English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Sowerby Wood

Early-attested site in the Parish of Dalston

Historical Forms

  • del Wode de Soureby 1285 For
  • Sourebywode 1358 GDR 1360 Carliol
  • Sourbywode 1356 1398 Rental 1407 Ass
  • Sowerby Wood 1549 FF

Etymology

v. saurr , . This name has an exact parallel in Castle Sowerby infra 244. Cf. also Icel Saurbær , so called because the district was very boggy (Landnámabók 11, 18, i).