Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Celelea 1086 DB

• Chelleia 1208–26 Chest

• Chelleye 1290 Ipm

• Scholley 1284 Ipm

• Scholleg 1285 ib

• Sholley 1443 ChRR

• Cholleye 1297 Dav

• Cholley 1272–1307 StoweCh 1673 Sheaf

• Cholley or Chowley or Chorley 1668–71 ib

• Choly 1695 ib

• Chollelegh 1367 Orm2

• Chowley 1551 Pat 1591 Sheaf

• Chowley Green 1671 ib

• Choulley 1668–71 ib

• Chorley 1668–71 Sheaf

• Thouley, Touley, Towley, Towley Green 1690 Sheaf

Etymology

'Cēola's wood or clearing', from the OE  pers.n. Cēola and lēah, as in Brooks Mill 395, with grēne 2 . The T - spellings probably represent a pronunciation [ts-] < [tʃ-], whereas S (c )h - represents [ʃ-] < [tʃ-].