Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Scachelinge 1086 DB

• Scachelingis 1098–1102 YCh1300

• Eschechilinga 1115 YCh1304

• Scehlinge 1154–80 YCh1397

• Eschichilinga 1160–2 YCh1307

• Skekeling(e) 1203–21 YCh 1300 Ebor

• Sceteling 1229 Pat

• Sckekeling 1252 Ebor

• Skekelingge 1297 LS

• S(c)kekling, S(c)kecling, S(c)keklyng 1228 Ebor 1260 Rental 1509 Test

• Sckekelinges 1253 Ebor

Etymology

Although Skeckling may be derived from a rather doubtful OE  pers. name Scæccela , suggested by OE  Scæceling æcer (BCS 906), a derivative of the Scæcca , found in Scæccanhealh (ib. 1139) and Shakenhurst (PN Wo 40), yet on account of the persistent initial Sk -, as well as the uncertainty of the OE pers. name as an appropriate base, we should probably be right in associating Skeckling, as Ekwall (PN in -ing 96) and Zachrisson (PN in -ing of Scand origin 116) prefer, with the Swedish place-name Skäcklinge (ON  på -inge 129). This is generally thought to be from OSwed  Skakle , Skakul (cf. Scagglethorpe infra 139). It may be noted, however, that many Swedish -ing names are derivatives of common nouns (cf. ON på -inge 248 ff.); in Ekwall's opinion (op. cit. 3) only a few are from personal names.We may therefore have in the three Swedish examples and in Skeckling a word *skækel , an OEScand equivalent of ONorw  skekill 'point, corner, outer edge'; in Skeckling, of course, we may have the ONorw word itself. This word occurs several times in Norwegian place-names as Skjekle (NoGN i, 115, etc.).Modéer, Småländska Skärgårdsnamn 72, thinks that some such word lies behind the Swed island-name Skäkle and probably also the Gotland word skäkling , 'a little wood with few trees.'Skeckling would therefore mean '(the place of) Skakle and his people' or 'settlers on the corner or strip of land.' Skeckling is on a tongue of land between Burstwick Drain and Skeckling Drain, v. Addenda lix. Skeckling village had disappeared by 1828 (Langd), but a hamlet has grown up again on the same site, to the north of Burstwick. Skeckling was also a parish name.