Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Katilbere hill, Katilbere hyll 1467×84 LTD

• Kettleborough Hill 1625,1638 Terrier 1722 et passim

• Cettleborough hill, Cettelborow(e) hill 1635 ib

• Kettleborow hill 1661 ib

• Cattleborrow hill 1674,l.17 ib

• Cattelborrow hill 1693 ib

• Kesborough Hill 1845 TA 1878 PK 1906 Surv 1907 PK

Etymology

( 2 ½ ″ ; extending into Stoughton parish, GartreeHundred, Lei 4259 ) , Katilbere hill , Katilbere hyll 1467 × 84LTD ,Kettleborough Hill 1625, 1638Terrier et passim to 1722ib ,Cettleborough hill , Cettelborow (e ) hill 1635ib , Kettleborow hill 1661ib ,Cattleborrow hill 1674, l.17ib , Cattelborrow hill 1693ib , Kesborough Hill 1845TA , 1878PK , 1906Surv , 1907PK , v. berg , hyll ; with the ON masc. pers.n. Ketill , an original by - name from ketill ' a cauldron, acauldron-shaped helmet ' . The a spellings in the early forms of the name are due either to AN scribal interchange between e and a or to monkish latinization ( cf. Lat catillus 'a small bowl' ) , their source being a register of Leicester Abbey . An interpretation ' cattle byre ' ( with cat ( t ) el + bȳre ) , may be discounted , OE ȳ rarely giving e in ME in Leics . , more usually i , u or y. That said , an ON  masc. pers.n. as a specific with berg is very rare in the county . Stemborough ( Steinesberue 13 , Steynesberwe 1323 ) in Leire supra may be the only other instance recognized to date . The very late appearance of a genitival medial s in Kettlesborough may be due to local antiquarian interest .