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.

Collier Street

Early-attested site in the Parish of Hatfield Broad Oak

Historical Forms

  • Coldwell(e) t.Hy3,1534 EAS(NS)i,ii 1316 Rental
  • Coltwel 1323 For
  • pons de Colewell 1316 Rental
  • Collwell(e)bregge 1392 Ct
  • Strete t.Hy8 Rental
  • Colwell 1534 MinAcct
  • Coller Streete 1637 Ct
  • Colley Street 1769 Deed
  • College Street 1777 C
  • Green 1805 O 1824 G

Etymology

'Cold stream,' v. cald , wielle . The modern form is due to loss of w , assimilation of ld to ll , and the dissimilatory loss of the final l . The pronunciation [kɔlə] was then confused with collier , which must have been common in this forest district. Cf. Colieresland 13thAddCh (in Hatfield), and Collier Row infra 117.