Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Canteleia, Cantelie, Cantelay, Cantelai(a), Canteley(e) 1086 DB 1183–1200 YCh817 1210 Kirkst Hy3 BM 1260 Baild 1272 Ebor 1544 Testvi

• Canteleg 1240 FF

• Cantele 1245 Ebor

• Cantel' 1291 Tax

• Kantelai 1209 FF

• Cauntel(e)' 1246 Ass11 1262 FF

• Cantley, Cantlay 1441 DiocV 1479 WillY 1822 Langd

• Over Cantley 1595 FF 1647 PRCnt

• Up Cantley 1655 ib

• Uper Cantley 1665 ib

• Cantlaw 1561 FF

Etymology

'Canta's glade or forest-clearing', v. lēah . An OE  pers.n. Canta is not recorded independently, but it would be a normal shortened form of some known pers.n. like the rare Cantwine , the OE  theme Cant - being ultimately of Celtic origin (cf. Feilitzen 214); a mutated form Kaenta (from Centwine , etc.) occurs in LVD (Redin 51). The same pers.n. Canta enters into the parallel p.ns. Cantley Nf and Compley La 157