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.

Wyke

Major Settlement in the Parish of Birstall

Historical Forms

  • Wich(e) 1086 DB
  • Wik(e), Wyk(e) 1276 RH 1293 QW 1296 MinAcct 1368 FF 1376 YDxiii,74 1783 PRHtsd
  • Neyther Wyk(e) 1567 PRHfx
  • Upper Wyk(e), Lower Wyk(e) 1817 M
  • Whik(e) 1333 FF 1456 Pat
  • Whyke 1362 FF
  • Ouerwicke 1545 TestLds
  • Neytherwycke 1592 WillY

Etymology

v. wīc 'dairy-farm'. On topographical grounds the name can hardly be from ON  vík 'creek', as Goodall suggested.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name