Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Gilbent 1661 Sheaf

• Gill Lane 1831 Bry

• Gill Bent Bridge 1842 OS

• Gill Croft, Gill Field, Gill Meadow & Gill Body Patch 1844 TA96,97

• le Chill' 1286 Court

• Chilley 1347 Eyre

Etymology

( 101–865847 ) , 1812EnclA , Gilbent 1661 Sheaf, v. beonet 'bent-grass'. This p.n. means'grassland at Gill '. With it go Gill Lane 1831 Bry ( 101–863857 to865847 ) , Gill Bent Bridge 1842 OS carrying Gill Lane over a railway,and the f.ns. Gill Croft , Gill Field , Gill Meadow & Gill Body Patch 1844TA 96, 97 . Body is obscure , as is Gill . Topography rules out gil ' a ravine ' . There is no evidence to support ModEdial.  gill ' a female ferret ' , or ' the ground ivy nepeta glechoma ' , ( EDD ) . If the historical pronunciation were [ dʒil ] , however , this p.n. might be associated with le Chill '1286 Court 228(p), Chilley 1347Eyre . Both these forms occur under Macclesfield Hundred , and probably refer to one place . Chilley may represent OE  cilda -lēa , ' woodland glade belonging to young men ' , from cild and lēah , for Gillbent was an ancient common down to 1812 .