Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cheteleuuelle 1086 DB

• Ketelewell 1189 Ch 1348

• Ketelwell(a), Keteluella, Ketelwelle 12,1170,l.12 Font 1173,1173–81 YCh197–8 c.1190 Fount 1221 Cur 1222 FF 1468 WillY

• Ketelwelle in Craven 1271 Ch

• Ketylwell(e), Ketilwell(e) 1295 YI 1330 Percy 1379 PT 1441 DiocVisit

• Ketilwell(e) in Craven 1405,1475 Pat

• Kettelwell(a) c.1130 Yorke 1303 KF

• Kettilwell 1408 Pat 1572 WillY

• Ket(t)lewell 1597 SessnR 1608 FF

Etymology

'A bubbling spring or stream', v. cetel , wella . Initial K - is due to the influence of ON  ketill 'kettle'. Cf. Kettle Spring v, 185supra which has a similar use of ketill . OE  cetel appears also to have been used of 'a deep valley surrounded by hills' (like G  kessel ) and this meaning would also be appropriate for Kettlewell, but less likely in this compound.