Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Watelag(e) 1086 DB

• Wateleia 1199 Ch 1232

• Wetelag 1219 FF

• Wetele 14 Linds

• Weytelay, Waitelay, Waytelay, -l' 1246 Ass32 1295 YDviii 14 YDxvi,101

• -lagh 1339 Ass4 1370 DoncD

• Waitele 1279 YI

• Wheteley, Whetelay 1254 Pat 1323 MinAcct 1346 YDix 1401 Pat 1546 YChant

• Whetelagh 1280 Ch 1315 Pat

• Whaytelagh, Whaitelagh 1328 Banco 1352 FF

• Whaitlagh, Whaytlagh 1353,1364 FF 1367 DoncD

• Whaitlay 1363 FF 1401 Pat

• Whetlawe 1347 Ch

• Whetley, Whetlay 1379 PT 1460 Pat 1526 YDi

Etymology

'Forest clearing used for growing wheat', v. hwǣte , lēah , a common type of p.n. Some of the earlier spellings with Weyte - Whayte -, etc. have been influenced by the cognate ON  hveiti. On the forms with -lagh and -lawe cf. Healaugh pt. iv and v. EPN ii, 19 (s.v. lēah § 3).