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.

Thicket

Early-attested site in the Parish of Thorganby

Historical Forms

  • Thicked 1180–1203 YCh1132
  • Thekeheued, Theckeued 13th Font
  • Thechedd 1303 Ebor
  • Thik(e)heved 1204 YCh 1264 Dugd 1402 Test
  • Tikeheved, Tykeheved 1204 YCh 1231 FF
  • Tykheved 1237 FF 1304 Abbr
  • Tikhed 1363 Works
  • Thick(e)heved, Thickeved, Thyckeved 1219 FF 1287 Ebor 1303 et freq
  • Thycheheved 1282 Baildon
  • Titcheved 1358 Works
  • Thikhed(e) 1345 Test 1500 et freq
  • Thickhed 1599 NCWills
  • Thyckytt 1590 YD
  • Thickett 1828 Langd

Etymology

Here as in Turn Head and Howden supra 257, 251, OE  heafod means 'headland round which a river flows'; the old course of the Derwent makes a prominent headland. The first element is OE  þicce 'thick, dense,' used in the sense 'thicket' in the Vespasian Psalter and probably also in Thicks, PN Ess 504.'Headland with a dense thicket' (or the like).