Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Carholand 1420 CWxxi,180

• Carehullend 1540 DRH 1547 MinAcct

• Carehullan 1540 MinAcct

• Carehullen 1777 M

• Carhullan 1617,1653 FF 1865 OS

• Carhullon 1658 PR

• Charhullen 1698 ib

Etymology

Carhullan [ka:rˈulən], Carholand 1420 CW xxi, 180, Carehullend 1540DRH , 1547MinAcct , Carehullan 1540MinAcct , Carehullen 1777 M, Carhullan 1617, 1653FF et freq to 1865 OS, Carhullon 1658 PR, Charhullen 1698 ib. In view of the Care - spellings, the first el. is unlikely to be ON  kjarr (ME  ker ) 'marsh'; it is probably Welsh  caer 'fort' (Ekwall, ScandsCelts 115) or OE  carr 'rock', Gael  carr 'rocky ledge'; it may refer to the stone circle at Towtop Kirk (infra ), which is 400 yards to the south-east across Cawdale Beck. The second el. is uncertain, but Ekwall (l.c . ) thought it might possibly be an older p.n. Hōland ; a byname from ON  *hollandr 'helper' (recorded only in the plur. hollendr ) would hardly explain the hull - spellings in the p.n.