Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cheuenwrde 1086 DB

• Chavelesworth(e), Chauelisworth(e), Chauelesworth(e), Chaueleswrth 1285 For 1290 Ch

• Chaulesworth 1294 IpmR 1330 QW

• Chasseworth 1285 For

• Chal(l)esworth 1552 Woll 1560 1758 Bowen

• Chalseworth 1577 Saxton

• Charlesworth 1767 Burdett

Etymology

Perhaps 'Ceafl's enclosure', v. worð , with the first element an unrecorded OE nick-name *Ceafl from OE  ceafl 'jaw'. Ekwall (DEPN) may however be correct in suggesting that the first element is alternatively OE  ceafl used in the sense 'ravine'. Chunal infra illustrates this kind of figurative use. In that case the history of the name is perhaps that the valley of the R. Etherow below Charlesworth was first called Ceafl and that Charlesworth, apparently a genitival compound, means 'the enclosure near Ceafl '. The form Cheuen - is due to the AN  sound-substitution of -n - for -l -. Ekwall (op. cit .) is probably correct in stating that the name has been influenced by the neighbouring Charlestown, but this is a late name and the forms quoted by him for that place do not belong there.