Current explanation for the name of Lichfield.

    Abstract. The varied explanations for the reason behind the name of Lichfield are given. Most refer to superficial topographical features of the area and presume it followed similar explanations for early settlements. There has been little reference to the earliest mention of a name in the biography of Bishop Wilfrid, 712-14, or in Bede’s book, 731. It has been a failure by etymologists.

    Two antiquarian papers, claimed the name of Lichfield was a Celtic-Anglo-Saxon hybrid with Lich derived from the Celtic word Luitcoit meaning grey wood (it had also been applied to the Roman site of Letocetum).[1] The early church site could have been open land near to a grey or brown wood, the colour indicating the predominant species or perhaps denoting lichen-covered trees[2]. The University of Nottingham ‘Key to English Place Names’ described Lichfield as a grey wood but using lēto as a British prefix for grey and cē,d as primitive Welsh for forest or wood coming together to give Lyccid. Six references are given[3] It has been argued a grey wood could be applied to Letocetum, but not to Lichfield.[4] It has also been pointed out Lichfield could not have been a Welsh settlement in the mid-seventh century[5]. It is possible this etymological explanation applied to a settlement name before the seventh century, but such a settlement has still to be established. Johnson conjectured whether Lichfield was a toponym that began as an area-name and became a later settlement-name.[6]

            There is a difficulty believing the most significant feature for the site was a grey wood. Many antiquarian derivations emphasised the watery nature of the area. Litchfield in 1776 was described as built in the middle of a bog. [7] Indeed, many antiquarians connected Lich to the Old English words lǽce meaning leech, lecce meaning water and lacu indicating a pool, pond or lake.[8] If feld meant an area inhabited, the name becomes ‘little water place’ or ‘little lake town’.[9] Recently feld has been suggested to be an important resource indicator for pig pasturing.[10]  

 1 was named the upper pool, 2 was the middle pool and 3 Stowe pool, originally called Stowe Pool Waste Ground, 4 represented Stowe surrounded by a ditch. 5 was the Cathedral Close surrounded by a ditch. 6 was labelled St Marys and the Friary surrounded by water (presumably the town ditch). 7 were pools in the Bishop’s marsh.
From Rawson 1840

Clearly, there are queries about the current etymology for Lichfield, but it will take  time for the alternative origin in which a Mercian king (Wulfhere), attendant bishop (Wilfrid) and a distant scribe (Bede) used an adjective to describe the status of the early Christian Church site and not some vague topological feature. 

It is time to recognise three Christians gave the name which eventually became Lichfield.

[1] H. Bradley, ‘Etocetum or Letocetum’, The Academy, 30, (1886). 294; H. Bradley, ‘The etymology of Lichfield’, The Academy, 36, (1889) 305–306. 

[2] D. Horovitz, D. A survey and analysis of the place names of Staffordshire. Unpub. PH.D. thesis University of Nottingham, (2003), 27. A grey-brown wood was first suggested by A. L. F. Rivet and C. Smith, The place-names of Roman Britain (Princeton: 1979), 386–387.

[3] V. Watts, Cambridge dictionary of English place-names (Cambridge: 2007), 372;  R. Coates, A. Breeze and D. Horovitz, Celtic voices. English places: Studies of the Celtic impact on place names in England ( Donington: 2000),  335;  E. Ekwall, The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names (Oxford: 1960), 297:  K. Cameron, A dictionary of Lincolnshire place-names (Nottingham: English place-name Society:1998), 223, 275: A. D. Mills, A dictionary of English place-names (Oxford: 1991), 298 and M. Gelling, Signposts to the past (Bognor Regis: 2010), 57, 100–1.

[4] J. Gould,  'Caer Lwytgoed: its significance in early medieval documents',  Transactions of South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society, 1991-1992, (1993), 33, 7–8.

[5] W. H. Duignan, Notes on Staffordshire Place Names (Oxford: 1902).

[6] D. Johnson,  'Lichfield and St Amphibalus: the story of a legend', South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society Transactions 1986--1987, (1988), XXVIII,1.

[7] W. Stukeley, W, Itinerarium Curiosum: or an account of the antiquities and remarkable curiosities in nature and art observed in travels through Great Britain  (London: 1776), 61. 

[8] T. Harwood, The history and antiquities of the church and city of Lichfield (London: 1806), 2.

[9] G. Dyer, A restoration of the ancient modes of bestowing names  (London: 1805), 267.

 [10] D. Turner and R. Briggs, ‘Testing transhumance: Ango-Saxon swine pastures and seasonal grazing in the Surrey Weald, Surrey Archaeological Collections, (2016), 189.