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.

Lark Stoke

Early-attested site in the Parish of Admington

Historical Forms

  • Stok(e) 716 BCS134 1220 Fees 1248 Ass
  • Stoch 1086 DB
  • Lauerke Stok(e) 1227 FF 1287 Ass 1409 MinAcct
  • Lauirke Stok(e) 1236 Fees
  • Lark(e) Stok(e) 1287 Ass 1319 Ch 1345 FF 1540 FF
  • Laverstokes 1274 RH
  • Lark(e)stocke 1350 Ipm 1587 FF
  • Lark(e)stowe 1374 AD
  • Lark(e)stowke 1563 FF

Etymology

Lark Stoke, Stok (e )716 BCS 134, 1220 Fees, 1248Ass , Stoch 1086 DB, with the prefix Lauerke Stok (e )1227FF , 1287Ass , 1409MinAcct , Lauirke Stok (e )1236 Fees, Lark (e ) Stok (e )1287Ass , 1319 Ch, 1345FF et freq to 1540FF , Laverstokes 1274 RH, Lark (e )stocke 1350 Ipm, 1587FF , Lark (e )stowe 1374 AD, Lark (e )stowke 1563FF . v. stoc 'place', often in the sense 'dependent outlying farmstead'; the occasional use of the ME  plur. stokes might suggest 'the farm buildings'. Occasionally stoc seems to have had a religious connotation and that may be the case with Lark Stoke (cf. EPN ii, 153 ff). It may be noted that Lark Stoke was in the DB hundred of Witley but the main part of Admington was in Celfledetorn hundred; Lark Stoke may therefore have been an outlier of some other neighbouring village. The affix is from OE  lāwerce (lāferce) 'lark', and the compound 'farmstead frequented by larks' is repeated in Laverkestoke , the old name for Langley (Bk 241 n), and Laverstock (W 381, Ha); in some of these there is a similar variation between stoke and an occasional stow (v. stōw 'place').

Places in the same Parish