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.

King's Delph

Early-attested site in the Parish of Whittlesey

Historical Forms

  • (to) Cynges dælf 963 ASC c.1150
  • Kyngesdelf a.1022 KCD733 1200
  • (in) Kinges delfe c.1050 c.1350 ib
  • Kingesdelf, Kyngesdelf c.1223 ElyCh 1390 et freq
  • Kyngesdel 1477 ib
  • Cnoutes delfe Kynges 1052 Rams 1334
  • Kyndesdelf 1251 ElyCouch
  • Kynkesdelf 1277 Ely
  • Gingesdelf 1288 Misc
  • Kyndelf 1349 Pat

Etymology

This is now the name of a marsh in Whittlesey, but was originally that of an artificial water-course (probably Roman) reputed to have been made by King Canute. It is now known partly as Cnut's Dyke (supra 207) and partly as Oakley Dike (supra 208). v. also King's Dike supra 208 and (ge)delf.