Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wellingleia, Wellingley(e), Wellinglay, Wellyngley 1185 Dugdv 1231 Riev 1379 PT 1494 FF 1558 WillY 1588 FF

• Wellinlega 1199 Ch 1232

• Wellingelay 1246 Ass6d

• Welyngley 1374 YDxiii,67 1410 Arm

• Wyllynglay 1432 Testii

• Willingley 1596 FF

Etymology

The origin of this and other similar names like Wellingham Nf, Sx 357 is difficult, but the latter seems to be from an OE  Wellingas 'dwellers by a stream', a local folk-name from wella 'well, stream' with the suffix -ingas (EPN i, 300§ 4). Only one form in the spellings for Wellingley points to an OE  gen.pl. Wellinga (ME  Wellinge -), but the material is generally unrepresentative. We may take it to be 'clearing of the stream-dwellers', v. lēah . A stream rises some few hundred yards down Wellingley Lane. It may be noted that the OE  pers.n. Wella (as suggested by Goodall) is unknown, and that deriva- tion from OE  welig 'willow' is improbable, as the normal northern and midland form of that word is wilig .