The settlement was attested in written sources in 1331 as Zirkoviz, and in 1340 as Circowitz. The name Cerklje is derived from the plural accusative demonym*Cerkъvľane, based on the common noun *cerьky 'church' and therefore meaning 'people that live on church territory' or 'people that live in a settlement with a church'.[5] The name of the settlement was changed from Cerklje to Cerklje ob Krki (literally, 'Cerklje on the Krka River') in 1955.[6] The settlement was known as Zirkle in German in the past.[2][3]
History
Settlement of the area in antiquity is testified by the remains of a Roman aqueduct running through the village and a nearby Roman grave. A school was established in Cerklje ob Krki in 1854. During the Second World War, in October 1941 the German authorities evicted 30 families from the settlement and resettled Gottschee Germans in their houses. In June 1943 the Partisan Cankar and Šercer brigades attacked the German air base near the settlement, destroying several aircraft. They also attacked a border guard station and military police station in the same operation. This was followed by an Allied air strike on the air base on 25 July 1944, a Partisan attack on a German unit stationed at the school building in October 1944, and a Partisan air strike on the air base in spring 1945. In May 1945 Ustaša forces burned six farm buildings in the settlement.[7]
On 8 August 2013, a temperature of 40.8 °C (105.4 °F) was recorded. This is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Slovenia.[8]