Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wassadala 12 Crk(Nbn3)

• Wasedale 1479 Crk7

• Wacedal(e) 1235 FF 1292 Ass39

• Watedal 1292 QW

• Wascedal(e) 1235 FF 1282 Kendi,231 1292 Ass9d

• Wastedal(e) 1282 HMCx,324

• Wastda(y)ll 1535 Crk(Nbn1) 1576 PR

• Wasdale, Wasdall 1544 NB 1549 MinAcct 1589 PR

• Washdale 1547 Views

• Washdaile 1621 Rent10

Etymology

The spellings with Wace -, Wasce - clearly indicate that the first el. is Wats -, and Ekwall has equated the name with Norw  Vasdal (NG xi, 315), cf. also Icel  Vatnsdalr , Vatnadalur (Franzen, LaxdON 101), Faroese Vatnsdalur (C. Matras, FærN 307), etc., and Wasdale (Cu 390), 'valley of the water', v. vatn (gen.sg. vatns , vats ) and dalr .In Norway vatn usually denotes an inland lake (NGIndl 84), but it was used also of 'large streams', which may be the case here, though reference is made to Wascedalterne 12Crk (Nbn 3) (v. tjǫrn 'lake, pond'); no trace of any pond is now to be found in the valley. On the other hand, as Ekwall has pointed out (RN 436), the spelling aqua de Wasagh 1292Ass 2 may refer to Wasdale Beck (ON  Vatns -, Vats -á ) and be the immediate source of the first el. in Wasdale.