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.

Pucklechurch

Major Settlement in the Parish of Pucklechurch

Historical Forms

  • æt Puclancyrcan 946 ASC c.1016
  • Pucelancyrcan 950 BCS887
  • Pukelescirce(an) 940,954(13) WMG
  • Pvlcrecerce 1086 DB
  • Popelicerca (sic) 1130 P
  • Poc(e)lekirche, Pok(e)lekirche, Pok(e)lechirch(e), Pok(e)lechurch(e) 1167 P 1276 RH 1278 Cl 1287 Ass c.1560 Surv
  • Poclichurch 1278 Pat
  • Pokeleschirch, Pokeleschyrch, Pokelescherch 12 Monast 1248 Ass 1275 RH
  • Pukeleschurch, Pukelescherche 1168 Monast 1176 P 1227–1229,1257,1324 Ch
  • Puchelescherche 1187 P
  • Pukelischirch 1221 Ass
  • Pukelecherche, Pukelechirch(a) 1185 P 1189 GlastonInq 1199 P 1248 Pat 1259 Abbr
  • Pukelichirch 1284 Ch
  • Pouc(k)lechur(i)ch 1285 RBBr 1580 Asht
  • Pokelchurch, Pokelchirche, Pokelchyrche 1291 Tax c.1300 RGl 1445 FF
  • Pokilchyrch, Pokilchurche 1427 Pat 1487 Ipm
  • Poculchurch(e), Pokulchurch(e) 1431,1435 Pat 1459 MinAcct 1548 Pat
  • Pukelchurche 1306 FF
  • Pucklechurch(e) 1564 1701 PR

Etymology

'Pūcela's church', v. cirice . The OE  pers.n. Pūcela is not recorded, but it would be a byname from pūcel 'goblin'; it was indeed so used in ME (cf. Reaney 261 and Pucelecroft in Elmore ii, 163 supra ).