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.

Deer Play

Early-attested site in the Parish of Halifax

Historical Forms

  • Drepley (sic) 1461 MinAcct
  • Dereplay, Derepley 1481 HAS 1492 MinAcct 1560 PRHfx 1589 HAS
  • (th') Dearplay 1624 Greave 1652 SbCA 1709 WMB
  • Derpley 1641 WillY 1699 WCR6d

Etymology

Deer Play, Drepley (sic)1461MinAcct , Dereplay , Derepley 1481 HAS 7, 140, 1492MinAcct , 1560 PRHfx, 1589 HAS 40, 55, (th ') Dearplay 1624 Greave, 1652 SbCA, 1709 WMB, Derpley 1641 WillY, 1699WCR 6d. 'Place where deer (or animals) played', v. dēor , plega , cf. Deerplay La 93, Durpley D 108. Goodall's suggestion of a stream- name Derp - and lēah is out of the question, as this theme derp is not otherwise known, and plega is frequently combined with animal-names.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name

Major Settlement