16th Century naming conventions

[leeperna]

I've noticed a lot of spelling variations in 16th Century records, as well as using Latin versions of names.  I'm trying to trace the lineage of Stephen Horsey, who was married in Tiverton, Devon in 1619.  The closest person I can find is a Stephen Horslad born in 1600 in Roborough, Devon.  Horslad only appears in this village in the late 16th Century for two generations of this family, and the name does not appear again in English records for almost another century.  I'm wondering if some creative clerk may have recorded the son (or "lad of") a Horsey that way as Horse-lad or Horslad.  Does anyone have a similar experience with name variations? 

[Marmalady]

At that time, spelling was very fluid and mostly depended on how the clerk thought a word or name should be spelled
A new parish priest , unfamiliar with the local accent, could change the spelling of the name very easily
And as the majority of the population was illiterate, the bearer of the name would be non-the -wiser!

I would say Horselad is a very strong contender to be your Horsley -- but try and find other confirmation from wills or other documents