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.

Fawley, South Fawley

Major Settlement in the Parish of Fawley

Historical Forms

  • Faleslei, Farellei 1086 DB
  • Faleslie, Faleslea 1167 P
  • Faleslega, Faleweslega 1177 ib
  • Faleslega 1177,1178,1190 ib
  • Falelea 1197 P 1241 Ass
  • Suthfalelea Hy2 Ch 1270
  • Northfalelye, Suthfallel' 1220 Fees
  • Suffalleleg' 1224–5 Ass
  • Suthfalel' 1241 1242–3 Fees
  • Westfalele 1265 Pat
  • Suthvaleleye, Northvalele, Northvalle, Suthfalles, Northfalleleye 1275–6 RH
  • North Fallele, North Faueleg', North Falelegh, North Faleslegh, Suth Falele, Suthfralelegh', Suth Fauele, Suth Fale(s)legh', Suth Falleleg' 1284 Ass
  • Ferleg' a.1170 S c.1280
  • Fernleia p.1170 c.1280 ib
  • Farleg' 1235 c.1280 ib
  • Falueleye 1230 Pat
  • Falewel' 1236 Cl
  • Phalewel' 1239 ib
  • Falleye 1301 Pat
  • Northfalle 1327 SR
  • Southfalle 1401–2 FA
  • Great Fawley, Little Fawley 1761 Rocque

Etymology

The second el. is lēah 'wood' or 'clearing'. This name has generally been regarded as identical with Fawsley Nth, for which there is an OE  spelling fealuwes lea , 944, and this is very probably correct, although Fawsley shows only a few forms without -s -, and they are very numerous for Fawley. It has been suggested (Nth 23, following BT) that the first el. is an OE  noun fealu , denoting fallow land. Ekwall (DEPN) also takes it to be a noun fealu , but thinks it is the name of a forest, meaning 'fallow-coloured wood', or, more likely, of an animal, meaning 'fallow deer', and this is followed by Elements 1, 165–6. Stenton (35–6) took the first el. of both names to be a pers.n. formed from the adjective fealu 'yellow'. Ekwall rejects this on the grounds that it would be strange to find an otherwise unrecorded pers.n. compounded twice with lēah .

North or Great Fawley and South or Little Fawley were distinct manors. South Fawley is a village three-quarters of a mile S. of Fawley.