Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (divisas de) Gait, Wilfleteholmgaita l.12 Kirkst

• pontem de Geit 1208 FF

• Gayt(e) 1281 YI 1331 Ch 1633 PRCnt

• Gatehall(e) 1464 Pat 1607 Hnt

• Gate 1635 WillY 1675 Comm52

Etymology

Gate Fm, Gate Lane, (divisas de ) Gait , Wilfleteholmgaita l.12 Kirkst, pontem de Geit 1208 FF, Gayt (e )1281 YI, 1331 Ch, 1633 PRCnt, Gatehall (e )1464 Pat, 1607 Hnt, Gate 1635 WillY, 1675Comm 52.This difficult name cannot be from either gata 'road' (although the place is near the important road from Bawtry to Thorne), since the diphthongal spellings -ai -, -ei - are very early, or geit 'goat' (since it is clearly from the spellings a simplex p.n. and therefore a significant word). The etymon must be an ON  *geyt , connected with the root gaut 'gush' which occurs in Norw r.ns. (NElv 66–7); it was no doubt an old stream-name as the reference to a bridge in 1208 suggests; for the earlier form v. also flēot 'stream', holmr .