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.

Poyle

Early-attested site in the Parish of Stanwell

Historical Forms

  • Pulla 1210–12 RBE 1353 FA
  • villa de Puilla 1235 Fees
  • la Puille 1259 FF
  • Poyle 1238 FF 1426 IpmR
  • la Poyl(l)e 1274 Ass 1299,1318 Ipm
  • La Penle (sic) 1329 FF
  • Pyle 1819 G

Etymology

Although the above spellings refer (with one exception) to a place, not a family, the name is no doubt manorial in origin.Walter de Pulla held half a fee here in 1210–12 (RBE), Thomas de la Puille is mentioned in 1259 (FF) and Walter de la Poylle in 1274 (Ass ). The original form of the surname must have been de l 'Apulie , i.e. of Apulia (Italy). Puille , Poylle are forms in which the name Apulia commonly occurs in ME, the initial l 'a having been taken to be the French definite article.