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.

Rookwith

Major Settlement in the Parish of Thornton Watlass

Historical Forms

  • Rocvid, Rocuid 1086 DB
  • Rokewyk 1184 RichReg 1283 Rich 1290 Ch
  • Rokkewyt 1280 YI 1283 Rich
  • Rok(e)wyth(e) 1536 YChant 1539 Dugdv.578
  • Rookwith 1561 RichWills

Etymology

'Rook wood' from OE  hroc (or ON  hrókr ) and viðr. The forms with final -k are due to the scribe misreading -wit as -wic .(For this error cf. Leckby 181supra .)

Places in the same Parish