English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Owlcotes

Early-attested site in the Parish of Heath

Historical Forms

  • Caldecotes 1086 DB
  • Hulecotes John BelCh
  • (H)ulecot' 1211 Cur Hy3 WollCh
  • Ulcotes alias Owle Cotes 1582 FF
  • Holecote 1257 FF
  • (H)oulecotes, (H)oulekotes 1271 Ch 1281 Ass 1328 Banco
  • Owl(e)cot(t)es 1413,1415 HardCh 1431 FA
  • Oldcoat(e) 1744 DKR 1829 Glover

Etymology

'Owl cottages', v. ūle , cot , the DB form being presumably an error. Cf. Oldcoates (PN Nt 99), where it is stated that there has been later confusion with old . The development was, however, probably purely dialectal.