Skalpi

Male
CPL
4 of 5

Discussion of the name

Skalpi is a masculine name of Scandinavian provenance which originated as a byname from the ON noun skálpr (‘scabbard’). The name seems to have been used in Norway and Iceland but not Denmark (Insley 1994: 223–5). No instances other than those in DB have been recorded in PASE. Von Feilitzen noted that the spelling without –i– found in the Norfolk folios, Calpus, could represent a strong form of the name, ON Skálpr; but another instance without –i– occurs in Suffolk for a landowner who is otherwise always spelled with an –i– and so had the standard weak form of the name, Skálpi. For that reason it is preferable to treat all instances as Skalpi. Latinization of the name in LDB produced spellings in –inus as well as –ius and –us (von Feilitzen 1937: 125 § 148, 128 § 155).

Bibliography

Insley 1994: John Insley, Scandinavian Personal Names in Norfolk: A Survey based on Medieval Records and Place-Names, Acta Academiae Regiae Gustavi Adolphi 62 (Uppsala, 1994)

von Feilitzen 1937: Olof von Feilitzen, The Pre-Conquest Personal Names of Domesday Book, Nomina Germanica 3 (Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksells, 1937)

Forms of the name

Spellings in Domesday Book: Calpus, Scalpinus, Scalpius, Scalpus, Scapius

Forms in modern scholarship:

  von Feilitzen head forms: Skálpi; Skálpr

  Phillimore edition: Scalpi (Essex, Suff.), Skalp (Norf.)

  Alecto edition: Skalpi

Distribution map of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

List of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

Holder 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Essex 30,16 Great Leighs Scalpinus Skalpi, housecarl of Earl Harold Harold, earl Geoffrey de Mandeville William fitzSaxwalo de Bouville 2.63 4.00 4.50 A Map
Essex 32,40 Ardleigh Scapius Skalpi, housecarl of Earl Harold - Robert Gernon William d'Aunay 0.75 2.00 0.25 A Map
Norfolk 24,6 Postwick Calpus Skalpi 'of Postwick' - Eudo the steward - 1.00 0.75 2.00 B Map
Norfolk 38,4 Tunstall Calpus Skalpi 'of Postwick' - Robert de Verly - 0.67 1.00 1.00 B Map
Suffolk 36,1 Churchford Scapius Skalpi, housecarl of Earl Harold Harold, earl Robert Gernon William d'Aunay 1.00 3.00 2.00 A Map
Suffolk 36,16 Layham Scapius Skalpi, housecarl of Earl Harold - Robert Gernon William d'Aunay 0.17 0.15 0.15 A Map
Suffolk 36,2 Stutton Scalpius Skalpi, housecarl of Earl Harold Harold, earl Robert Gernon William d'Aunay 2.00 6.00 3.00 A Map
Totals

Lord 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Suffolk 16,35 Burstall Scalpus Ælfgeat 'of Burstall' Skalpi Odo, bishop of Bayeux Roger Bigod 0.10 0.13 0.13 A Map
Suffolk 36,8 Woolverstone Scalpius Alfred 'of Woolverstone' Skalpi Robert Gernon - 0.67 0.80 0.50 A Map
Totals