Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Armele 1337 Deed

• Armlye 1634 Terrier

• Harmley Wood c1800,1806 Map

• Armley Wood 1824 O

Etymology

The first element presents difficulty. The OE adjective earm 'poor, wretched' is possible, as for Armley YW and Yarmley D. Smith notes (YW 3211) that this word has almost invariably a personal reference so that the meaning 'poor, wretched wood' is unlikely. Ekwall DEPN also proposes earm for Armley YW but with the sense 'outlawed', hence 'the wood of the outlaw(s)'. Such a signification is to be discounted for the Rutland example which is so close to the important centres of Hambleton and Oakham. An unrecorded OE  pers.n. Earma (a by-name from earm ) may also be thought of, as Smith proposes for the YW example: but if the D, Ru and YW place-names all have the same origin, three compounds of Earm (a ) plus lēah (and the pers.n. is otherwise unknown) must be rejected as highly improbable. On balance, earm with the sense 'poor quality' seems likeliest here, v. earm , lēah .