Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Sneillewelle c.1050 KCD907 c.1350 LibEl 1170 Walden 1387

• Sneilleuuelle, Sneilleuuella 1086 InqEl

• Sneiluuelle c.1050 LibEl 12th

• Sneilwell(e) 1242 Fees 1279 RH 1354 FF

• Sneilewelle c.1060 ElyM 14th FA 1302

• Sneileuuelle, Sneileuuella 1086 1193 P

• Snail(l)(e)uuelle, Snayl(l)(e)uuelle Sneyl(l)(e)uuelle 1203 Cur 1552 Pat

• Snaylewall' 1254 Val

• Snalewell 1576 Saxton

• Snegeluuelle 1086 InqEl

• Sneyelwell 1304 FF

• Snelleuuelle 1086 DB, InqEl

• Snelewell 1195 FF 1272 Ass 1348 Pat

• Snelywell 1330 FF

• Sneleswell(e) 1176 Percy 1272 Ass

• Sneil(l)eswell(e), Sneil(l)eywell(e), Sneil(l)aywell(e), Sneil(l)aiwell(e) 1214 Cur 1436 Pat

• Sneinewell 1268 Ass

• Sneyneswell 1272 Pat

Etymology

This is probably from OE  snægel -wielle , 'snail-stream,' used of a sluggish stream, the “little river Snail” which “crawls away into the adjacent fen” (Conybeare 176). This would seem on the whole more likely than Ekwall's “stream frequented by snails” (DEPN). v. wielle , and for the last forms v. IPN 106.