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.

Pockley

Major Settlement in the Parish of Helmsley

Historical Forms

  • Pochelaf, Pochelac 1086 DB
  • Pokelai, Pokelay 1184–98 Riev 1279–81 QW
  • Pokele 1232 Riev 13 Kirkham
  • Pokeley(e) 1282 Baildon 1301 LS
  • Pockeley(a) 1252 Ch 1259 Ass
  • Poklee, Pockele 1285 KI

Etymology

'Poca's forest-clearing' v. leah . The name Poc (c )a is not adduced in OE, but it may be assumed from Pockthorpe (YER), Pochetorp DB, (Nf, 4 examples) and Pocklington (YER), Poclinton DB, which contains *Pocela , a derivative in -ela of Poca .It is probably connected with OE  pocc 'small-pox.' For the DB form v. Helmsley 71supra .