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.

Clumpcliffe

Early-attested site in the Parish of Methley

Historical Forms

  • Clubclifrowe 1380 MethMR
  • Clubcliff(e) 1592,1601 Meth 1630 PRMth 1817 M
  • Clubecliffe 1469 MethMR
  • Clobeclyfe 1532 TestLds
  • Clump cliffe 1841 O.S.

Etymology

Clumpcliffe, Clubclifrowe 1380 MethMR, Clubcliff (e )1592, 1601 Meth, 1630 PRMth, 1817 M, Clubecliffe 1469 MethMR, Clobeclyfe 1532 TestLds, Clump cliffe 1841 O.S. The first el. is ME  clobe , clubbe 'a club, a thick stick' (ON  klubba from earlier klumba , which is related to e.ModE  clump 'heap, mass, lump', 'a clump of trees'), but its meaning in this p.n. is uncertain; the house stands at the top of a bank and topographically the root meaning 'heap ' or 'lump' would be adequate, as would 'stump' or the like, v. clif . v. Addenda.