Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Spen 1308 WCR 1424 YDvii 1504 Ipm 1548 TestLds 1822 Langd

• le Spen 1328 Banco

• del Spen 1368 YDvii 1379 PT

• Spenn 1635 WillY

• Spen-Hall 1713 PRHtsd

• Spen Millne 1657 Pick

Etymology

Spen, Spen 1308 WCR (p), 1424 YD vii, 1504 Ipm, 1548 TestLdset freq to 1822 Langd, le Spen 1328 Banco, del Spen 1368 YD vii(p), 1379 PT (p), Spenn 1635 WillY, Spen -Hall 1713 PRHtsd. This p.n. also enters into the name of Spen Millne 1657 Pick, Spen River, and the modern Spenborough (cf. Birstall parish 8supra ). The difficult and obscure el. spenne , which is also found in several other YW p.ns. Spen Dyke i, 64, Spen i, 116supra , (Kearby) pt. v infra , Spenlands ii, 21, Spenhouse ii, 135supra , Spen Field (Bardsey) pt. iv, Spen Fm, Ho, Lane (Bramham), (Headingley) pt. iv, (Lothersdale), (Salterforth), (Buckden) pt. vi, Speng Lane (Hutton Wandesley) pt. iv, Hill Spence (Acaster Selby) pt. iv infra , etc., is discussed in YE 330 ff and EPN ii, 136–7. Generally speaking, in many of the p.ns. in Y and elsewhere and in one or two of the literary usages some sense like 'hedge, fence' or 'a strip of ground enclosed by a fence' seems appropriate, but in others some such meaning as a small ditch or lane which links two others (as in Speng Lane or Spen Dyke) or 'a foot-bridge which “spans” a stream' might be suggested, especially where it is associated with streams (as here, in Spen (Salterforth) pt. vi, in Spen Brook south of Roughlee Booth La, or in Sir Gawayn 1709, where the fox 'lepeʒ over a spenne' by a little ditch), but there is no evidence except context for this. The word still remains an enigma.