Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Clerk(e)thorp(e) 1260 Cockers 1277 Kendii,278 1279 Ass26d 1292 1451,1461,1501 CockersRent

• Clerc(e)thorp(e) 1279 Ass10d

• Clerthorp(h) 1220–46 Cockers 1337 SR

• Clarethorpe 1279 Ass12d 1547 MinAcct 1553 Kendii,285 1597 Lease

• Clarethorpehall(e) 1547 MinAcct 1592,1606 Dep

• Clarthrop(p)(e) 1513,1600,1641 Kendii,284–7

• Cloorthropp 1555 Kendii,285

• Claythorpe 1579 FF

• Claythrop(p) 1706 Kendiii,270

• Claythorpe Hall c.1722 AnctHo

• Clawthrop Hall 1674 Kendii,288

• Clawthorp 1811 EnclA 1823 M

• Clathrop(p) 1651 FF

• Clathrop(p) Hall 1732 Rent2

• Robert' Clericus de Clerthorph 1220–46 Cockers

Etymology

'The clerk's hamlet', v. clerc 'cleric, scholar', þorp 'hamlet, secondary settlement'. The first el. is doubtless here a byname, and Robert ' Clericus de Clerthorph (1220–46 Cockers 1033) may be the person from whom the place is named. The history of the forms is difficult; -k - was first lost (as sometimes happens with kirk in names like Grasslick i, 36 or Kirfit i, 29supra ), and with later loss of -r - forms like Cla -, Clay - and Claw - arose; for the NCy interchange of ModE  -ā -, -ai - and -aw - cf. YW vii, 78 §3.