Origins of some East Riding place names

Aike - I haven't been able to find the origin of this name, although the local expression 'Yacker backer Arram' makes me wonder if it derives from the Viking 'yacker' (acre). It is interesting to note that in early times Aike was an island in the River Hull.

Aldborough - old fortress (Viking)

Anlaby - 'Olafr's farm (Viking)

Bilton - Billa's farm (Viking)

Bridlington - settlement of Beortel's people (Anglo-Saxon)

Cawkeld - would appear to be Viking, as kelda is Old Norse for a spring. Cawkeld is an area of low lying pasture with springs where water from the chalk wolds above flows into the feeder streams of the river Hull. Perhaps it meant cow springs or cold springs.

Cottingham- Ket's (Ceridwen, a deity) or Cotta's people's place (Anglo-Saxon or mixed Anglo-Saxon and Celtic)

Dunswell - ?from Douceville in reference to a large number of springs/wells in the area

Eske -  this long depopulated settlement on the east bank of the river Hull has a Viking name meaning ash tree. This is the same root of Norse names in other parts of Yorkshire like Askrigg in Wensleydale (ridge of ash trees)

Flamborough - Flein's fort (Viking)

Fridaythorpe- Fridaeg's farm (Viking)

Goodhamham - settlement of Godmund (Anglo Saxon) - Goodmanham was the site of a major pagan shrine (where the parish church is now located) and the capital of the Anglian kingdom of Deira

Hunmanby - hundsman's farm (Viking)

Hutton - high farm (old English)

Keldmarsh - a compound name. Keld is Viking for a spring. This area is still a marshy area with springs, and is now a nature reserve belonging to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Kilnwick - Cylla's farm (Anglo-Saxon)

Kirk Ella - the origin is disputed. It may mean the place of worship of Ella, or Ella may derive from aelf lea, the Elves clearing, with Kirk distinguishing it from other locations e.g. West Ella

Leven - one of very few Celtic place names in the area, the others being the names of rivers like the Humber, Hull, Ouse and Derwent. The invading Anglians almost obliterated the Celtic heritage of the area. Leven derives from 'llyfn' meaning smooth

Lund - Viking for a grove. There are regions in Sweden and Norway of the same name

Marfleet - marr is Norse for sea, while fleet is both Norse and Old English for a stream or creek

 

Meaux - Originally Melsa/Melse - Scandinavian/Anglo-Scandinavian, meaning a sandbank in a pool. Francophone spelling adopted by the Cistercian monks of Meaux Abbey whose mother house was in the French town of Meaux.  

Pocklington - Anglian settlement of Poca's people

Skerne - an Old English name meaning bright/clear but modified with the 'sk' sound to be pronounceable by the incoming Vikings

Skidby - clearly Viking in view of the 'sk' sound and the -by ending. Probably means either Skitr's farm or the farm in the place for gathering firewood

Storkhill - Stork appears to be an Anglian name referring to an island of Storks. Storkhill is one of the water towns of Beverley, the others being Sicey, Sneerholmes, Thearne, Tickton, Weel and Woodmansey.

Sunderlandwick – deserted village near Driffield. Probably meaning the dairy farm in the 'sundered land' (i.e. set apart - in the case of the NE town of Sunderland, a monastic designation) 

 

Sutton - Anglo-Saxon meaning 'south town' - in this case, the south town to Wawne.

Thearne- Anglian: a thorn tree

Tickton - Tica's farm (Anglian)

Walkington – Anglo-Saxon, meaning either settlement of Wealca's people or settlement of the Welisc. The Anglo-Saxons referred to the British tribes they displaced as Welisc or foreigners. This is where the word Welsh derives from, and these displaced tribes would have spoken an early form of Welsh.

 

Wawne - Anglian meaning a quagmire.

Wetwang - this name appears to be Norse but the exact meaning is unclear. Vangr means field (c.f. Stavanger) and vaettr may mean a summons to a trial for an action.

Weel - Anglian for a whirlpool

Wilfholme – holme can mean a low flat island but more often locally it refers to a water meadow and there are many located along the River Hull (Snakeholmes, Cattleholmes, Fishholme, Featherholme, Hempholme, Standingholme, Hallytreeholme, Heigholme, Sandholme, Sneerholmes and Bransholme, just to name the ones immediately beside the River Hull!)

Woodmansey - Anglian. A woodman's pool