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.

Wantsley Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Broadwindsor

Historical Forms

  • Wanteslegh(e) 1244 Ass Hy3 Hutch3 1251–2 Fees 1374 DCMDeed
  • Wantesl(eg)' 1244 Ass
  • Wantesley(e) 1326 Ch 1504 Ipm
  • Wantesly 1451 Pole
  • Wantesle 1502 Pat
  • Wantesleigh 1559 Hutch3
  • Waunteslegh Hy3 Hutch3
  • Wantysle 1441,1443 Strode
  • Nyther Wantislegh, Over Wantyslegh 1499 Ipm
  • Wansley 1621 Strode 17 Hutch1 1774
  • Wanslow (sic) 1650 Hutch3
  • Wantsley 1811 OS

Etymology

Probably 'Want's wood or woodland clearing', from the OE  pers.n. Want (recorded once in LVD, v. Searle 478) and lēah , cf. Wansley Bottom PN D 119 (Wanteslegh 1238) which is apparently identical in origin. The connection between the pers.n. form Want and OE  wand 'mole' (ME  want , wont , ModE  dial. want ) is uncertain (but cf. Tengvik 367 s.n. Wand and Feilitzen 129 who both derive the DB byname forms Wants , Wanz from OE  wand , and Reaney-Wilson 475 s.n. Want who cite Wante 1207 from this word): it is perhaps possible that the first el. of Wantsley is the animal name in spite of the absence of Wandes - spellings.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name

Major Settlement