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.

Oakenshaw

Early-attested site in the Parish of Birstall

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.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name