Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ferla, Ferle 1086 DB

• Ferles 1189 Ch 1335 SR 1327

• Estferles 1254 FF

• Westferles 1255 FF

• West(e)furle 1591 MarL

• Fierles 1202 FF

• Estfirle 1235 FF 1297 Ipm

• Firle 1271 FF

• Firles 1407 IpmR

• Fyrles 1439 IpmR

• Westfarles 1309 Abbr 1386 Ass

• Fereles 1332 FF

• Virle 1412 FA

• Westferlegh 1438 Cicestr

• Ffirley 1538 SAC10

• Firley al. Fyrle 1648 Recov

• Westfryllys 1509 LP

• West frille 1565 DuLa

Etymology

This is a unique and difficult name. It is clear that it must be taken along with Frog Firle infra 416, some five miles away.The coincidence of form suggests also that we should associate them with the Firolalandes (gen. sg.) in which Peartingawyrth and Wealingawyrth (BCS 262) were granted to Selsey c. 790.Unfortunately we have no later trace of these last two place- names. The two forms in question are good Old English forms: we are therefore probably justified in assuming that the a in Firolaland represents the gen.pl. suffix and rendering the whole name as 'land of the Firles.' For the etymology of Firle Professor Ekwall suggests association with Langobardic fereha , OHG  fereh-eih , 'oak.' There may have existed in Old South Saxon a derivative fiere (from *ferhjon ) with the same meaning.From this word a natural derivative formation would be *fierol , an adjective descriptive of a place covered with oaks, later used substantially. The 'Firles' may therefore have been places marked by extensive patches of oak. We do not know just to what area the name was applied. If it referred to the escarpment of the Downs as a whole, then association with a word meaning 'oak' is impossible, and one can only accept the etymology if we believe that this word was used in England for a tree other than the oak, presumably the beech. But it is equally possible that the name was applied to the land at the foot of the Downs. West Firle is not itself on the chalk. At West Firle we are on greensand and gault, and oak patches are quite possible on such ground. If Hirt's etymology of Goth faírguni , OE  fyrgen , is correct, we have another derivative of this same word for 'oak' in Ferryhill (Du), (æt ) Feregenne BCS 1256, meaning 'wooded hill.'