Thimbleby
Major Settlement in the Parish of Osmotherley
Historical Forms
- Timbelbi, Timbelli (sic) 1086 DB
- thémelebi 1088 LVD51
- Thimilby c.1160 Riev
- T(h)imelebi 1182,1184 P
- Thimilisbi 1208 FF
- Timleb' 1208–10 Fees
- Thimelby, Thymelby 1233 Cl 1234 Riev 1247 Ebor 1301 LS 1316 Vill
- Thimmelby 1293 QW
- Themelby 1329 YD
- Thimbelby 1359 FF
Etymology
v. by . The first element is a pers. name which is also contained in Thimbleby (L), Timleby LindsSurv, Thymelby , Themelby RH, and Themelthorp (Nf), Thimeltorp , Tymelthorp 1267, 1269 Ch, Thimilthorp 1289 BM. There is a scantily attested ON Þumall (LindN) from ON þumall , 'thimble,' and a by-name (LindB) Þumli from the same source. In these place- names we must have a mutated by-form *Þymill (with mutation of u by the suffix as in OE þȳmel , 'thimble') or the ON name has been altered under the influence of OE þȳmel itself.