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.

Isle Beck

Early-attested site in the Parish of Topcliffe

Historical Forms

  • Iselbec 1086 DB
  • Iselbec(h), Yselbec(h), Yselbe(c)k 13 BylE 1285 KI 1299 YI 1301 LS 1334 YD
  • Ysilbeke 1500 Test
  • Ysebec, Isebec 1182 P 1247 Ch
  • Yserbec 1182 P c.1197 YD 13 Percy
  • Hiserbeck 13 Percy
  • Isselbecke 1571 FF

Etymology

Possibly, as suggested by Mr Bruce Dickins, the original name of this stream was OE  Isel , cognate with the Dutch river- name Ijssel , found in the 9th and 10th cents. as Is (e )la (Förstemann, ON 1592). v. bekkr .