# Cowley

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈkaʊli/ · frequency rank #35,235

## Definitions
1. A placename:
2. A placename:
3. A placename:
4. A placename:
5. A placename:
6. A placename:
7. A placename:
8. A placename:
9. A placename:
10. A habitational surname from Old English.

## Etymology
Various origins:
* The village in Gloucestershire is from Old English cū (“cow”) + lēah (“woodland clearing, glade”); equivalent to cow + -ley (“lea”).
* The hamlet in Derbyshire is from Old English col (“coal”) + lēah (“woodland clearing, glade”); equivalent to coal + -ley (“lea”).
* The other places in England are from the Old English personal name Cufa + lēah (“woodland clearing, glade”).

## Easily confused with
- **Coyle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowley-vs-coyle)
- **Curley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowley-vs-curley)
- **Cowper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowley-vs-cowper)
- **Crowley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowley-vs-crowley)
- **Crawley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowley-vs-crawley)
- **cole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cole-vs-cowley)
- **cowl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowl-vs-cowley)
- **Corey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/corey-vs-cowley)
- **Comey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/comey-vs-cowley)
- **Colby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/colby-vs-cowley)
- **coles** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coles-vs-cowley)
- **Coney** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coney-vs-cowley)
- **covey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/covey-vs-cowley)
- **cower** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cower-vs-cowley)
- **cooler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cooler-vs-cowley)
- **cowboy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowboy-vs-cowley)
- **convey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/convey-vs-cowley)
- **cooled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cooled-vs-cowley)
- **Conley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/conley-vs-cowley)
- **cooley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cooley-vs-cowley)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ccowley`, `colwey`, `cowely`, `cowleyy`, `cowlley`, `cowlye`, `cowwley`, `cwoley`, `ocwley`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cowley