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.

Hail

Early-attested site in the Parish of Sandford Orcas

Historical Forms

  • (terre apud) Hayle 1360,1376,1380,1429 Digby
  • la Hayle 1378 Digby
  • campo voc' Hayll' 1465 Digby
  • Hail Acre, Hail Close 1838 TA

Etymology

Hail (ST 625205), (terre apud ) Hayle 1360, 1376, 1380, 1429Digby , la Hayle 1378Digby , campo voc ' Hayll '1465Digby , Hail Acre , Hail Close 1838TA , probably 'hay clearing' from hēg and lēah with eventual loss of the weakly stressed final syllable, cf. Hailey O 321 which has identical medieval forms in -le .