English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Lea

Major Settlement in the Parish of Dethick, Lea and Holloway

Historical Forms

  • Lede 1086 DB
  • Lea 1154–9 Darley 1228 FF
  • Lea juxta Wirkesworth 1328 SR 1577 DbAi
  • La Le(e), le Le(e) 1237,1301 FF 1325 Ipm 1326 Cl 1330 Ass 1573 HMC
  • Le(e) iuxta Dethek 1301 FF 1350,1354,1357,1360,1362 Crich
  • Le(e) iuxta Wirkesworth 1330 Ass
  • Le(e) iuxta Cromford 1350 Crich
  • le Leghe 1374 Cl
  • le Leyh 1519 DbAxix

Etymology

'The clearing', v. lēah , distinguished in some forms as near Dethick, Cromford, supra 359, 358, and Wirksworth infra 413, to avoid confusion with Lea Hall infra 386.