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.

Prickwillow

Early-attested site in the Parish of Ely St Mary and Ely Trinity

Historical Forms

  • Pri(c)kewylev 1251 ElyCouch 1277 Ely
  • Prikewiluh 1279 ElyM
  • Pricwylgh c.1320 CAPriv
  • Prikwylwe 1387 ElyF
  • Prikwhelwe 1438 Plea
  • Prykwylowgh 1475 Ct
  • Prykewylow 1480 ib
  • Prickwillowe 1570 Eg

Etymology

Prickwillow is Pri (c )kewylev 1251ElyCouch , 1277Ely , Prikewiluh 1279ElyM , Pricwylgh c. 1320 CAPr iv, Prikwylwe 1387ElyF , Prikwhelwe 1438Plea , Prykwylowgh 1475Ct ; Prykewylow 1480 ib., Prickwillowe 1570Eg . The compound prick-willow is not on independent record, but presumably it is used, like the compounds pricktimber , pricktree and prickwood , to denote a tree from which wooden skewers are made. If so, it goes back some 300 years earlier than any of those compounds.