Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Sotesac, Sosacra, Sosacre 1086 DB

• Sothsaker 1269 FF

• Socchatre (sic for Socchacre) 1279–81 QW

• Southacr(e)' 1283 YI 1518 MinAcct

• Southacres 1817 M

• Susacr' 1388 MinAcct

• Susacres 1547 NCWills

• Sussacres 1522 Star 1529 Testv 1595 FF

• Susciakers 1596 FF

Etymology

The variety of spellings is probably to be explained by an original medial -ds -, -ðs - or -ts - which could be rendered in various ways in ME (cf. EPN ii, 92 s.v. -s2 ); the first el. might therefore be the ON  byname Sauðr or Soddr , or possibly Sótr , a strong form of the byname Sóti (which is found in ME  as Sote , cf. Feilitzen 368); the latter would best account for the vowel variation. In any case the common word south has influenced some of the spellings (cf. Phonol. § 30). Sót's acre of land', v. æcer .