Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cheteruu(o)rde 1086 DB

• Karteword 1202–10 YChviii

• Cartewrth 1274–1307 WCR

• Carteword 1325 ib

• Carteworth 1347 DodsN 1392 MinAcct

• Carthewrthe 1286 WCR

• Cartworth 1313 WCR 1379 PT 1822 Langd

Etymology

The first el. is probably a pers.n., since OE  worð 'enclosure' is usually (but not exclusively) combined with pers.ns. Whatever the origin of the pers.n. might be in this p.n., it occurs also in Cartington Nb 40 (Kertindon 1233 P, Cartyngdon 1314 Ipm) and probably in a different form in Cratfield and Creeting Sf; Ekwall presupposes an OE  pers.n. Crǣta for the latter, and though this pers.n. is not known apart from p.ns. it would seem to be related to the hypocoristic OE  Cretta (Redin 90). In a metathesised form this is the most likely explanation of the name, since OE  cert 'rough ground' is of doubtful provenance in the north (and would have produced Chart -, with Cart - by ON influence); the cognate ON  kartr is unlikely with worð .