Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cucheric 1086 DB

• Cukeric 1220–30 Bodl111

• Cukrike 1354 Kirkst

• Cug(e)ric 1150–60 Bodl97 1166–74,1174 YChvi 1237 Skyr 1293 QW

• Cukeriz, Kukeriz c.1166–98 Kirkst

• Cugeriz 1236 Ch

• Cugrig 1166 YChvi

• Cokryche 1291 Abbr

• Cokeryke, Cokerike 1378,1385 Baild 1543 TestLds

• Cook(e)rike 1528 TestLds

• Cook(e)rick 1628 PRAdel

• Cookerig(g), Cookerigge 1549,1586 WillY 1588,1622 Comm

• Cookeridge 1643 WillY

• Cowkerige 1549 TestLds

• Cowckerigg 1594 FF

• Cowkrigge 1632 PRAdel

• Cowkkrike 1554 MinAcct

• Cowkricke 1620 Comm

Etymology

The second el. is OE  ric 'narrow strip' (replaced by hrycg in modern times); the spelling -riz is AN. Its exact significance here is difficult to determine, but on topographical grounds it is unlikely to be 'stream', which sometimes occurs in names like Skitterick ii, 168 supra . The meaning 'narrow road' is possible, but the commoner meaning 'narrow strip of land' is more likely (as in Lindrick i, 54supra ). The first el. also is ambiguous; it could be an OE  pers.n. Cuca (cf. Cooksey Wo 312) from OE  Cwica , but since ric is sometimes combined with tree-names it is more likely to be a variant of cwic 'quickset hedge', cwice 'couch-grass' (with ON influence) or even cwicen 'mountain-ash'; OE  cwicu 'quick, living' occurs as cucu in late WSax (Bülbring § 464) and some of its derivatives appear as Cuck - in such p.ns. as Cuckfield Sx, and Cuckney Nt 75 (from the pers.n. Cwica ) which has generally a similar run of forms for the first el. as Cookridge, but with a few others to show that Cuca is in this instance at least a variant of Cwica ; the change of cwic - to cuc - was thus not confined to WSax. Probably 'Cwica's strip of land' or 'strip of land with a quickset hedge' or 'one growing with couch-grass' or the like; cf. Hetherick (infra ).