Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Werblestune 1086 DB

• Uerulestane in Wicesfeld 1096–1101(1150),1150 Chest

• Weruelestona in Wischefeld 1096–1101 1280 ib

• Werflest' 1175 Facs

• Woruleston' 13 Dieul

• Werleston 1216–50 Chest 13 AddCh

• Werleston juxta Henhull 1367 Orm2

• Worlaston 1274 Ipm

• Worleston 1282 Court

• Worlaston alias Wordelaston 1574 AddCh

• Worlston 1521 ib

• Worleston Green 1831 Bry

• Wordliston 1288 Court

• Wordleston 1424 Orm2 1538 Plea 1542 ChRR

• Wordlaston 1521,1574 AddCh

• Wordeleston 1440 Plea

• Wordelaston 1544 AddCh

• Worleston alias Wordelaston 1574 ib

• Wordelston 1482 Rich

• Wordilston 1536 Sheaf

• Worldeston 1417 Rich 1515 Dav 1524,1545 Plea

• Warlaston 1519,1521 Plea

• Warleston 1526 ChRR

Etymology

A difficult p.n. containing tūn 'a farmstead or an enclosure'. The comparison with Werlington Sx in Sx 442, is irrelevant. Mr L. C. Hector of the Public Record Office confirms that the form in DB (the Exchequer original) is werblestune with a rustic capital B . This rustic B represents b for v in minuscule, but the capital B has been mistaken for capital E by editors. The first el. in the p.n. is therefore a form Werfles -, Werv (e )les - with an alternative form Worv -. Taking this p.n. and Wordesham 318infra to contain the same first el., and noting the f.n. Trundle Moor in Tilstone Fearnall the same township as Wordesham , the first el. might be identified as hwerfel 'a circle, something round', but neither archaeology nor topography at these places clearly proves this. The absence of Wh - spellings is unexpected if hwerfel is the first el., and the alternative Wer -, Wor - spellings suggest an original OE  weor - form rather than (h )wer -. Ekwall's derivation (DEPN) from the OE  pers.n. Wǣrwulf would require a contracted form War -, Werulf (gen.sg. Werulfes ) with metathesis to War -, Werf (e )les -, and the absence of even an occasional regular Werulves - form alongside the irregular metathesised one is curious.Professor Lofvenberg writes, 'Neither of the etymologies suggested is satisfactory from a formal point of view. I would suggest the following solution. The name consists of OE  tūn and a compound p.n. in the gen. case' (v. -es 2 ). 'The compound may be formally identical with Warley Salop and Warley Wigorn Wo 302, derived by Ekwall (DEPN, Studies2 63–4) from an OE  *Weorfa -lēah , *Weorfes - lēah "pasture for (draught) cattle", the first el. being the gen. pl. and sg. of OE  weorf "beast of burden, cattle". The gen. of the p.n. OE  *Weorfa -lēah , Weorfa -lēh may have been *Weorfa -lēas , Weorfa -lēs . The meaning would be "the farmstead by *Weorfa -lēh " or "the farmstead of, called, *Weorfa -lēh ". For similar p.n. formations see Tengstrand 135, 281.'The el. weorf (v. EPN 2 254–5) also appears in Worsley Wo 74, Warracott D 200.