| Name/Place | Probable Meaning | Other Spellings | |
| Agecroft | Cultivated land (croft), but several possible meanings for the prefix, by the edge (OE ecg ?)- possibly refering to the steep sides of the Irwell Valley, another meaning of edge is border or boundary - in which case it becomes croft by the boundary (of Prestwich & Pendlebury). Another possibility os based on another placename - Edgecott (Buckinghamshire) formerly named Achecott, which means cottages (OE cott) made of oak (OE ac), Achecroft (a earlier spelling) giving croft by the oak tree(s) | Achecroft, Edgecroft | |
| Alkrington | Farmstead or village (OE tun) associated with a person called Ealha (ON) | ||
| Besses o' th' Barn | Named after the landlady of a pub which had a barn attached. | Besses of the Barn, Bessy's o' th' Barn Ref | |
| Bradley Ford | Ford of the Irwell near Bunkers Hill at the West end of Clifton Road. This ford linked Clifton (Hall) to Prestwich. | ||
| Butt Hill | Where the Bowmen of the locality practiced (a butt being the structure that holds the target - from the French Butte) | ||
| Butterstile | This has at least two possible origins - a stile in a fence where goods and payment were exchanged during the plague or a stile leading to Butt Hill giving Butt-hill-stile. | ||
| Cart Clough | An old track following the line of Hillcrast Road and Webster Grove down to the bridge leading to Irwell House. | ||
| Carr | Dweller by the marsh or fenny copse or brushwood wet ground. Also refered to as Cart Clough - now known as Carr Clough (OE cloh) - indicating a track down (from Diggle Fold - now Lowther Road) to the Irwell House area of the Valley. | Cart, ~ Clough, ~ Avenue | |
| Chetham | Wood (OE chet from Celtic ced) homestead (OE ham) | ||
| Clifton | Farmstead or village (OE tun) near or on a cliff. Linked to Prestwich via Bradley Ford (above) | ||
| Dauntsey | Island or well drained land associated with a person called Domgeat(ON). The Dauntsey family inherited Agecroft Hall about 1540 and were in posession of it until 1925. | Dauntesey, D'Anesey (1301), Dansey, Dansy, Dancy..... | ref. |
| Deyne | From the name of the site of the old Rectory. From OE Den meaning deep woody dell or valley or shut in gill. In this case it was the upper reaches of Prestwich Clough, once blocked to form a lake. The Deyne was fed by several springs in the West of Prestwich one originating in the Heys area (now indicated by Heys Road). | Ref. Deyne Hall | |
| Dingle | Dweller of the deep fell or hollow, ancient family of Prestwich, the Dingle has also been used to describe the Deyne area which now makes up St Marys playing fields. | ||
| Drinkwater | Applied to a person who was too poor to drink Ale (even when it was very cheap), ironically applied to tavern keepers. The Drinkwater Family resided in the Irwell Valley. | Dreink, Drynk | |
| Egerton | Farmstead or village (OE tun) associated with a person called Ecghere (ON) | ||
| Hartswell | Hart (deer) and well (OE welle) refering to two local streams that meet and ran (now underground) down the West side of Rainsough Brow. A row of Cottages existed at the bottom of the hill but were frequently flooded, and demolished 1935/6 | ||
| Heaton | High (OE heah) farmstead or village (OE tun). A very common place name and so adopted by many families throughout Britain. | Heton, Little ~, Great ~, ~ Hall, ~ Park | |
| Heys | High (OE heah) or the place where hay is made. | The ~, ~ Road | |
| Heywood | High (OE heah) wood (OE wudu). A very common place name and so adopted by many families throughout Britain. | ||
| Hilton | Hill (OE hyll) farmstead or village (OE tun). The Hilton family probably originated from the Hulton area of Bolton. | Hulton, Hylton | |
| Holland | Cultivated land near a hill-spur - again a common place and surname throughout Britain. The Holland family briefly interfered with the History of Prestwich, by claiming rights to Prestwich. | ||
| Hope | Raised land in a fen or vale, area known as Hope Square - now Hope Park. At teh Junction of Bury New Road and Scholes Lane. Location of the original Friendship Tavern. | ||
| Kersal | An island in the river or between rivers (OE Sal) where the watercress grows. Describes a possible crossing point of the Irwell - now made by Agecroft Bridge.
