Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Chetelbi 1086 DB Hy1,Hy2 Dugd

• Chetelby c.1130 LeicSurv 1166 RBE

• Chetlebi 1166 LN

• Chetilbi 12 BelCartB e.15

• Ketelbi l.12 Dane 1199,1200 Cur

• Ketelbia c.1160 BM

• Ket(t)elby c.1130 LeicSurv 1209×19 RHug 1242 RGros 1243 Fees a.1277 BHosp 1535 VE 1610 Speed

• Ketlebi l.12 GarCart 1237 RGros

• Ketleby c.1130 LeicSurv 1201 Cur 1449 WoCart

• Kettleby 1576 Saxton 1604 LML

• Ket(t)ilby 1242 Fees Hy3 Crox 1277 Banco c.1310 WoCart 1449 FA 1316 VE 1535 Ipm 1582

• Katylby 1518 Visit 1525,1528 AAS 1615 Ipm

• Abbe- 1236,1237,1242 RGros 1433 Pat 1615 Ipm

• Abe- 1236 RGros

• Ab- 1236 1274 Cl 1518 Visit

• Appe- 1327 SR 1378 Banco 1413 BM

• Ape- 1351 Cl 1392 ELiW 1449 WoCart 1610 Speed

• Ap- 1358 Rut 1397 Pat 1613 Fine

• Abby- 1333 Inqaqd 1556 Ipm

• Abbey ~ 1524 SR 1564 Nichols

• Abbie ~ 1666 SR

• ~ Abbatis 1291 OSut

• ~ on the hill 1591 Nichols

Etymology

'Ketil's farmstead, village', v. bȳ . The ODan  pers.n. Ketil (ON  Ketill ) is an original by-name (cf. OIcel ketill 'a cauldron, a cauldron-shaped helmet') and was very common in England, v. SPNLY 166–70. Here, the pers.n. is linked in stem-form to the generic, a structure which has many certain parallels in the Danelaw.

The prefix Ab (ME  Abbe ) which distinguishes the village from Eye Kettleby some four miles to the south is the name of an early owner of the estate. Possible sources for Abbe are the OE  pers.n. Abba or the Scand pers.ns. Abbi (ODan ), Abbe (OSwed). Abbe appears as a by-name, as in Gaufridus Abbe 1199 Cur of Leics.; and in 1287, it is even found as a Notts. woman's forename in Abbe ux ' Henr ' Lotefyn (i.e. 'Abbe, wife of Henry Lotefyn'), in this case being a pet form of Albrei or Aubrey (Lat  Albreda , OGer  Alberada , OFr  Albree , Aubree ), v. P. McClure, 'The interpretation of hypocoristic forms of Middle English baptismal names', Nomina 21 (1998), at 115–6. From c.1220 to c.1433, the Prior and Convent of Launde Priory (later popularly called Launde Abbey) were patrons of the parish church. This gave rise through folk etymology to the affixed forms Abbey ~ (v. abbaye ) and ~ Abbatis (MLat  abbas (abbatis gen.sg.) 'an abbot').