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.

Pickering

Major Settlement in the Parish of Pickering

Historical Forms

  • Pichering(a) 1086 DB 1165 P 1173–88 Riev
  • Pic(h)rinch 1109–14 YCh
  • Pikeringes 1109–14 RegAlbii.12 1120–5 1138 1234 Cl
  • Pykerynges 13 Leon10d
  • Picaringes 1119–35 RegAlbii.5d
  • Pikeringa, Pickeringam, Pickeringe 1157 YCh 1157–89 1160 Riev
  • Pekeryng 1579 FF

Etymology

'The settlement of Picer and his dependants' from OE  Pīceringas . The base of the place-name is an OE  pers. name Pīcer , not adduced in independent use in OE. It is found also as the first element of Pixham (PN Wo 225). v. ing . In the name Pickering there is some evidence for the survival in ME of the OE  plur. -ingas .