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.

Wighill

Major Settlement in the Parish of Wighill

Historical Forms

  • duas Wicheles 1086 DB
  • Wikale 1219 FF Ed1 Heal8d
  • Wichal(e), Wychal(e), Wikhal(e), Wykhal(e) J,1218 Heal17,17d 1246 Ass12d 1254 Heal42 1269 Ebor l.13 Heal29d
  • Wychall(e), Wikhall(e) 1250–65 Heal24 1276 RH 1285 KI
  • Wighal(l)e, Wyghal(l)e 1303 Aid 1355 FF 1371 Works 1379 PT 1535 VE
  • Wighhal(l)e 1316 Pat 1376 FF
  • Wighell 1490 Testiv 1542 YkCR
  • Wighill 1538 FF

Etymology

'Nook of land with a dairy-farm', v. wīc , halh ; it denoted a piece of land partly surrounded by the R. Foss. The voicing of intervocalic -k - to -g - has many parallels in p.ns. such as Bragenham Bk 83, Wigginton YN 14, Giggleswick vi, 144 or Wigglesworth vi, 162infra .