Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Suruelec 1086 DB

• Survaleche 1154–60 Ch 1329

• S(ch)yrlach(e) 1278,1295 Ipm 1281 Tab

• Shirlach(e) 1424 ChRR 1527 Chol

• Shirlacs 1671 AddCh

• S(c)hurlach(e) c.1284 CASNSii c.1284 Tab 17 Plea 1325 Surv E3

• S(c)hurlach(e)dyche 1346 VR

• S(c)hurlack iuxta Northwich 1381 Plea

• Surlach 1536 Dugd(lit.Surlath)

• Surlache 1553 Pat

• Surleidg, Surlidge 1650 LRMB200,278

• Shorlache 1287 Court 1342 ChRR 1517 Plea 1552 Tab 1563 Sheaf 1592 ChRR

• Schorlach' E3 Surv

• Shorlachesiche 1310–30 Chol

• Ch'rlache'ude 1310–30 Chol

Etymology

'Bog, or muddy stream, with a scurf on it'. Shurlach is at the confluence of Puddinglake Brook and R. Dane. The second el. is læc(c), lec(c), lece 'a stream, a bog'. The first is OE  sc(e)orf, scurf , scyrf , 'scurf' (BT & Suppl scorf , NED scurf ), here probably with the sense 'an incrustation', alluding to a bog with a crust on its surface, or a sluggish stream whose sides are encrusted with dried scum.The various derivative forms -'ude , -dyche , -siche , and -Fields , are 'wood, ditch, water-course and town-fields of Shurlach', v. wudu , dīc , sīc , feld , higher , lower . For the ditch, see also 1 13.