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.

Diglis Locks

Early-attested site in the Parish of St Peters without Worcester

Historical Forms

  • Dudeley 1299 RBB 18th
  • Dudleg, Dudley(a), Dudleye 1232 Ch c.1275 WoCh 1284,1288 Wigorn 1327 Pat 1349 CompR
  • Duydeley 1375 CompR
  • Digley 1483 Pat
  • Dudley 1490 WoCh
  • Dydeley 1518 More 1535 VE
  • Digeley, Dudeley 1546 LP
  • Diglis 1640–1663 Townsend
  • Dougleys al. Diglis 1649 Surv
  • Dugleys al. Digleys 1669 WoCh

Etymology

meadow called Dudley 1490 WoCh

This is the clearing (v. leah ) of either Dudda or Dydda . In the former case we have the same curious phonetic development that is found in Dinnington (Nb), Dinton (Bk, W), which all go back to OE  Dunna . For the change from Didley to Digley we may compare Bignam for Biddenham (PN BedsHu 26), where we have a similar change from d to g before a liquid. This place has naturally been much confused by indexers and editors with Dudley in the same county.

Places in the same Parish