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.

Spoonley Fm, Spoonley Wood

Early-attested site in the Parish of Sudeley

Historical Forms

  • Sponleye, Sponle(ie) 1287 Ass 1295 Monast 1320 WinchLB 1327 SR
  • Sponeley 1464 WinchLB
  • Spoonly Wood 1830 M

Etymology

Spoonley Fm, Spoonley Wood, Sponleye , Sponle (ie )1287Ass , 1295 Monast, 1320 WinchLB (p), 1327SR (p), Sponeley 1464 WinchLB, Spoonly Wood 1830 M. 'Clearing where wood-chippings were made or left', v. spōn , lēah , and cf. Spoonbed (i, 133supra ), Spoonlets (K 311), sponleoge 814 BCS 343, and Sponwælle (infra ), which is a spring near Spoonley. OE  spōn is recorded only in the sense 'chip, splinter', but in late ME it occurs with the meaning 'wooden tile, shingle', which is doubtless that of the ON  cognate spánn ; this also would seem to be the meaning of spōn in Spooner's Fm (iii, 147infra ).