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.

Beachy Head

Early-attested site in the Parish of Eastbourne

Historical Forms

  • Beuchef 1274 QW 1279 Ass
  • Beaucheif 1317 Cl
  • le Forlond of Beauchief 1404 Pat
  • Beaucheff 1447 Pat
  • la Beauchieff 1504 Pat 1509 LP
  • Bechief 1401,1508 Pat
  • Bechiff 1545 LP
  • Bechy 1546 LP

Etymology

'Fine headland,' OFr  be (a )u chef , with the common Anglo- Norman sound-development. Cf. Beauchief (Db), pronounced [biˑtʃif]. For loss of final f , cf. PN BedsHu 127. The 'head' is a late pleonastic addition.