Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (on) bacgan leah c.1200 BCS906 956 c.1200 ib

• (silua de) Bagelega Hy1,Hy2(c.1200) ClaudiusCix

• (silua) Bachelea a.1170 c.1200 ib

• Baggeleia Ric1 c.1200 ib

• Baggele 1224–5 Ass

• Baggel' 1241 ib

• Bagele 1275–6 RH

• Baggeleye Wood 1328 Pat

• Bagley 1401 Ch

• Bagley Wood 1538 RentSur

Etymology

Bagley Wd, (on ) bacgan leah n.d. (c. 1200) BCS 906, 956 (c. 1200) ib 924, (silua de ) Bagelega Hy 1, Hy 2 (c. 1200)ClaudiusCix , (silua ) Bachelea a. 1170 (c. 1200) ib , Baggeleia Ric 1 (c. 1200) ib , Baggele 1224–5Ass , Baggel '1241ib , Bagele 1275–6 RH, Baggeleye Wood 1328 Pat, Bagley 1401 Ch, Bagley Wood 1538RentSur . Cf. (on ) bacgan broc 956 (c. 1200) BCS 924 and (on ) baggan wurðe 956 (c. 1200) ib 971, both near Bagley Wd, v. Pt 3. Probably 'Bacga's wood, hamlet and brook', v. lē(a)h, brōc , worð . v. DEPN for other examples of the name Bagley, and for other names with the same first el. Ekwall suggests, with considerable plausibility, that there may have been an animal-name *bacga , v. bagga , but in the Berks p.n. the first el. is more likely to be the pers.n., as there is also a worð .