Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Pechefers 1086 DB

• Divillsarse 1630 DbAix

• loci vocat incola Peak's Ars 1636 Hobbes

• Peak's Arse, commonly called the Devil's Arse 1681 Cotton

• Peaks Arse 1714 DuLa

Etymology

Peak Cavern, Pechefers (for Pechesers ) 1086 DB, Divillsarse 1630 DbA ix, loci vocat incola Peak 's Ars 1636 Hobbes, Peak 's Arse , commonly called the Devil 's Arse 1681 Cotton, Peaks Arse 1714DuLa , cf. the early forms of Peakshole Water supra 14. The reading Pechesers was first suggested in PN BedHu xli, 176 and is undoubtedly correct. The meaning, self-evident from the earlier forms, is 'Peak's arse', from Peak supra 1 and ears . On the use of the genitive v. -es . Cf. Peveril Castle infra .