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.

Walcot

Early-attested site in the Parish of Alkborough

Historical Forms

  • Walcote 1067 RRAN 12 1093–98 Spaldi m12 FA c1331 1284–85
  • Walcote iuxta Humbram 1296 Ass 1299 Ipm 1316 FA 1327,1332 SR 1347 Pat 1351 Ipm 1400 Cl 1428 FA 1523–34 MinAcct 1536 PetLD 1541 PetTD 1608–9 MinAcct
  • Walkote 1212 Fees 1290–1312,1316,1333(m14) CNat 1346 FA
  • Walcot 1303 1304 Ipm 1346 FA
  • Walcot super Humb' 1576 WB 1610 Saxton
  • Walcott 1546 PetLD
  • Waucott 1531 Willsiii
  • Walecote 1067–69 HC c1150 DB 1086 ChronPetro c1128 Spaldi 12 m12 c1331
  • Walecote super Humbria 1189 Ch 1332 Gilb l12 Spaldi 1409 FF 1200 Ass 1208 CoramR 1219 1297
  • Walecota c1115 LS 1154–58 Ch 1330
  • Ualecot' c1115 LS
  • Walecot Hy2 Spaldi c1331 Ch 1199(1330),1227
  • Walecot in Lindsey 1251 ib
  • Walecot' 1200 ChR 1202 Ass 1204 Cur 1220 ib
  • Walecot' sup' Humbram 1231 PetLN 1235,1236 Cl 1297 PetWB
  • Wallecote 1276 RH 1307 FF
  • Wallcott 1690 BRA
  • Waldcote 1451–3,1496–98 MinAcct

Etymology

Forms in Wale - by far outnumber those in Wal - so this must be 'the cottage, hut, shelter of the Welshmen', v. walh (gen.pl. wala ), cot , identical with Walcot near Folkingham and Walcott near Billinghay, both in Kesteven. If the names are early, they must represent isolated groups of Welshmen identifiable as such in Anglo-Saxon England, perhaps as late as the late 7th century. For a full discussion, v. Kenneth Cameron, “The meaning and significance of Old English walh in English place-names”, JEPN 12 (1980), 1–53.