Also Caer (OE fort) Sael (OE Hall) - Fort of the Hall. See Salford. |
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| Kersall Mount | House located on Myrtle Grove, now under the Golf Course. | ||
| Langley | Long Wood/Clearing (OE leah) | Longley Ref | |
| Myrtle Grove | Track leading across the present day Golf Course linking Hilton Lane to Myrtle Grove Dye Works in Sedgley | ||
| Oak Bank | At the top of Rainsough Brow | ||
| Oak Hill | At the junction of Butterstile Lane and Bury New Road | ||
| Pendlebury | Manor by the hill, from Pen meaning hill and bury meaning manor or fortification. (the dle in the middle comes from hill) so it more precisely means Hillhillmanor (similar to Lake Windermere - where mere means lake - or Koala bear - where koala means bear). | Peneberi(1199), Pendleburg | |
| Pilkington | Farmstead or village (OE tun). Influential family of Landowners in the Northwest of England. | ||
| Parrenthorne | Referring to the owner of a farm who had one leg shorter than the other and had to wear a patten on the short leg. | Pattenthorn | |
| Pilkington | Meaning Royal Estate (Kington) by the strema (OE pyll). An influential Northwest family whose name still lives on today. Owned the land that made up the Pilkington township bordering Prestwich. Other possible meanings for Pil - a place where stakes are made or a place enclosed by stakes. | ||
| Poppythorn | Named after a local plant with medicinal uses - probably renamed during the reformation. Also a thorn bush with poppies growing nearby. | Pope's Thorn | |
| Polefield | A field - actually the highest point of Prestwich - where a flag pole was placed for signaling it times of war. Not the May-pole which was sited next to the Church Inn on Church Lane. | ||
| Prestwich | Preists' (OE preost) retreat/abode (OE wic). The Prestwich family held the Manor of Prestwich until the immediate line died out in 1350. Other Branches existed in Hulme and Brailles. | Prestwige, Prestwidge, Prestige, Prestwych, Prestwick Ref | |
| Rainsough | Hill (OE houe) also howe. or drain (OE sough) a reference to Hartswell.
Rain(s) may refer to a person by name (NOT the abundant local weather). |
Rainshow, Rains Howe, Rainsugh Brow | |
| Rooden | From Saxon Ruudynge or Rudying meaning clearing of trees | Roden | |
| Salford | An river crossing (ford) at an island in the river or between rivers (OE Sal) describes a crossing point of the
Irwell.
Also possible derivations from Soel (Anglo Saxon Hall), ord (prince), fyrd - the Local lords (Theign) Militia. Soel also appearing in Ordsall, Kersal, and Wordsalm - all probably pointing to a great Hall in Salford - probably in the Adelphi area. |
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| Scholes | From the French Escalles(?) or more likely from the OE skali, meaning temporary huts. The Scholes family resided in Woodhill House. | Scales | Ref. |
| Sedgley | Wood/Clearing (OE leah) associated with a person called Secg (ON) or more likely, a place where sedge grows | ||
| Simister | From Somister, the surname of a farmer from Little Heaton. | Ref | |
| Tonge | Fork in a river (OE tang/twang). Influential family of Middleton | Ref | |
| Tetlow | Joan de Tetlowe inherited the Manor of Prestwich | Tetlawe | |
| Trafford | |||
| Well Bank | at the narrow point of Lowther Road | ||
| Wickleswick | Land once owned by the Prestwich family, later came into the possession of the de Trafford family, now known as Trafford Park. | ||
| Whitaker | From wheat acre, a field of wheat. A common family surname. Also possible derivation from Whitster - bleacher. | Whiteaker, Wetacra, weat acre | |
| Wilton | Farmstead (OE tun) by the Willows (OE Wil). Family that resided at Heaton Hall | ||
| Wooley | Woolley Bridge is located between Stalybridge and Glossop. Alicia de Wooley married Adam de Prestwich, Lord of the Manor, 14th Century. She was daughter of Henry de Pontefract. | Woolley,Wolveley (?) | |
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