Survey of English Place-Names

Etymology

, for earlier forms v. f. ns 1 . ( a ) infra . Possibly hurl as in Hurlditch Court , Whurueldych 1351 , Wyrueldyche 1365 , Hurueldych 1475 – 95 , 185 , from OE  hwerfel ' a circle ' used in p. ns . to denote something circular such as ' a stone circle ' or ' a circular or round-toppedhill ' . Hurlditch , Devon , is situated in a pan or circular hollow but the name seems to derive from a compound appellative occurring in on ða hwyrfel dic [931] 12th S 414 in the bounds of Cold Ashton ( PNG1 3 64 ) , to hwerfel dice 1001 S 898 in the bounds of Long Itchington ( PNWa 133 n . ) and now possibly le Hurle dike 1613 infra . The meaning of the compound is unknown . Hurl is a recorded sp for whirl from 16th cent .