmoil of the 6th century. The Anglo Saxons (the "English") populated the area with names we generally still use (see anglo saxon below). The list below gives examples of the major place name origins.Language
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Typical element
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Example:
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Norman French
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Beauchief
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Norse
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...beck ...thorpe ...gate....grain
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Holbeck
Millthorpe
Dane
Deep Grain
Saltergate
Grimbocar
Odin (mine)
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Anglo Saxon
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...feld ...leah ...ing ...inga ..hlaw ...low
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Padley, Barnsley
Whittington, Minninglow
Wensley
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Latin
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...castra ...ceaster
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Chester (field)
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Celtic
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eccles..
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Eccles Pike
Ecclesfield
Eccleshall
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Pre Celtic ???
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Kinder
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Anglo Saxon Place Names
| Element |
Meaning & Example
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..ing
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The village of the followers of a leader: Tissington = Tid's peoples village
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..tun / ...ton
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A village or farm: Middleton = middle farm
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...stoke
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An outlying farm: Stoke Flat (above Padley)
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...well
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A stream or spring if used in an ending : Bakewell
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...ford
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A river crossing: Bamford = a ford with a footbridge
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...ley
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A clearing : Rowsley
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nb - for a detailed analysis see: "Peak Place-Names" L.McMeeken, Halsgrove 2003
Pronunciation:
Derbyshire dialect means that many names, shown below in quotes, sound quite unlike their spellings:
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