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.

Bowthorpe

Early-attested site in the Parish of Hemingbrough

Historical Forms

  • Boletorp 1086 DB 1199 FF
  • Bolethorp 1241 FF
  • Buletorp 1200 Cur
  • Bolthorp(e) 1285 KI 1379 Poll
  • Bollethorpe 1311 Ch
  • Bowthorp(e) 1398 ADiii 1585 FF
  • Bowthroppe 1571 FF

Etymology

'Bula 's or Bulli 's village,' v. þorp . For an OE  pers. name Bula we may compare Bullington (PN Sx 491), etc. If the pers. name is Scandinavian it is OSwed , ODan  Bulle , cognate with the more common OWScand  Bolli (LindN), with which there may have been some confusion in form. The latter is found in Boulby, PN NRY 140.