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.

Stockholm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Paull

Historical Forms

  • Stocholm(e), Stokholm(e) 1197–1210 Melsa t.John AddCh 1478 YD
  • Stokholmlandes, Stokholmlond 1374 YD 1392 Works

Etymology

Stockholm is Stocholm (e ), Stokholm (e )1197–1210 Melsa, t. JohnAddCh et freq to 1478 YD, Stokholmlandes , Stokholmlond 1374 YD, 1392 Works. This is of the same origin as the Swedish and Danish place-name Stokholm , from OScand  stokkr and holmr . The usual meaning of stokkr is 'tree-stump,' but in Scandinavian place- names it had a wide variety of applications (cf. ON på -by 25, DaSN(F) 56). Here the compound may have denoted 'low-lying land cleared of trees.' Cf. OScand  stokkland 'clearing in a wood.'