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.

Wheatley

Major Settlement in the Parish of Doncaster

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).