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.

Littleton Pill

Early-attested site in the Parish of Littleton upon Severn

Historical Forms

  • Lyteltonespul(l), Lutteltonespul(l), Litteston' Pull(e), Lutteston' Pull(e) 1378 Works
  • Littleton Pill 1830 M
  • Ludepol (MS -pul), lude puylle 986 KCD654 Ric2

Etymology

Littleton Pill, Lyteltonespul (l ), Lutteltonespul (l ), Litteston ' Pull (e ), Lutteston ' Pull (e )1378 Works, Littleton Pill 1830 M. This or the stream just north of it is identical with Ludepol (MS -pul ), lude puylle 986 (Ric 2) KCD 654, which means 'noisy stream' (probably from the flow of the Severn tides in the inlet), v. hlūd (hlȳde), pyll . The first el. Lude is also found in Lid Wood and Ludegarstone (infra ) and possibly in the ludescumb of BCS 936 in Olveston (123infra ). Later the inlet was named from Littleton. OE  pyll is frequent along the Severn bank and usually denotes a small tidal creek into which a stream or drainage ditch feeds.