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.

High Scawdel

Early-attested site in the Parish of Borrowdale

Historical Forms

  • Hovedscaldale c.1210–12 Scotland

Etymology

The early form of this name is an inversion compound, the first element of which is ON  hǫfuð, 'head.' The second is probably a compound of ON  skalli , 'bald head', used as a nickname infra 390, and dalr , 'valley.'