Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Tuffelege, Tuffele(ya), Tuffeley(e) 1086 DB 12,13 Glouc 1287 Ass 1540 LP

• Tufeley 1681 PR

• Toffelegh', Toffeleye 1320 Ass 1327 SR 1343 Lanth226d

• Tuffley, Tufflie 1535 VE 1580 GlR 1593 Dep

Etymology

'Tuffa's glade or clearing', v. lēah . The OE  pers.n. Tuffa is found in DB (Feilitzen 388), and this Gl p.n. supports Ekwall's suggestion that it is a hypocoristic form of OE  Tūnfrið rather than an ON pers.n.The origin of e.ModE  tuffe 'tuft' which occurs in later p.ns. in the sense 'clump of trees' is obscure (cf. Haytuft iii, 258infra ), but if it is of Germanic origin it could be thought of for Tuffley.