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.

Chilley

Early-attested site in the Parish of Pevensey

Historical Forms

  • Chillye 1674 Lewes
  • Chelie 1313 Cl

Etymology

Chilley is Chillye n.d. Lewes (p)et passim to 1674CplM with variant spellings Chyllye , Chilley (e ), Chilleg (h ), Chillie , Chelie 1313 Cl (p).'Cilia's island,' v. eg . This and other places with the same element in Pevensey and Westham were probably once true islands surrounded by marshy land overflowed at every high tide.