English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Coombs

Early-attested site in the Parish of Sturminster Newton

Historical Forms

  • the rectorial house…Called Coombs 1870 Hutch3
  • La Combe (boscus), the Combe e14 GlastE
  • clausum qui vocatur la Combe 1338–40 Glast
  • lands called Combes 1562 Hutch3
  • on Conibrok' of þan brok' 968 Glast(S764) 14
  • on Combrock' 1338–40 Glast
  • rivulum de Combesbrok' 1338–40 m14 Glast

Etymology

Coombs (ST 785132), the rectorial houseCalled Coombs 1870 Hutch3, La Combe (boscus ), the Combe e14GlastE , clausum qui vocatur la Combe 1338–40 Glast, lands called Combes 1562 Hutch3, Coombe Coppice , Coombe Plant . 1839TA , 'the valley', v. cumb . This name is to be associated with on Conibrok ' of þan brok '968 (14) Glast (S 764), on Combrock '1338–40 Glast, rivulum de Combesbrok '1338–40 ib, m14Glast , in the Anglo-Saxon and medieval bounds of Sturminster Newton, 'valley brook', the brōc in question being that which rises just S of the par. bdy and flows N to join the R. Stour near Coombs. The form Conibrok ' is no doubt simply an error for Combrok ' (thus making unnecessary Wallenberg's speculation in PNK 415–16 that it may contain a unique early instance of ME  coni 'rabbit').