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.

Leigh

Major Settlement in the Parish of Leigh

Historical Forms

  • Leghe c.1184 BM
  • Leg' 1199 Cur
  • Legh 1255 Ass
  • La Legh 1259 Ass 1298 BM
  • Leye juxta Becheworth 1313 FF
  • La Leghe by Reygate 1332 Ipm
  • Lye 1434 Pat 1541 Dugdvi,384
  • Ligh 1502–3 ECP
  • Lee al. Leighe 1569 FF
  • Lee al. Lighe 1593 SrWills
  • Leight t.Eliz ChancP 1680 Seller

Etymology

v. leah . For the final t in the last spellings cf. Fairlight (PN Sx 507). For the pronunciation [lai] cf. PN Do 79, 224.