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.

Poole

Major Settlement in the Parish of Poole

Historical Forms

  • Poles 1180–1186 1195 1199 Cur 1231 Cl 1280 Ass 1484 Cl
  • Pola Hy3 Pat 1371 FF 1227 Pat 1230
  • (aquam portus de) Pola 1268 Ass 1288 Ch
  • la Pole 1220 Cur 1224 Pat 1428 Cl
  • le Pole 1386 Pat
  • (la) Poule 1300 Cl 1412 FA
  • Pool(e) 1392 Fine

Etymology

'the pool or creek', with reference to Poole Harbour infra , v. pōl 1 ; -s in the earliest forms is a pl. ending, possibly AN (cf. Zachrisson IPN 94).