Corlett is a surname of Manx origin. The name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Thorliot, derived from an Old Norse personal name composed of two elements: the name Þórr and ljótr meaning "bright". Another opinion is that the Old Norse Þorliótr may mean "Thor-people". The name appears earliest in records as Corlett in 1504 and MacCorleot in 1511.
- Wikipedia, 31/08/11
See http://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/LJOT for more possibilities regarding the 'ljótr' element.
At the time of writing, there are at least two genetic studies in progress to investigate Manx names, including Corlett. See http://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/impact-of-diasporas/IsleofMan & http://www.manxdna.co.uk