Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hep 12 Crk(Nbn3) 1185–99 Lowth l.12,e.13 ShpDd a.1201 Lowth(Sh1) 1293 Cl 1398 Pap

• Hepe 1228 Cl

• Hepp(e) 1246 MdMb 1249 ShpDd 1256 Ass10d 1257 Lowth(Sh4) 1263 Kendi,300 1263 Macheli,8 1265 Cl 1274 FF 1468 Pap

• Hepp(e) als Schapp 1422 ib

• Yhep 1241 MdMb

• Yhap 1292 Ass 40d, QW

• Shep 1256 Ass3

• Sheppe 1300 Cl

• Eschepp 1279 FF

• Eschappe 1349 Pap

• Sapp' 1292 Ass2

• Chap 1325–50 M

• S(c)hap 1279 Ass11 1363 Pat 1398 Pap 1538 Kendi,83 1823 M

• S(c)hape 1370 Hom 1464 CWxxi,187 1479 Crk7 1519 NCWills

• S(c)happ(e) 1279 Ass22 1301 1348 Ipm 1349 Pap 1353 Ipm 1360,1380 Pat 1773 PR(Brt)

• S(c)happ(e) als. Heppe c.1550 AOMB 1591 FF

• S(c)happ(e) Towne 1596 ShpPn

Etymology

v. hēap 'heap, pile', suggested to denote here 'a heap of stones' from the ruins of an important megalithic monument, a stone circle, which lies on the main road up Shap Fell a mile south of the town, and a line of stones, amongst which are Goggleby Stone and Thunder Stone (infra , cf. RCHM xxxi, 206), Stone Circle (ii, 177infra ). The change of OE  hēap (ME  hēp ) to ME  Yhep , Yhap and then to Shap arises from stress-shifting in the diphthong and the substitution of Sh - for Hy - as in other p.ns. like Shipton (YN 15, YE 228), Shaps (YE 95), v. Phonol. §25 and RES i, 437 ff. Cf. Shap Beck, Thornship (infra ).