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.

Cusworth

Early-attested site in the Parish of Sprotbrough

Historical Forms

  • Cuzeuuorde, Scusceuurde 1086 DB
  • Cusseword 1194–9 YChviii 1197 Ebor 1301
  • Cusseworth(e)' 1251 Ch 1379 PT 1401 Calv 1404 MinAcct 1466 YDxii,241
  • Cusceworth, Cuscew(u)rth(e), Cusceword c.1200 BWr 13 Brett 1246 Ass16 1297 LS 1303 Pat
  • Cucewordh' 1208 Pat
  • Cucewrth 1240 FF
  • Cuzcewurth 1237 FF
  • Custewrth' 1243 Fees
  • Custeword 1312 BWr
  • Cukesworth 1280 Ass
  • Cutesworth 1303 Pat
  • Guseworth 1288 Baild
  • Cusworth 1487 Ipm 1531 NCWills 1658 WillS

Etymology

The ME  spellings -z -, -sc -, -zc -, represent an actual -ts - (from earlier -ts -, -ds - or -ðs -, cf. EPN ii, 92, -s). Goodall 112 is therefore right in taking the first el. to be an OE  pers.n. Cūðsa , which, as Ekwall remarks (DEPN s.n.), is a shortened form of OE  Cūðsige or a derivative of Cūða with an s - suffix (on this formation cf. IPN 171–2).'Cūðsa's enclosure', v. worð .