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.

Tunley

Early-attested site in the Parish of Bisley

Historical Forms

  • Tunleg', Tunlee, Tunleye 1220 Fees 1248,1287 Ass 1587 FF
  • Thonleya 1248 Ass
  • Tolneye 1287 Ass
  • Tonley 1303 FA 1338 FF 1475–80 ECP
  • Toueley (sic) 1483 IpmR

Etymology

This isolated place in the east of this large parish is hardly likely to be OE  tūn -lēah 'the clearing belonging to the village', but it could denote 'a fenced-in clearing' from tūn in its older sense; v. lēah .The spellings do not favour the OE  pers.n. Tunna .