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.

Callans Wood

Early-attested site in the Parish of Pershore Holy Cross

Historical Forms

  • Challing Coppice 1544 LP
  • Calians Wood c.1830 O

Etymology

There is little doubt that this is the same name as Callingwood (St) which Duignan (PN St 31) shows to be a compound of wood and the element calenge or chalenge , the variant forms being respectively the AFr and Central French forms. The name means 'wood whose ownership is in dispute.' Cf. Threapwood (Ch), Threepwood (Nb), which have the same sense, but use a native English prefix.