Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Witeclive 1086 DB 1216 ClR

• Witecliva 1086 Exon

• Wytecliue, Wyteclyve 1268 Ass

• Wyteclyve juxta Swaneswych in Purbik 1287 FF 1316 FA

• Wytteclive 1255 FF

• Wythecliue 1288 Ass

• Whyteclive, Whiteclive, Whiteclyve, Whitecliue, Whiteclyue 1251 FF 1288 Ass 1340 NI

• Whyte Clyve 1327 SR

• Witeclyf 1315 Hutch3

• Whiteclife 1339 Cl

• Whiteclyff c.1500 RoyRoll

• White Cliffe 1664 GW

• Whitecliff 1811 OS

• Whitecliff Hill 1839 TA

• Whit(t)clif(f)(e), Whytclif(f)(e), Whytclyff 1512–1546 Ct c.1586 Tres 1664 HTax

Etymology

'(Place at) the white cliff', v. hwīt (wk.obl. hwītan ), clif (dat. sg. clife ), named from the chalk cliff ⅓ mile SE. The early forms in -clive , etc from the OE  dat. form clife were replaced during the 14th cent, by the forms -clyf etc from the OE  nom. clif . Whitecliff, a 16th- or 17th-cent. house, is supposed to have replaced a hunting lodge of King John (Kelly).