Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Chitebie 1086 DB

• Chetelbia c.1130 LeicSurv

• Ketelbi c.1130 LeicSurv 1198 Cur 1215 et passim

• Ketelby 1199 Fine 1200 FF e.13 Laz 1404 Rut 1312 AAS 1334

• Kettelby a.1250 Laz 1404 GarCart 1290 SR 1327

• Ketelebi e.13(1404),a.1250(1404) Laz

• Ketellebi 13 1404 ib

• Keteleby e.13 1404 MHW 1220 RHug 1209×35

• Kedlesby 1236 Fees

• Ketilby 1242,1247 Fees 1548 Ipm 1610 Fine

• Kettilby m.13 Laz 1404 Ipm 1303 Hastings 1324

• Ketylby 1332 SR 1421 Banco 1428 FA 1521 Ipm 1561 Pat

• Kettylbye 1554 Rut 1556 Fine 1559 Pat

• Ketulby l.13(1449),1309(1449) WoCart

• Ketlebi e.13(1404),a.1250(1404) Laz

• Ketleby m.13(1404),13(1404) 1315 Rut

• Kettleby m.13(1404),1262(1404),1308(1404) Laz 1549 AAS 1613 LML 1622 Burton

• Parua ~ m.13 Laz 1404

• ~ Beler 1303 Ipm 1324 Hastings 1332 SR

• E- 1345 Banco 1420 ELiW 1554 Rut 1556 Fine 1603 LeicW 1613 LML

• Ey- 1559,1561 Pat

• Eie ~ 1610 Speed

• Eye ~ 1610,1619 Fine 1622 Burton

• Hamo Beler m.13 (1404) ib

• Johannes Beler 1381 Banco

Etymology

'Ketil's farmstead, village', v. bȳ . The ODan  pers.n. Ketil (ON  Ketill ), common in England, is an original by-name, cf. Scand  ketill 'a cauldron, a cauldron-shaped helmet'. It is noteworthy that, with the exception of only a single instance with the gen.sg. -es , the pers.n. is linked in stem-form to the generic.

Willielmus Beler held the manor a.1250 (1404) Laz and Hamo Beler m.13 (1404) ib . It remained in that family as late as Johannes Beler 1381 Banco. The present habitation site called Eye Kettleby stands on a tributary of R. Wreake/R. Eye, over one mile from its confluence with the main stream. It is uncertain at what point R. Wreake was thought to become R. Eye and it may be that Eye (OE ) ēa 'a stream') was the pre- Scandinavian name for the entire river as far as its junction with R. Soar.One presumes, therefore, that the affix E -, Ey -, Eye ~ referred originally to R. Eye rather than to the tributary (as ēa ) on which modern Eye Kettleby stands. It is also possible that the early settlement was sited at Chapel Nook (v. WhiteHouse Fm infra ) beside the main stream where its chapel is recorded in 1220 and where the disused water-mill stands.The affix distinguishes the village from Ab Kettleby some four miles away to the north-west.