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.

Corkley

Early-attested site in the Parish of Weston Underwood

Historical Forms

  • Cort(e)leg, Cort(e)l', Cort(e)legh, Cort(e)lay, Cort(e)ley(e) 1251 Ch 1294 RadCh 1367 FF 1386 DuLa 1387 Cor
  • Litle Court(e)ley 1607 Deed
  • Curtley 1482 MinAcct
  • Corckeley 1600 Ct
  • Corkley 1767 Burdett

Etymology

Perhaps 'Corta's clearing', v. lēah . For OE  pers.n. *Corta cf. Corburn Lane (PN NRY 14), Courteenhall (PN Nth 145–6) and Corton (PN W 162). Alternatively it may be 'short clearing', v. cort(e), lēah . The interchange of t and k before l is evidenced in other place-names and dialects.