Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Notingelai, Notingleia 1086 DB

• Nottingl', Nottingle(ya), Nottinglaia 1147–54 YCh c.1154 Pont Hy2 Ch 1230 YCh 1155–8 Pont c.1200

• Cnottingel(e), Cnottingeleg 12 Font 1205 ChR 1226,1241 FF 1241 Lib 1254 Pat

• Cnottingaleia 1155–70 YCh1502

• Chnottingele 1244 Lib

• Cnotingele 1349 Ch

• Knottingley (e), Knottinglay, Knottynglay 1119–21,1135–40 Pont 1137–9 YCh Hy3 Heal159d c.1219 Selby 1232 Heal134 1258 YI 1294 Ch 1296 LacyComp 1597 FF

• Cnottinglai, Cnottingleg Hy2 RegAlbi,66 1202 FF 1225 RegAlbi,74d

• Cnotneleia 1156 YCh186

• Cnotinleia, Cnotinleg 1173 YCh197 1230 RegAlbiii,31d

• Cnotinglai, Cnotingleg 1164–6 RegAlbi,66 1230 ib

• Knotinglay, Knotyngley 1280 Ass 1502 Ipm

Etymology

'The forest-clearing of Cnotta's people', v. -ingas , lēah . The first el. is an OE  pers.n. Cnotta suggested for Knotting Bd 15 and OE  Cnottinga hamm BCS 895 (Brk). Any connexion with OE  cnotta 'hillock' (as proposed by Zachrisson, Some English Place -Name Etymologies 30) must be rejected on topographical grounds; Knottingley lies low on the Aire bank. On the DB and other early spellings with AN loss of initial C -, cf. Zachrisson, ANInfl 50, IPN 104.