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.

Sorley

Early-attested site in the Parish of Churchstow

Historical Forms

  • Sueordleage, Sueordleage wælle 947 BCS451
  • swurdleage, æt swurdleage, swurdleg, swurdleg wyll 962 ThorndonHallCharter
  • Surleia 1086 DB
  • Surlegh 1242 Fees776 1249 Ass 1284 Ass
  • Sourlegh 1284 Ass
  • Sorlegh 1285 FA

Etymology

The name must be a compound of OE  sweord , 'sword' and leah, but the meaning of such a place-name is obscure. Cf. Swaddicott supra 110, and for the early loss of w , cf. Sourton supra 206.

Places in the same Parish