Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Beclinctorp Edw1 Rut

• Beclingthorp Edw1 ib

• Belingthorp (sic) Edw1 Rut

• Beckingthorpe 1599 Rut 1618 LeicW

• Beckingthorp 1610 ib

Etymology

This is a difficult name. Formally, Beck (l )ing - could represent an OE  *Be (o )ccelingas 'Be(o)ccel's people' (v. -ingas and cf. Beckling, Sf) or OE  *Bece-ling 'the place at the stream' (v. -ing 2 , -ling ), with Scandinavianization of the palatal c and reference to R. Devon (perh. cf. Beckering (L) which is Bechelinge 1086 DB). However, the addition of þorp to such early names would be unusual. The most satisfactory explanation is that Beckingthorpe means 'Berkling's farmstead', with the ON  pers.n. Berklingr , v. Lind 20. Loss of r may be assigned to the weak pronunciation of the consonant in AN (v. Feilitzen 84) and attraction to bekkr 'a stream' since the settlement is beside R. Devon, while loss of l can be ascribed to AFr influence, especially because of the proximity of the French stronghold of Belvoir Castle. The peculiarly northern Scandinavian nature of the pers.n. may arise from the settlement's lying adjacent to Normanton infra , v. þorp .