Dechy (French pronunciation: [dəʃi]) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.[3]

Dechy
The church in Dechy
The church in Dechy
Flag of Dechy
Coat of arms of Dechy
Map
Location of Dechy
Dechy is located in France
Dechy
Dechy
Dechy is located in Hauts-de-France
Dechy
Dechy
Coordinates: 50°21′11″N 3°07′44″E / 50.353°N 3.129°E / 50.353; 3.129
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentNord
ArrondissementDouai
CantonAniche
IntercommunalityDouaisis Agglo
Government
  Mayor (20202026) Jean-Michel Szatny[1]
Area
1
9.27 km2 (3.58 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)[2]
5,338
  Density576/km2 (1,490/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
59170 /59187
Elevation18–46 m (59–151 ft)
(avg. 35 m or 115 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Population

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Toponymy

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The town has been named, Diptiacum in 899, (Cartulary of Saint-Amand, Miroeus), Diptiacum in 906, Diciacum in 1097, Diptiacum in 1107, Dichis in 1181 (Chronique Gislebert), Dici in 1205[6]

It probably comes from an old *Deppiacum, based of the gallic name Deppios[7] followed from the suffix -acum[8] (from the gallic -acon) of location and property, with the global meaning « property, farm of Deppios ». The suffix -(i)acum has generally finished as -y in the North (-ecque in the previous dutch speaking area and -eke in flemish), the plural form, appeared later -iacas to -ies.

History

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Middle Age

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The archeological statistics of the Nord departement of 1867 indicate:[9]

  • Since 7th century, Dechy containing maybe Férin belonged to the Saint-Amand Abbay. The count of Ostrevent had advocatus that was explaining Dechy and Férin of Hainaut county, although near of Douai.
  • A hospital was already existing in 1218, the patient care were made by the sisters of the Abbaye of Beaulieu in Sin-le-Noble[10]
  • In 1205, the abbe Jean gives to his vassals of Dechy and Férin a penal law copied of the one in Douai.

Heraldry

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Arms of Dechy
Arms of Dechy
The arms of Dechy are blazoned :

Or, an eagle sable dimidiated with Azure semy de lys Or. The latter being France Ancient (Dechy, Férin and Saint-Saulve use the same arms.)



See also

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References

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  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
  3. INSEE commune file
  4. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Dechy, EHESS (in French).
  5. Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE
  6. Statistique archéologique du département du Nord, op. cit. en bibliographie, p. 612-613.
  7. Albert Dauzat and Charles Rostaing, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieux en France, Librairie Guénégaud Paris VIe, reissue 1979, p. 241b.
  8. Albert Dauzat and Charles Rostaing, op. cit.
  9. Statistique archéologique du département du Nord, op. cit. en bibliographie, p. 613.
  10. Pierre-Antoine-Samuel-Joseph Plouvain (1828), Éphémérides historiques de la ville de Douai: Biographie douaisienne (2 ed.), Douai: impr. de Deregnaucourt, p. 40, retrieved 5 January 2018, sur Gallica.