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.

Barlow

Major Settlement in the Parish of Brayton

Historical Forms

  • Bernlege c.1030 YCh7
  • Berlai(a), Berley(e), Berlay(e) 1086 DB 1130–9 YChvi Hy1 Dugdvi 1154–81,e.13 YChvi 13 Selby 1204 FF 1214 Abbr 1250 YI 1251 FF 1498 Ipm
  • Berlegh 13,c.1246 Selby
  • Berle 1218 FF
  • Barlow(e) 1458 YDiii 1641 Rates 1665 PRClt
  • Barley 1469,1472 Pat 1519 FF 1641 Rates
  • Barle 1520 BM
  • Borley 1605 FF
  • Bearla 1685 SelbyW

Etymology

The OE form suggests that the first el. is OE  bern 'barn' (v. bere- ærn) or possibly OE  beren2 'growing with barley', later reduced simply to bere 'barley'. In any event, loss of -n - in such a combination is common (cf. Farnley Tyas ii, 267supra , Fairburn 48infra ).v. lēah .