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.

Letchworth

Major Settlement in the Parish of Letchworth

Historical Forms

  • Leceworde 1086 DB
  • Lecchewrth c.1190–1216 BM 1346 FA
  • Luchewrth(ia) c.1190,t.Hy3 BM
  • Lecchewrth' 1214 FineR
  • Letchworth 1638 Terrier
  • Lechesworth 1295 Cl
  • Lacheworth 1428 FA 1487 Dugdiii

Etymology

Ekwall (DEPN s. n .) is probably right in taking the first element of this name to be an OE  *lycce , 'enclosure,' or the like, related to OE  loc and corresponding to ON  lykkia , Swedish lycka , 'piece of enclosed land,' OHG  luccha , ModGer  lücke , 'gap,' cf. lychaga 1014 (13th) KCD 1309 (Do). The same element may be found in Litcham (Nf), Licham , Lec (c )ham DB, Lucham 1197 FF. The second element is worþ , 'farm.' The spellings show the regular Hertfordshire e for OE y , v. Introd. xxv.

Places in the same Parish

None