Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wanteslegh(e) 1244 Ass Hy3 Hutch3 1251–2 Fees 1374 DCMDeed

• Wantesl(eg)' 1244 Ass

• Wantesley(e) 1326 Ch 1504 Ipm

• Wantesly 1451 Pole

• Wantesle 1502 Pat

• Wantesleigh 1559 Hutch3

• Waunteslegh Hy3 Hutch3

• Wantysle 1441,1443 Strode

• Nyther Wantislegh, Over Wantyslegh 1499 Ipm

• Wansley 1621 Strode 17 Hutch1 1774

• Wanslow (sic) 1650 Hutch3

• Wantsley 1811 OS

Etymology

Probably 'Want's wood or woodland clearing', from the OE  pers.n. Want (recorded once in LVD, v. Searle 478) and lēah , cf. Wansley Bottom PN D 119 (Wanteslegh 1238) which is apparently identical in origin. The connection between the pers.n. form Want and OE  wand 'mole' (ME  want , wont , ModE  dial. want ) is uncertain (but cf. Tengvik 367 s.n. Wand and Feilitzen 129 who both derive the DB byname forms Wants , Wanz from OE  wand , and Reaney-Wilson 475 s.n. Want who cite Wante 1207 from this word): it is perhaps possible that the first el. of Wantsley is the animal name in spite of the absence of Wandes - spellings.