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.

Hungry Bentley

Major Settlement in the Parish of Hungry Bentley

Historical Forms

  • Beneleie (sic) 1086 DB
  • Benethleia c.1166 HarlCh
  • Ben(e)t(e)ly, Ben(e)t(e)ley(e) 1291 Tax Ed1 DbAiv 1309,1312 Darley 1330 Ass
  • Hungrybentele 1269 Ass
  • Hungrybeneteleye 1281 ib
  • Hungre Bentley 1431 FA
  • Hungrybentley 1464 FF

Etymology

'Clearing where bent-grass grew', v. beonet , lēah . The place was apparently well-named Hungry (v. hungrig 'poor, unproductive land'), for it is now depopulated and one of the 'lost' villages of Derbyshire. Cf. Fenny Bentley supra 344.