Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Scopingland(e) 946 Bodl(James23) 17th CCC383 c.1000 c.1125

• Scopelandā 1086 DB

• Scop(i)land(e) 1199,1208 FF 1346 FA

• Sopiland(e) 1195 P 1199 CurR 1227 Ch 1230 1233 Lib 1236 Fees

• Sopilaund(e) 1266 Pat 1285 FF

• Sopilonde 1288 FF

• Sop(e)land(e) 1205 ClR 1232 Cl 1238 SR

• Siopiland' 1201 Orig

• Schopelaund(e) 1219 Fees

• Schopilaund(e) 1286,1288 FF

• Schopelonde (Shopilaunde) 1303 FA

• Schopland 1428 ib

• Sopsland 1231–3 MinAcct

• Scupilande 1235 Fees

• Shupland 1304 Ipm

• Shopelaund 1260 Pat

• Shopelound 1270 FF

• Shopelond(e) 1330 Londin 1362 Fine 1428 FA

• Shopelland 1301 Ch

• Shopland 1306 Ipm

• Shepeland 1254 Ass

• Shepelaunde 1319 FF

• Shepelond 1361 Fine

• Sheplaund 1254 Abbr

• Shepland 1254 Ass t.Hy3 Ipm

• Sheplond 1342 Fine

• Shepilaunde 1294 Pat

• Shophamstede 1404 Ct

• Shophamlane 1378 ib. (Great Waltham)

Etymology

It is clear that this name must be taken in close association with ME s (c )hoppe , quoted under Shoebury Shop supra 199, and probably with Shophamstede 1404Ct (High Easter), Shophamlane 1378 ib. (Great Waltham) and Shoplowe (Bexfields) 1495 ib.This word must be the common English word shop , used in some hitherto unrecorded sense. In Old and Middle English the word has hitherto only been noted in the specialised senses of (a ) treasury (of the temple), (b ) place for sale of goods, and (c ) (somewhat later) place for carrying on work. The probability would seem to be that in place-names it is used in the much wider sense of 'lean-to building, shed, barn,' cf. MLG  schoppe , schuppe and ModGer dial. schopf . In OE  scopingland we seem to have a compound of this word and land , linked together by the loosely connective ing , and the name is probably to be interpreted as 'land marked by the presence of such shops or sheds.' Four other examples of shop have been noted in modern field-names, a Long Shops , a Shop Field , the Old Shop and Shop House . The cognate OGer  scopf is freely used in place- names, cf. Förstemann ON ii, 786.