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.

Oatnell

Early-attested site in the Parish of Sourton

Historical Forms

  • Wodeknylle 1330,1333 SR
  • Uttknyll 1544 SR
  • Wotnell 1827 G

Etymology

A compound of OE  wudu, 'wood,' and cnyll , 'knoll,' v. Kneela supra 170. For loss of initial w , cf. Odle infra 642.