hwaetleah

Archive Notes:

The name Wheatley is derived from the old English "hwaetleah" The modern spelling is due to the influence of the word "wheat", but the old English "hwaet" has nothing to do with wheat. It means "sharp or bold" used with reference to moral or mental boldness. "Ley" is from the old English “Leah", a clearing or open space. It refers to land from which forest has been cleared, as distinct from "feld" which has always been open. So perhaps we may take Wheatley to mean "the clearing inhabited by a bold & active people.

The current archivist in 2024 favours this interpretation rather than the 'wheat' one. Wheatley (and much of Oxfordshire, was hardly a prime wheat-growing area) so emphasising this seems unlikely. But if there was to be one or more oustanding wheat growing village, then why are there not many more Wheatleys in England!

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