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.

Chichester

County Town in the County of Sussex

Historical Forms

  • Cisseceastre 895 ASC 9th Laws c.1100
  • Cycester 988 KCD663 14th
  • Ciceastre 1086 ASC 12th
  • Cicaestre 1130 E (12th) id.
  • Cis(e), Cicc, Cice, Cices(t), Cicestr t.Harold1,Edw.Confessor,Harold2 Coins
  • Cicestre 1086 DB 1114 ASC 12th FA 1428
  • Chichestr' 1417 ADvi 1495 RollsParlt
  • Sesettyr 1475–85 ECP
  • Cheechester 1650 SAC24,246

Etymology

'Cissa's ceaster.' For the history of this name v. Introd. xiii f.The pers. name is found also in cissan anstigo (BCS 1080), cissan beorg (BCS 625), both Hampshire charters, and in cissanhamm KCD 658, a Wiltshire charter, and in Chessington (PN Sr 41).

Parishes in this County Town

None