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.

Northill

Major Settlement in the Parish of Northill

Historical Forms

  • Nortgiuele, Nortgible 1086 DB
  • Northgille 1185 P
  • Norttgifelle 13th Dunst
  • Northgiuel(e), Northgyuel(e) 1219 FF 1227,1240 Ass 1261 FF 1294 Ipm
  • Nortgylle 1242 Fees885
  • Nortgiuel 1247 Ass
  • Northgevle 1271 Ch
  • Northyeuil, Northiuel 1287 Ass
  • Northyevel(e) 1290 Ipm 1301,1313 Cl 1314 Fine 1316 FA 1317 Ipm 1319 Cl 1346 FA 1379 1387 Cl
  • Nortgewele, Norgivill 13th ADvi
  • Northyvele 1303,1364 ADvi
  • Northevele 1346 FA
  • Noryevele 1346 ADvi
  • Norrell al. Northyevell
  • Norrell 1443 ADvi Eliz ChancP
  • Northyevyll 1470 ADvi
  • Northyell 1494 BHRSii.123
  • Northewell 1526 LS
  • Norryell, Northyell 1535 VE
  • Northiell 1536 BM
  • Norrihill 1537 ADv
  • Northwell al. Norrell al. Northeywell 1549 Pat
  • Norhill 1675 Ogilby

Etymology

Northill and Southill infra 96 alike contain as their second element the name of the river Ivel, as shown by the forms of that river-name given above, though each village is a good two miles to the west of the river. That river-name is however certainly the source of the territorial name Gifla noted above (v. Introduction xviii), and Northill and Southill may be descriptive of settlements in the north and south of that territory rather than loose appellations for villages which are well away from the river itself. For the modern pronunciation we may compare Norham (Nb).