Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Archesei(a) 1086 DB

• Arkesia 1184 P

• Arkese, Arkesei(a), Arkesey(e), Arkesay 13 YDi 1230 P 1246 Ass33 1250 Ebor 1276 RH 1597 SessnR

• Arkeshey 1300 Ebor

• Arksay, Arksey 1347 FF 1525 Testvi 1822 Langd

• Arkessey 1428 Pat

• Arxsey 1588 FF

Etymology

The first el. is certainly paralleled by that of Arkesden Ess 516 (Arches - DB, Arkes -, etc.). A single fourteenth century spelling of the latter, Harkelesheldane , has suggested the first el. to be the pers.n. Arkel (from ON  Arnketill ). Arkstone He 7, similarly from Archelestune , is reduced to Arkeston by the fourteenth century, but it is by no means so old and consistent a reduction as in Arksey and Arkesden; Barnthorpe 81 infra , however, displays equally effective reduction. The second el. of Arksey is OE  ēg 'an island, land partly surrounded by water, a piece of dry ground in a marsh'.