English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Leckhampstead

Major Settlement in the Parish of Leckhampstead

Historical Forms

  • Lechamstede 1086 DB 1152–8,1160–8 NLC 1186 P 1206 Fines 1227 WellsR 1235 Fees462 1262 Ass
  • Lecamstede 1227 Ass 1333 Pat 1338 Ipm
  • Magna, Parva Lechamstede 1242 Fees895
  • Lekhamstede 1304 Cl 1495 Ipm
  • Lekehamsted(e) 1307,1308 Ch 1517 Encl 1766 J
  • Leykhamstede 1323 Pat 1340 NI
  • Leycamstede 1512 LP
  • Lykehamstede 1517 Encl
  • Lekehampsted 1525 ADvi

Etymology

OE  lēac -hām -stede , 'leek-homestead,' v. hamstede . This form is actually found for Leckhampstead (Berks). A similar compound with ham is found in Leckhampton (Gl). leac possibly has the wider sense which it has in the OE  compound leac-tun , 'kitchen-garden.' The name of the river Leck on which it stands must be a back-formation. Great Leckhampstead was the name of a manor in the north part of the parish in distinction from Little L.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site