Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cotingelai, Cotinglei 1086 DB

• Cotinglegh' 1208 Cur

• Cotingleye 1283 Ch

• Cottingele 1208 Cur

• Cottele 1208 Cur

• Cottinglay, Cottingle(y), Cottyngle(y) 1226,1240 FF 1311 Ch 1317 Pat 1323 MinAcct 1604 FF

• Cotingley, Cotyngley 1366 FF 1392 DodsN

Etymology

'Forest-glade or clearing of Cotta's folk', v. -ingas , lēah . The folk-name is from the OE  pers.n. Cotta (BCS 82, 149), as in such p.ns. as Cottingham, Cottingwith YE 205, 237, Cottingham Nth 163.It is also formally possible for Cotingas to mean 'cottage-dwellers' and be derived from cot (cf. EPN i, 302–3), but in such cases the first el. may well be an established p.n. ('dwellers at a place called Cote ') rather than an appellative ('cottage dwellers').