Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Bernodebi 1086 DB

• Bernedebi 1086 DB

• Bernetebi 1086 DB c.1115 LS c.1160,lHy2 Dane 1188,1190,1191 P 1338 Pat

• Berneteby, Bernetteby 1190 Dugdvi 1301 Ass 1202 Welles 1219 Ass 1288 Ch 1330

• Bernethebi 1143–47 Dane

• Bernettheby 1219 Welles

• Bernetheby 1228 ib

• Bernethby 1327 SR 1343 NI

• Brenetebi (sic) 1158 France

• Bernetby 1180–90 RAx 1210 FF 1268 Ch 1269 HarlCh 1289 Cl 1291 Tax 1431 FA

• Barnebi 1185 Templar

• Barneby 1428 FA

• Barnaby 1504 Pat 1505 Ipm 1624 HMCRep 1700 Terrier

• Barnabe 1519 Willsii 1536–7 Dugdvi

• Barnabee 1548–9 ib

• Barnabye 1545 LPxx 1547 Pat

• Barnabie 1557 InstBen

• Barneteby 1203 Cur

• Barnetby 1375 Peace 1388 Cl 1394 Pat 1398 Cl 1428 FA

• Barnetbye 1576 Saxton 1610 Speed

• Barnetbie 1576 LER

• Barnetby Hall 1695 Morden

• Barnetby le Wold 1824 O

Etymology

The three DB forms in Bernodebi suggest that the name means 'Beornnōð's farm or village', v. bȳ , the explanation given by Ekwall (IPN 69–70 and DEPN s.n.) and accepted by Fellows-Jensen (SSNEM 35), who does not, however, comment on the fact that this OE pers.n. has not the OE  gen.sg. inflexion -es . Its early forms have a consistent -e . The most likely explanation of this -e is that it is a weakened form of a Scandinavian gen.sg. -a , earlier -ar , as first suggested by Ekwall (IPN 69–70) and this would presumably indicate that the name was formed by Scandinavian speakers. The numerous spellings in Bernede -, Bernete - etc. would, if the first el. is OE  Beornnōð , presumably be explained as weakened forms due to weak stress in the second syllable of the name. However, Dr John Insley points out that there are very many such spellings, and goes on to suggest that the first el. is rather an unrecorded hypocoristic OE  pers.n. in -ede , that is *Beornede , parallel to the recorded Lēofede . He further proposes that forms in -t (h ), -tt (h ) represent “contamination by OE  bærnet (t ), ME  bernet , barnet 'a place cleared by burning, burnt-over ground', facilitated by the fact that the pers.n. *Beornede would inevitably have been unfamiliar in the ME period”. If this is the case, then the name would mean 'Beornede's farm or village', v. bȳ , and the DB forms Bernodebi would simply reflect confusion with the common pers.n. el. -nōð . The affix le Wold , found only very late, refers, of course, to the situation of the village on the Lincolnshire Wolds, v. wald , and note also the occurrence of the name in the f.ns. First Wold, Second Wold, Third Wold in f.ns. (a) infra .