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.

Cakebole

Early-attested site in the Parish of Chaddesley Corbett

Historical Forms

  • Kakebale, Cakebale 1270 ADvi 1275 SR 1656 BM
  • Cakeballe 1280 For
  • Cokebale 1322 Cl
  • Cakebowe 1656 WillsP
  • Cakebould 1708 FF

Etymology

The first element in this name and in Cakemore infra 293, and in a lost Kakewelle in Fladbury (1260RBB ), must be the pers. name which is found also in Cakeham or Cackham (Sx), Cacham 1263FF , 1262 (1338) Ch, and in Cavick in Wymondham (Nf), Cakewyc 1332 BM, Cakewyck 1453 AD iii. This name is not on independent record in OE but there is evidence for Germanic cognates of such an OE  name as Caca or Cacca .Förstemann (PN 57) records a pers. name Cac (c )o and a more doubtful Cacho . From this were formed place-names Cachinga and Cakingeham (ON i. 1623). The history of Kigbeare (D) suggests another possibility for the origin of this pers. name. This has forms DB Cacheberga , 1242 Fees Cakeber , 1310 Ipm Cadekebera , 1256Ass Cadekeber . Here it is clear we have a pers. name Cadoc , a diminutive of OE  Cada and that this name might appear, as early as DB, as Cache .

The second element is probably a lost OE  beall , 'ball,' used of a rounded hill. Such a use is recorded in the EDD in Somerset and a good illustration is the well-known Cloutsham Ball in that county. This dialectal use of ball and its presence in a Worcestershire place-name tend to confirm Björkman's view (Scand. Loan-words 229) that the word ball in ME was not a Scand. loan-word but an OE  word of which we only happen to have record of the diminutive form bealluc . See further PN La 165. The whole name, if this is the right view, means 'Caca's rounded hill.' The d of the 18th cent. form is the common vulgarism whereby d develops after final l , as in vild for vile .