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.

Litchborough

Major Settlement in the Parish of Litchborough

Historical Forms

  • Liceberge 1086 DB
  • Lickesberga 1176 P
  • Lichesberga 1184 P 1366 ADiii
  • Lichebarue 12th Survey 1366 Cl
  • Lecchesbarewe 1287 Ipm
  • Lechebarwe 1290 Cl
  • Lecchebarewe 1356 Ass
  • Lecheborowe 1522 LP

Etymology

Ekwall (Studies 59) suggests with some hesitation that this may be a compound of OE  *licc , 'stream,' and beorg , 'hill,' but it seems somewhat unlikely that this well-marked hill should take its name from a tiny stream at its foot. Probably it is līc - beorg or līca -beorg , 'body-hill' or 'hill of the bodies,' from some long-forgotten burials here. The forms with -es - are probably due to an attempt to make the name conform to a more common type.

Places in the same Parish

Other OS name