Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Molend' de Egcliue, Eg(g)cliue (p) 1292 GillCt

• molend' de Ecclyue 1300 ib

• molendinum de Hoggecleve 1338–40 Glast

• Egglive 1364 Hutch3

• Ecklyuemull', Ekclyuemull' 1411 GillCt

• Ekclyuesmull', Ekclyf Mull' 1415 ib

• Ecliffe, Eckley furlonge, Ecklie Mill 1609 LRMB

• Ekelly Mill [Bridge] 1791 Boswell

• Accliff Mill 1811 OS

• Eccliff Mill (Md) 1839 TA

• atte Clyue 1332 SR

Etymology

Eccliffe (ST 799253), Molend ' de Egcliue , Eg (g )cliue (p)1292GillCt , molend ' de Ecclyue 1300ib , molendinum de Hoggecleve 1338–40 Glast, Egglive 1364 Hutch3, Ecklyuemull ', Ekclyuemull '1411GillCt , Ekclyuesmull ', Ekclyf Mull '1415ib , Ecliffe , Eckley furlonge , Ecklie Mill 1609LRMB , Ekelly Mill [Bridge ]1791 Boswell, Accliff Mill 1811 OS, Eccliff Mill (Md )1839TA . This place is on R. Stour and the second el. is clif 'bank'; there is still a mill here (marked 6″), v. myln . The first el. is probably the OE  pers.n. Ecga , for which v. Acton Gl 2228, Eagle Hundred Brk 289. Fägersten 6 (followed by Smith EPN 1 14) derives the name from OE  æt pǣm clife '(place) at the bank', citing the surnames of John Attecliue , Atteclyue 1244Ass , Walter atte Clyue 1332 SR; but although these surnames may well refer to the 'cliff' at this place (cf. also Walter de Clyve 1258For , Adam Attecliue 1292GillCt ), the early forms now cited for Eccliffe clearly show that the first el. of this p.n. cannot be ME  atte < OE  æt pǣm .