Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Nesse 1086 DB

• Schobbenasse 1368 Ipm

• Shobonasse parc' 1439 IpmR

• Shob(b)enas(s)he 1444 1575 TRMB

• Shepnes(se) 1516 MinAcct

• Shepney 1584 Comm

• Sharpness Point 1824 M

Etymology

The Scharpenesse forms from 1314, 1349 Ipm cited by Baddeley refer to land in Fairford (i, 36supra ) and not to Sharpness, which is merely a corruption of the older name Schobbenasse , adapted to suit this pointed headland. 'Sc(e)obba's headland', v. næss . The first el. is an OE  pers.n. Sc (e )obba as in Shabbington (Bk 128), scobbe stane (19supra ), scheobanwerzthe 842 BCS 438 and scobban oran 956 ib 932.