Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hill bell 1836 KCR

Etymology

Mardale Ill Bell, 1857OS , Hill bell 1836KCR , this is a mound on the parish boundary above Mardale in Shap (ii, 169infra ), and probably means something like 'hill tumulus', from hyll and ON  bjalli 'round hill'; for the use of ON  bjalli , OSwed  biælle , in Scand p.ns. cf. G. Franzén, Vikbolandets by - och gårdnamn (Uppsala 1937), 98–9 s.n. Bjällbrunna , v. belle in EPN i, 27, Bell Hill (i, 101supra ), and Ill Bell (i, 190infra ). If, however, the modern spellings are anything to go by, the first el. could be ON  illr 'evil, noxious' as in Illgill Head (Cu 391) and Icel  and Faroese p.ns. like Illakelda , Illavatn , Illurgarður , Illurgil , etc. (Franzen, LaxdON 88, Matras, FærN 162).