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.

Holywell Brook, Holywell Green

Early-attested site in the Parish of Halifax

Historical Forms

  • de Sacro fonte a.1284 YDi
  • Heliwell(e), Helywell(e) 1285,1298 WCR 1455,1501 YDi
  • Helywell(e) greene 1583 PREll
  • Heleywell 1588 FF
  • (le) Hellywell, Helliwell 1326 YDi 1617 FF
  • Helliwell gre(e)ne 1582,1583 WillY 1587 YDi
  • Hollywell 1559 WillY

Etymology

'Holy well or spring', v. hælig 1 (a mutated variant of hālig ), wella . This was clearly the older name of the well at Helen Hill Fm (v. prec.). v. grēne 2 . Cf. Helliwell 80infra .

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name

Major Settlement