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.

Rowley

Early-attested site in the Parish of Castle Church

Historical Forms

  • Roweleye als Roweleg' 1291 Ipm
  • Row(e)ley 1401 StaffAcc 1548 Survey 1569 1595 FF
  • Rowley by Stafford 1617 FF
  • Rouleye 1335 Banco 1339 FF
  • Row(e)lowe 1300 Banco 1439 MinAcct 1462 StaffAcc
  • Roulowe juxta Stafford 1306 Ass 1309 FF 1401 StaffAcc
  • Rughlowe 1306 FF
  • Rovlowe 1401 StaffAcc

Etymology

'The rough glade', v. rūh (rūgan wk.obl.), lēah . The second els. -ley and -low are frequently confused in St, but there is no doubt of the originality of the former.