Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Akescahe 1246 Ass4

• Akanescale (sic) 1254 YI

• Okens(c)haw(e) 13 DodsN 1307 WYD 1362 YDx 1433 Pat 1597 SessnR

• Okeneschagh 1355 YDxii,256

• Okenshagh 1384 YDi 1402 FA 1466 Testii

• Okynshagh 1482 YDx

• Okyshay 1558 FF

• Wockingsha 1576 WillY

• Okenshey 1576 WYD

• Okenshay 1592 WillY 1606 YDi

• Okenshae 1637 Arm

• Oakenshay 1542 TestLds

Etymology

'The oaken copse', v. ācen , sceaga , cf. Oakenshaw ii, 113supra . The early spelling with -scale has been influenced by Scholes infra (perhaps through the use of the inverted spelling with an unetymological -l - after the AN  development of -al - to -au -, cf. IPN 113). On the variation between -shaw and shay and the local dial. form Wockingsha cf. Phonol. §§ 3, 9.