Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Lurlehou c.1220 Ct

• Lurlaw 1347 Ct

• Urlawe 1509,1511,1527 IPM

• Urlaw 1596,1614 SurteesIII198

• Urley 1614 SurteesIII198

• Urley Nook 1814,1820 EP/Eg

• Urlingnook 1749 ib

• Urling, urrling Nook 1750 ib

• Orlin Nook 1753 ib

• Early Nooke 1731 ib

• Early Nook 1841 TA 1857 FordyceII222

• Urlay Nook 1820 DX459/10 1828,1837,1858 EP/Eg 1832 Eldon

Etymology

Perhaps originally 'Lurla's hill-spur', OE  pers.n. *Lurla + hōh, subsequently taken to be a name in law (OE  hlāw ) 'a hill' and, with reduction of the unstressed syllable to [ə], confused with -ley . At some time the name seems to have been wrongly analysed as if L 'Urlaw with the Fr  definite article le subsequently dropped. For the pers.n. cf. Larling Norfolk TL 9889, Luringa 1086, Lurlinga 1086, [1086] c.1180, Lurlinges 1180 (p), Lerlinges 1223 (p), Lirlinge 1242×3, 1254, Lyrlinge 1275, Lyrlyngges 1346 (p) for which PNIng 59 suggests nick-name *Lyrel from OE  lyre 'loss' comparing ME  lorel 'worthless person'. There may be a connection with the name Lorelei , possibly 'echoing, rumbling cliff', a rock on the Rhine near Coblenz, which gave rise to the legend of Lorelei the river-siren.