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.

Wooloaks

Early-attested site in the Parish of Hesket in the Forest

Historical Forms

  • Wolfaykes 1285 For
  • Wllaykes 1338 MinAcct
  • les Wollaykes 1361,1380 Pat 1377,1386 Fine
  • Wollakes 1381 Pat, IpmR
  • le Wulakes 1394 Pat
  • Wollaykes al. Wulakes 1404 ib
  • al. Wellaykes 1443 ib
  • Woolakes 1600 PR(Penrith)
  • Woolla(i)ks 1619 ExchKR
  • Wollyackes 1650 ParlSurv
  • Wool-Laiks 1686 Todd
  • Wool-Aikes 1703 CWii
  • Low Wool Oaks 1814 ib

Etymology

In spite of the 1285 form this name is, as Professor Ekwall argues, in origin the same as Ullock (infra 367), but with the first element anglicised to Wulf -.