Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cottelegh(') 1244 1274 Fine 1303 FA 1310 FF 1314 Pat 1328 Sher 1440 Cl

• Cottele 1244 Ass 1322 CottCh 1330 Ass

• Cotteleg' 1244 Ass

• Cotteley(e) 1285 FA 1314 Pat 1388 Fine 1412,1428 FA

• Cottelega 1367 Forde 15

• Cotelegh' 1244 Ass

• Cotele 1246 Pat

• Cotley 1431 FA 1795 Boswell

• Cotlegh 1465 IpmR

• Coltelegh' 1327 SR

• Coltley 1608,1630 Brid 1811 OS

• Coltly 1631 Brid 1774 Hutch1 1863 Hutch3

• Coltleigh Farm 1837 TA

• Coltswood Coppice 1837 TA

• Colt 1327 SR

• Co(u)lt(') 1327,1332 ib

Etymology

'Cotta's wood or clearing', from the OE  pers.n. Cotta and lēah, cf. cotta dene 1035 (12) SherC (S 975), a bdy point in one of the Saxon charters for Corscombe par. supra , 'Cotta's valley', this probably referring to the valley on the par. bdy just ½ mile NNE and no doubt named from the same man. Cotley in Chardstock par. supra and Cotleigh PN D 625 are apparently identical in origin. It will be noted that the change to Colt - in this name is a relatively late development. The isolated early surname form Coltelegh 1327 may well be a scribal or transcriptional error (with -lt - for -tt -) rather than a significant spelling, and the later forms in Colt - from 1608 onwards may be the result of popular etymology, influenced perhaps by the nearby (½ mile ENE) Coltwood Coppice (Coltswood Coppice 1837TA ) where the first el. may be the surname Colt as in Walter Colt 1327 SR (Loders), William Co (u )lt (')1327, 1332 ib (Bridport).