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.

Over

Early-attested site in the Parish of Almondsbury

Historical Forms

  • Ofre 1005 Finb
  • Ouram Hy2 Madox
  • Ou(e)re, Ov(e)re 1247,1269 Ipm 1276 RH 1287 Ass 1427 IpmR
  • Ovir, Over 1485 Pat 1492 Comp 1632 Inq
  • Woober 1535 VE

Etymology

Over, Ofre 1005 Finb 147, Ouram Hy 2 Madox, Ou (e )re , Ov (e )re 1247, 1269 Ipm, 1276 RH, 1287Ass et passim to 1427 IpmR, Ovir , Over 1485 Pat, 1492 Comp 92et freq to 1632 Inq, Woober 1535 VE. v. ofer 2 'slope', here a long declivity which slopes rapidly down to the low- lying plain of the Severn marshlands.