indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from location)
Usage English
Other Forms FormsEastleigh, Eastlee, Eastleah, Eastlea, Estleie
Meaning & History
A Saxon village called East Leah has been recorded to have existed since 932 AD. (Leah is an ancient Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'a clearing in a forest'). There is additional evidence of this settlement in a survey from the time which details land in North Stoneham being granted by King Æthelstan to his military aid, Alfred in 932 AD. The prefix 'Est' or 'East' is thought to refer to its location relative to the established settlement of Baddesley. The Domesday Book of 1086 gives a more detailed account of the settlement, which is referred to as 'Estleie'.