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.

Bentley

Early-attested site in the Parish of Bradford

Historical Forms

  • Benclif(f)e 1341 Surv
  • Benneclif, Benclyve 1342 Ext
  • Bentclyff(e) 1435 BM, Calv
  • Bentley 1541 Dugdv,355

Etymology

Bentley, probably identical with Benclif (f )e 1341Surv , Benneclif , Benclyve 1342 Ext, Bentclyff (e )1435 BM, Calv, Bentley 1541 Dugd v, 355. Probably the ME  pers.n. Benne , later influenced by beonet 'bent-grass', and clif . The modern form has the not-infrequent reduction of clif to cley (cf. EPN i, 98) and has been influenced by the common YW pers.n. Bentley; the surname de Bentlay occurs locally in 1379 PT.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name