Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hwitan wylles geat 942 ASC c.955

• (æt) Hwitewylle c.1002 ASWills c.1100

• Witewelle 1086 DB

• Witewell(e), Wytewell(e) e.13th HarlCh 1230 Cl 1240 FF 1316 Ch

• Whitewell(e), Whytewell(e) 1258 Ass 1259 RadCh 1281 Ass 1281 FF 1535 DbCh

• Whitwell(e), Whytwell(e) 1330 Ass 1346 DbAxxxi 1346 Hallviii 1392 Pat

• Wittewell 1386 Pat

Etymology

'Clear spring or stream', v. hwīt , wælla , perhaps being named from the tributary of Millwood Brook which rises a little lower down the valley in which the village is situated. The form Hwitan wylles geat is discussed by Tengstrand 200–1, who is without doubt correct in taking geat to mean 'passage between hills, gap' and in translating the name 'the gap near Whitwell' The gap is clearly the valley in which the village is situated.