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.

Checkley

Early-attested site in the Parish of Wybunbury

Historical Forms

  • Chackileg 1252 Ch
  • Chackylegh 1329 Plea
  • Chacklee 1378 AD
  • Chackley 1440 AddCh
  • Chackeleg' 1274 Ipm
  • Chacklegh 1363 AddCh
  • Chadkeleg' 1275 Cl
  • Chakkeleye 1299 Ipm
  • Chakele 1308 ib
  • Chacculey 1431 AddCh
  • Chatkileg, boscus de Chatkileg c.1300 AD
  • Chattkylegh 1308 ChRR
  • Chatkylegh 1323 Plea 1510 Plea
  • Chatkyley iuxta Briddesmere 1437 ChRR
  • Chatkeley 1417 AD 1418 ChRR
  • Chekkeleye, Checkeleye 1321,1322 Fine 1584 ChRR
  • Chekylegh 1581 ib
  • Chekleghe 1396 Cl 1429 Tab
  • Chekley 1437 AD 1482 Chol 1517 ChRR
  • Checkley 1519 AD
  • Checley 1600 AD
  • Cheickley 1560 Orm2
  • Chetley 1740 Cre

Etymology

'Ceaddica's wood', from an OE  pers.n. Ceaddica and lēah. No such pers.n. form is recorded, but it is a possible -ica derivative of the OE  pers.n. Ceadda . The first el. of this p.n. is usually taken to be the same as that in Checkley He, St, either ceacce 'a lump, a hill' or an OE  pers.n. Ceacca (cf. DEPN s.n.Checkendon, EPN s.v. ceacce ). This supposes the Chatk - spellings represent Chack -, but the Chadk -, Chattk - forms argue for the originality of -d -, -t - in the first syllable.OE  *Ceaddican -lēah would become Chadkeleg ', hence Chatk -, Chak -, with the unvoicing of -d - before -k -. For the -i -, -y - in -ilegh , -ylegh , cf. Botterley (in Faddiley) 142infra .

Places in the same Parish

Other OS name

Early-attested site