Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ghigeleswic 1086 DB

• Gicheleswik 1150–70 Furn

• Gic(e)leswic(h), Gik(e)leswic(h), Gik(e)leswik(e), Gik(e)leswyk(e) 12 1150–70 Furn Ric1 Puds 1203 YChvii 1214 Abbr 1219 Percy 1221 Cur 1428 FA

• Gykeswik 1204 Ch 1253

• Gekeleswik 1221 Furn

• Gegliswik(e), Gegleswik(e) 1221,1294 Furn 1462 Pat

• Gig(g)(e)leswik(e), Gig(g)(e)leswick(e), Gig(g)(e)leswyck(e) 1221 Furn 1230 Ebor 1246 Ass39 1284 Ebor 1303 KF 1311 Ch 1659 PRMl

• Gycgeleswyk 1268 FF

• Gigilswyke 1423 Pat

Etymology

'Gikel's dairy-farm', v. wīc . The first el. is a pers.n. Gikel which is found in Yorkshire as Gichel 1156, 1162 YCh 80–1, Gikell 1163 ib 82 (of Balderby YN), Gikel 1191 P (of Ellingstring YN), and Gikel 1230Sawl 89d (of Stainforth in Craven). The origin of this pers.n. is uncertain but for Kickles Bk 21 an OE  pers.n. Gicel has been suggested from OE  gicel 'icicle' in the same way as the well-evidenced ON  pers.n. Iǫkull is formed from the corresponding ON  word jǫkull 'icicle'. If the pers.n. is OE, initial G - in the p.n. must be due to the common replacement of OE g -, ME y - by ON g -. Ekwall on the other hand suggests an ON origin, from an unrecorded ON  Guðkell with Guð - mutated to Gyð - as in some OEScand names like ODan  Ēskil for ON  Ásketill , OSwed , ODan  Thyrkil for ON  Þorketill (v. DEPN s.n. Ilketshall). The voicing of medial -k - to -g - is a common phenomenon in p.ns. (cf. Phonol. § 37).