Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• de la Helle, de Helle c.1260 Ipm 1278 Ct

• Hellgrange 1535 VE 1538 LP

Etymology

We have no evidence from OE  charters for an element hel (l ), apart from the dubious ecgerdeshel of BCS 1230. The form dudemæres hele (BCS 1170) quoted by Middendorff (s. n. hele ) is found in a charter in which ēa has already become ē and the name therefore probably comes from OE  hēale (v. healh ).The probability is therefore, as suggested by Professor Ekwall, that this is the common word hell , used as a term of contempt or the like.