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.

Wasdale

Early-attested site in the Parish of Eskdale and Wasdale

Historical Forms

  • Wastedal(e) 1279 Ass 1322 Cl 1323 MinAcct
  • Wast Dale 1653 CantWvii
  • Wassedale 1279 Ass 1310,1397 Pat 1336 Ass
  • Wacedale 1285 For 1369 Ipm
  • Wascedale 1321,1334,1363 Ipm
  • Wasedale 1405 Pat
  • Wasdell 1608 DKRxxxviii
  • Wastall 1671 Fleming
  • Daker End 1783 Donald
  • Wascedaleheved 1334 Ipm
  • Wassedaleheved 1410 Pat
  • Wasdale Hede 1448 ADiii
  • Wasshedaylehed 1519 FF
  • Wastedale heade 1540 LRMB
  • Wastellhead 1628 PR(Crosth)

Etymology

Ekwall (DEPN) suggests that this is ON  vat (n )s dalr , valley of the lake.,'from ON  vatn , 'water,' which occurs again in Loch Watten in Caithness. See further Wastwater supra 36. The Icelandic name Vatnsdalr , Vazdalr , is of the same origin, and there is a duplicate of Wasdale itself in Wasdale (We), with Wascedale and Wassedale as medieval forms.