| Place |
Original
Name |
Language |
Meaning |
Notes |
| Ainsdale |
Einulvesdel (DB
1086) |
Old Norse |
Einulf's valley |
Between the
sandhills and the mosses (hardly elevated
ground!). |
| Altcar |
Acrer (DB 1086) |
Old Norse |
Marshland by
the River Alt |
A pretty
concise description before the land drainage. |
| Argarmeols |
Erengermeles
(DB 1086) |
Old Norse |
Erengr's
sandhills |
Partly where
the Royal Birkdale golf course is now. Was lost
to the sea by the end of the 14th century.
Survives as Argarmeols Road, Freshfield. |
| Barton |
Bartune (DB
1086) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Barley farm or
settlement |
|
| Birkdale |
Birkedale
(1200) |
Old Norse |
Birch-tree
valley |
|
| Cronton |
Crohinton
(1242) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Settlement of
crows |
|
| Ditton |
Ditton (1193) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Ditch farm or
settlement |
After Ditton
Brook (still a substantial stream). |
| Downholland |
Holand (DB
1086) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Lower hill-spur
land |
Must refer to
its location below Clieves Hills |
| Eggergarth |
Ekergert (1240) |
Old Norse |
Small ploughed
field enclosure |
Now lost
(between Lydiate and Downholland Cross).
Eggergate Mill House survives. |
| Farnworth |
Ferneworthe
(12th cent.) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Ferny enclosure |
|
| Formby |
Fornebei (DB
1086) |
Old Norse |
Forni's (or
old) village |
|
| Hale |
Hales (1176) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Nook of land |
|
| Halewood |
Halewode
(ca.1200). |
Anglo-Saxon |
Wood by Hale |
|
| Halsall |
Heleshala (DB
1086) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Haele's nook of
land |
|
| Ince Blundell |
Hinne (DB 1086) |
Welsh |
Island (cf.
Welsh Ynys), held by the Blundell family since
1200. |
|
| Kirkby |
Cherchebi (DB
1086) |
Old Norse |
Church village |
|
| Knowsley |
Chenulveslei
(DB 1086) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Meadow field |
|
| Little Crosby |
Crosebi (DB
1086), Little Crosseby (1243) |
Old Norse |
Village with
cross(es) |
There is still
one of the old crosses in the village. |
| Lunt |
Lund (1251) |
Old Norse |
Grove |
|
| Lydiate |
Leiate (DB
1086) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Swing-gate |
|
| Maghull |
Magele (DB
1086) |
Anglo-Saxon
(perhaps) |
Maga's nook of
land (possibly) |
|
| Melling |
Melinge (DB
1086) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Mealla's people
or place |
|
| Oglet |
Ogelot (1275) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Oak tree by a
watercourse |
|
| Penketh |
Penket (1242) |
Welsh |
Wood's edge
(cf. Welsh Pencoed) |
|
| Ravensmeols |
Ravensmeols |
Old Norse |
Hrafn's
sandhills |
Now lost. Just
south of Formby but washed away by the sea.
Survives as Raven Meols Hills, the name of the
local sandhills. |
| Sefton |
Sextone (DB
1086) |
Old Norse |
Sedge farmstead |
The marshy
nature of the land by the church and the old
mill. |
| Speke |
Spec (DB 1086) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Brushwood |
|
| Tarbock |
Torboc (DB
1086) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Thorn-tree
brook |
The ancient
boundaries were marked by several brooks. |
| Thornton |
Torentun (DB
1086) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Thorn-tree farm |
|
| Up Litherland |
Literlant (DB
1086) |
Old Norse |
Upper slope
land |
No longer in
existence, but the location at the foot of
Clieves Hills would explain the name. |
| Waddicar |
|
Anglo-Saxon |
Woad plant
fields |
|
| Widnes |
Wydenesse
(1300) |
Anglo-Saxon |
Wide promontory |
A good
description of the shape of the land. |
