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.

Calne Hundred

Hundred in the County of Wiltshire

Historical Forms

  • (in) hundreto de Calna, Calne hundred 1086 ExonDB
  • Caune hundred 1193 P

Etymology

v. Calne infra 256. The meeting-place is unknown. Possibly it was at The Motley (TA ) in Compton Bassett, just east of Cherhill Low, where the parishes of Calne, Cherhill and Compton meet. Motley probably goes back to OE  (ge )mōt -lēah , 'moot-clearing.'