Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Swyncliffe in Lee 1371 IpmR

• Swynclif 1371 Ipm

• Swynclyf 1373 1375 Fine 1376 For 1379,1385 Fine

• Swinclife 1611 SP

• Swinclif(fe) coppice 1611 ib

• Swintley Sale al's Swincliffe al's Swincliffe Coppice 1677 Deed

• Swintlye Sale al's Swincliffe al's Swincliffe Coppice 1694 ib

• Neather Swintly 17 ib

• Upper Swintl(e)y c1685 1729,18 Surv

• Upper Swintly Sale 17 Deed

• Swintly 18 Surv

• Swintly Cop, Swintly Meadow 1729,18 ib

• Swinthley Lodge 1824 O

Etymology

SWINTLEY LODGE, Swyncliffe in Lee 1371 IpmR, Swynclif 1371 Ipm, Swynclyf 1373 ib, 1375 Fine, 1376For , 1379, 1385 Fine, Swinclife 1611SP , Swinclif (fe ) coppice 1611ib , Swintley Sale al 's Swincliffe al 's Swincliffe Coppice 1677Deed , Swintlye Sale al 's Swincliffe al 's Swincliffe Coppice 1694ib , Neather Swintly 17ib , Upper Swintl (e )y c1685ib , 1729, 18Surv , Upper Swintly Sale 17Deed , Swintly 18Surv , Swintly Cop , Swintly Meadow 1729, 18ib , Swinthley Lodge 1824 O, 'swine bank', v. swīn 1 , clif . The name, no doubt, records the feeding of pigs on acorns fallen from the forest oaks.The forms show the typical sound change [nk] > [nt] before l . In the minor names arising, dial. sale is used of 'a division or “quarter” of a wood, of which the underwood is cut down and sold'.It is common in the old woodland areas of Beaumont Chase and Leighfield (v. f.ns. infra ) in Rutland and is found also in various early minor names in Northants., v. Nth 157 and EDD .s. v. It is unclear whether the late minor forms Swintly Cop , Swintly Cop Meadow contain an abbreviated coppice (which occurs earlier) or OE  cop 'the top of a hill' (or its dial. reflex cop 'a mound, an embankment') since both spellings are from surveys. These documents tended to accumulate copied forms and hence sometimes obscure former abbreviations, v. copis .