CUTTESLOWE?, OXFORD

[stevieoxford]

Where did the name of the Oxford suberb "Cutteslowe"originate?

[Quizmonster]

This is just an 'educated' guess, using the fact that very many English place-names are simply based on topography...ie the actual features of an area. In addition, many spellings have changed considerably over the centuries.

The 'cuttes' part could be a variant of 'cot's' as in that other place-name 'Cotswold'. That is from a Celtic root-word meaning 'wood'...ie a collection of trees. It might also refer to the Old English word for a cottage or dwelling. 'Lowe' or 'low' may have come from the Old English, meaning a mound or hill.

The whole name could, therefore, just mean 'wooded hill' or 'dwelling on a hill'. Is there a wooded hill nearby?

If you live locally, why not ask one of the librarians in Oxford, because my attempt above could be quite wrong?