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.

Capel

Major Settlement in the Parish of Capel

Historical Forms

  • Capelle 1235 Ass
  • la Capele 1356 FF 1403 Norfolk
  • Capell 1411 FF
  • Capell strete 1597 Norfolk
  • Caple al. Capell 1732 Recov
  • Capella 1281 Norfolk
  • Dorking cum Capella 1291 Tax
  • Chapell 1531 Recov
  • Chappell 1610 Speed

Etymology

This is AFr  capel (l )e , 'chapel,' replaced in some of the later forms by the standard English form. Cf. Capel (K), Capele 1327 Ipm. Capel was a chapelry of Dorking, and the present parish was one of the tithings of Dorking. It was known as Welde or Wolde or Wele Borough, being that part of the parish which was up in the Weald. Cf. VCH iii, 135, 141 and PN Sx 312–13.