Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• æt Soccabyrig 780 ASC 1121

• Socceburg c.1040 HSC(O)Hinde 12th RBk 1072×83 SD 15th c.1104

• Sokbur' 1329 Spec

• Sockburn c.1130 YCh944 1431,1584,1593 Wills

• Sokeburne 1235,1236,1242×3,1380 Pat

• Socceburn' 1239 FF

• Sockeburne 1268,1592 Wills

• Sokeburn 1313 RPD 1520 IPM

• Sokburn' 1283 Pont 1310(p),1314 RPD 1383 Hatf 1384(p)etfreqto1463 Spec 1438×9 Vis 1458 Pont

• Socburne 1301 Ct 1309

• Sokburn 1342etfreqto1521 IPM 1410 Lang 1431 Wills

• Sokburne 1418 Lang 1486×7 IPM

• Sockburne 1568etfreqto1635 IPM 1592 Wills

• Sokborne 1367 Salvin

Etymology

Probably 'Socca's fortified place or manor', OE  pers.n. *Socca , genitive sing. *Soccan , + burh. *Socca is not independently recorded but would be a by-name derived from OE  socc 'a sock, a light shoe, a slipper' like ON  by-name Sokki perhaps with the sense of ModNorw sokka 'move with shuffling feet', AEW 529 s.v. sokkr . Sockburn lies at the neck of a tight loop of the River Tees which might have been thought of as being like a sock; however, there is no evidence for such a transferred sense of OE  socc which in any case is only recorded as a strong a -declension noun with genitive sing. socces . The ASC entry shows burh in its prepositional form byrig after æt . Subsequently burh was substituted by burna 'a stream' although the motivation is unclear as there is no stream at Sockburn. A similar variation is found at a number of Northumberland names, viz. Bamburgh NU 1834, Bebbanburg c.890, Baenburg 1129, Baemburc 1165, Bamburne 1284, NbDu 10; Cheeseburn, Cheseburgh 1286, 1292, 1479, Chesborne c.1536, NbDu 43; and Thornbrough, Thorneburg 1242, 1255, Thorneburn ' 1255, NbDu 195, DEPN s.n. Variation apparently occurs in the reverse direction in Brinkburn, Brinkeburne c.1120, 1216×27, Brinkeburn 1188, 1196, 1253, Brincaburch c.1175, NbDu 31, DEPN s.n.; Hartburn NZ 0986, Herteburne [1198] 1271, 1203, Hertburgh 1284, NbDu 103, DEPN s.n.; Newburn-on-Tyne NZ 1965, Neuburna 1121×9, Nieweburn 1165 etc., Neuberi 1201, Nieweburc 1204, NbDu 149, DEPN s.n.; and Woodburn, Wodeburn 1265, Wodeburge 1287, Wodeburgh 1379. Sockburn was the site of the consecration of Bishop Higbald in 780.