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.

Cricklade

Major Settlement in the Parish of Cricklade

Historical Forms

  • Crecca gelad 905 ASC c.925
  • Creocc gelad 905 ASC c.1050
  • Creaccgelad 905 ASC c.1050
  • Crecalad 1016 ASC c.1200
  • Cricgelad 1016 ASC c.1050
  • (into) Cracgelade c.975 ASWills 14th
  • Crocgelad 1008 KCD1305 c.1225
  • (æt) Cræcilade 1016 ASC c.1120
  • Crecalade 1016 ASC c.1050
  • Cricgelade 1016 ASC c.1120
  • Crecgelade c.1050 BurghalHidage 16th
  • Crichelade 1086 DB 1177 P
  • Criccelade c.1150 FW
  • Crikelade 1190 P 1290 Pat
  • Crickelade 1205 ClR 1397 Pat
  • Crikeford quod est Crikelade c.1400 LiberdeHyda
  • Criechelada 1164–79 France
  • Crekelade 1196 Cur 1290 Misc
  • Creckelade 1205 ClR 1319 FF
  • Kirkelade 1249 Ass
  • Kyrkelade 1260,1370 Pat
  • Creyeklade 1294 Pat
  • Creyklade 1311 Pap
  • Crekklade 1316 FA
  • Creklade 1446 Pat 1675 Ogilby
  • Cricklett 1637 Phillipps

Etymology

Forms from coins include Croci , Croc , Croccel , Crocglad t. Canute, Crecelā , Crec , Croc, Creccelad , Creeca , Crecel , Crecla t. Edw Conf, Cric , Criic , Cri t. Wm i

The second element is OE  (ge )lād , 'passage,' probably with reference to a crossing of the Thames here. The same second element is found in Lechlade (Gl) about ten miles to the northeast (cf. PN Gl s. n .). The early spellings of Cricklade show that the first element cannot be the British cruc , 'hill.' It may be the British word corresponding to Welsh  craig , 'rock' (OW  creic ), cf. Crick (PN Nth 68–9). The reference would then be to the prominent isolated hill half a mile to the west of the town.