Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Tibei(a), Tybei(a), -ai, -ey(e), -ay c.1160 Ch 1294 Pipe 1178,1179 Lowth(MM1) 1189 P 1192 CWxvii,229 1199–1225 FF 1203 Abbr 1210 HMCx,319 1212 FF 1224 Rent 1588

• Tibbei(a), Tybbei(a), -ey, -ai(e), -ay(e) 1199 NB 1200,1201,1202,1230 P a.1239 Ch 1294 Ass11 1279 Cl 1294 Whitby 1310 1327 Rent Hy6

• Tybba 1310 Whitby

• Tybby 1653 FF

• Tieby 1201 P

• Teybey 1545 FF

• Thebay 1223–30 Weth

• Thybeye 1292 QW

• Thibay 1324 Fine

• Tebay(e), -ey 1292 QW 1366 ChancW 1375 Ipm 1545 FF 1807 PR(CR)

Etymology

'Tib(b)a's water-meadow or island', v. ēg , which may denote a small island in the Lune where it swings south, or more probably the water-meadows in this bend in the river below Castle Green at Old Tebay. The pers.n. is OE  Tib (b )a , probably the ungeminated Tiba , in view of the more persistent early Tibey spellings and the later Tebay forms; Tebay is doubtless to be explained as due to the ME  lengthening of OE short -ĭ - to -ē - in the open syllable (Phonol. §11)