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.

Leigh

Major Settlement in the Parish of Leigh

Historical Forms

  • Lega 1228 FF 1372 ChrP
  • Leg' 1280 Ass
  • Legh(e) 1244,1268 Ass 1270 ChrP 1372 Ass 1288 Pat 1297 FA 1316
  • Shirburn' 1324 Pat 1332 SR 1535 VE
  • Leye 1281 ChrP 1372 1384
  • Leygh(e) 1372 ChrP 1326 Ipm 1327 Cl 1412 FA
  • 'Leigh(e) by Shirburn' 1359 Pat 1586 Batten
  • Lye 1486 Ipm 1569–74 Map 1576 AddCh
  • Lye or Leigh 1765 Tayl
  • Lee…in Yetmyster 1558 SRO
  • Lyghe 1566 Digby 1568 Gough
  • Ligh(e) 1587 1600 Digby 1607 Gough 1671 SalisT

Etymology

From lēah (dat.sg. lēage ) 'wood, woodland clearing', cf. Leigh in Colehill par. 2 137 for another instance of the simplex use of this el. Leigh is some 5 miles S of Sherborne.