Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Sourebi 1086 DB 1196 ChancR 1214 P

• Sowerbi 1202 Ass

• Sauerbi 1155–58 RAi Hy2 Dane

• Seurebi 1086 DB c.1115 LS c.1190 RAiv 1197,1198,1199,1209,1210,1211,1212 P 1212 Cur

• Safrebi c.1115 LS

• Seuerbia 1148–52 LAASvii 1190 NCot e13 RAix 1198–1205 Fees 1212

• Seuerbie c.1150 TYR 1563 InstBen

• Seuerbi c.1155 Dane 1155–58 RAi 1155–60 Dane 1158–63,c.1160 1185,1186 P 1238–43 Fees

• Seuerby c.1155,a1167(e13) NCot Hy2 Gilb 1409 RAi 1200–5 e13,1210–18,c.1215,a1219 Ass 1219 RAiv 1223–24 DCAcct 1443 LCCA 1463 Pat 1550

• Seuerbye 1577 Terrier

• Seuyrby 1380 Pat

• Severbya 1200 ChR

• Severby 1205 Cur 1279,1280 RSut 1281 QW 1291 Tax 1437–38 Inqaqd 1535 VEiv 1563 BT 1723 SDL

• Severbye 1550–52 MinAcct

• Severbie 1599 LCCA

• Severbie als Sarby 1616 Foster

• Seuerebi 1155–60 Dane 1177–82 RAix 1191–95 1202 Ass 1202 SelectPleas 1202 P

• Seuereby 1202 FF 1275 RH

• Severebi 1204 Cur

• Seuredebi 1195 P 1196 ChancR 1197 P

• Seueresbi 1199 P 1202 Ass 1202,1203 P 1206 Ass

• Sereby 1394 Fine 1399 Pat 1414 Fine 1535 VEiv 1543 WillsA 1671 Terrier

• Serbee 1539 LPxiv

• Serby 1542–43 Dugdvi 1621 Foster 1666 VL

• Sewerby 1488 Ipm 1525 CA

• Seerby 1526 Sub

• Seirebye 1604 LNQx

• Searby 1661 DCLeases 1665 Terrier 1688 DCLeases

• Seareby 1675 ib

• Saverby alias Sereby alias Sowerby Eliz ChancP

Etymology

Both Ekwall (DEPN s.n.) and Fellows-Jensen (SPNLY 284) agree that this is 'the farmstead or village of Sæfari ', v. bȳ , the first el. being an ON byname 'seafarer'. However, in SSNEM 68 the latter seems to prefer the gen.pl. of the appellative sæfari , from which the pers.n. is derived. This hardly seems plausible considering that so many of the Scand. settlers in the area might well have been described as 'seafarers'. On the whole, the pers.n. is to be preferred and Searby certainly appears to mean 'Sæfari's farmstead or village'.