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.

Channel Sea Junction

Early-attested site in the Parish of West Ham

Historical Forms

  • Chaveresbregge 1302 Misc
  • Chaveresbrigge 1442 ADii
  • Chavelesbrydge t.Hy8 MinAcct
  • Chanelesbrigge 1312 Abbr
  • Chanells Bridge c.1540 Monoux
  • Canillesbrigge 1509 ADi
  • Charles Bridge c.1540 Monoux
  • Charl…bridge otherwise Channeles bridge 1630 Fisher

Etymology

The forms of this name are too late and difficult for any satisfactory etymology to be suggested. It would seem that at one stage of its history forms with medial u (for v ) were mis-read as forms with medial n , and that these spelling-forms influenced the pronunciation. Further, there may at an earlier stage have been common AN confusion between r and l , cf. IPN 106.