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.

Foyle Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Oxted

Historical Forms

  • Foyllye, la Foily, la Fuyllye 1418 Harl
  • la Foyle 1420 VCHiv,318
  • Foyle 1607 FF
  • atte Foyle 1312 AOMB
  • ate Foilly 1332 SR

Etymology

Foyle Fm [fail] is Foyllye , la Foily , la Fuyllye 1418Harl , la Foyle 1420 VCH iv, 318, Foyle 1607FF , and was the home of John atte Foyle (1312AOMB ) and Dionis' ate Foilly (1332 SR).This is probably a place-name of French origin, namely fouille , 'excavation,' from fouiller , 'to dig, excavate.' The name may have referred to some quarry or the like. For the phonetic development cf. Poyle supra 182.