Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Odenebi 1086 DB c.1155 Dane 1207 Cur

• Autneby 1100–5,a1135(14) Whitby

• Authneby 1100–15 Whitby 14

• Andeneby 1190 Dugdvi,i 1301

• Oudenbi 1155–58 RAi

• Oudenby 1240–50 ib

• Oudeneby 1212 Cur

• Audenbi 1238–43 Fees

• Outhenebi 1155–60 Dane

• Outheneby 1220–30 RAiv

• Outheneb' c.1230 ib

• Ouþeneby m13 HarlCh

• Outhenbi 1155–60 Dane

• Outhenby 1196–1203 RAiv c.1215 R c.1330 RAiv a1219,1239–45 Ipm 1274

• Outhenby iuxta Seuerby 1282 FF 1299 1301 Ch 1368 Ipm

• Ouyenby 1275,1276 RH

• Outhenneby iuxta Seuerby 1308 LCCA

• Outenby 1268 Ch

• Ounebi c.1115 LS l12 NCot e13 SelectPleas 1202 Ass 1218

• Ouneby e13 RAiv 1220–30 1288 Ass 1298 1301 FF 1309,1315 Ipm 1309 Fine 1373 Pat

• Owneby 1221–29 RAiv

• Ouenby 1236 ib

• Oumesby (sic) 1206 Cur

• Ounesbi 1219 Ass

• Ougnebi (sic) 1218 Ass 1311 Ipm

• Owneby 1477 WillsPCC 1504 Ipm 1535 VEiv 1550 Pat 1641 DCLeases

• Ownby (by Saxby) 1551 Pat 1732 DCLeases

• Ownby next Searby 1745 ib

• Owmbye next Serebye 1598 Nelthorpe

• Owmbie 1615 Foster

• Owmby 1621 1662 Terrier 1710 DCLeases

• Owmeby 1681 DCLeases

Etymology

Owmby has usually been taken with Owmby by Spital LWR, Aunby in Careby and Aunsby Kest, though the forms for each do not show exactly the same patterns. Owmby by Spital has many ME  spellings in Ounebi , Ouneby , but only three in -th - and one in -d - (and these not until the 14th century) and four with gen.sg. -es -.Aunby, first recorded in 1219, again has a number of spellings in Ounebi , Ouneby , none in -th - or -d -, but four with -es -. Aunsby, on the other hand, has a preponderance of spellings in -es -, but only one in -th - and one in -d -, both from the 13th century. The characteristic forms they share, with the exception of Aunsby, are Ounebi , Ouneby .

Both Ekwall (DEPN s.n. Aunby and Owmby) and Fellows-Jensen (SPNLY 41–42) take the first el. of all four to be the Scand  pers.n. Auðunn (gen.sg. Auðunar , Auðuna ), according to the former, some perhaps in a shortened form Aun . The gen.sg. forms in -es - would represent what is now being called “a secondary OE  gen.sg. in -es -”. The developments of the first el. are discussed by Fellows-Jensen (SPNLY 42). It should be noted that Auðunn is recorded independently in L in DB as Oudon and Houden , and in 12th century charters (Dane) as Oudhen , in Killingholme, and Ouþein , in Faldingworth. So, the meaning of Owmby may well be 'Auðunn's farmstead or village', v. bȳ .

However, Fellows-Jensen (SSNEM 33–34) looks for an alternative explanation and proposes an OScand  appellative auðn 'an uninhabited tract of land', 'a deserted farm', a word found in p.ns. in Norway and Sweden. These latter seem in the main to belong to the period after 1400, so that they cannot be used to support the proposal that auðn is to be found in this country. Nonetheless, Fellows-Jensen claims “there seems no reason why the el. auðn should not have been used with the meanings in question in the Viking period”, though this seems to be special pleading, and, though auðn remains formally a possible first el. of this group of names, a pers.n. Auðunn (Aun ) certainly cannot be ruled out.