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.

Shepley

Major Settlement in the Parish of Kirkburton

Historical Forms

  • Scipelei, Seppeleie 1086 DB
  • Seppelay 1210–35 YChviii
  • Sepeley 1286 WCR
  • Scepeley a.1218 YChviii
  • S(c)hepelay, S(c)hepele(y) 13 Font 1202–4 YChviii 1225 DodsN 1236–58 YDix,394 1243 Fees 1284 Abbr 1286 YI 1297 LS 1549 YDiii
  • S(c)heplay, S(c)hepley 1249 YI 1316 Vill 1375 FF 1425 Linds 1540 Testvi
  • Sheapley 1588 LS 1610 FF

Etymology

'Sheep clearing', v. scēap , lēah . Apart from the DB Scipe -, it will be noticed that there are no traces of the ONb  scīp 'sheep' which is normal in the parallel Shipley iii, 267infra .

Places in the same Parish

Other OS name

Early-attested site