Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Soppanbyrig, æt Soppanbyrg 872–915 BCS582 11th EHDxv

• Sopeberie, Sopeberia, Sopebir(i) 1086 DB 1100–35 Pat 1496

• Sopesbir(ia), Sopesbire, Sopesbur' 12 Tewk71d,75 1106 Hy1 Ch 1300 P 1195

• Magna Schob'ia 1167 P

• Soppeburia 1220 Fees

• Sobbebir' 1194 P

• Sopbire, Sopbyr', Sopburia 1204 P 1220 Fees 1255 FF 1287 Ass

• Magna Sopburia 1204 P

• Sowbyr' 1221 Ass

• Soubbury 1291 Cl

• Subbury 1400 Pat

• Sobbur(y), Sobbir(e), Sobbyry 1222 FF 1270 Ch 1274 RH 1280 Ch 1492 Pat

• Sobbyry Magna 1284 Episc 1287 Ass 1327 SR

• Old(e) Sobbyry 1385 Ass 1433 FF 1522 et freq

• Veteri Sobbyry 1487 MinAcct 1491 FF

• Suthbiri 1232 Ch

• Sudbere 1303 FA

• Sudbury 1519 FF

• Sobyr' 1275 Episc

• Sobyr' Magna 1276 RH

• Sodbur(y) 1278 Episc 1316 FA 1478 Pat

• Old(e) Sodbur(y) 1490 Ipm 1492 MinAcct 1705 PR

• Sodbur(y) Vetus 1535 VE

• Soddebury 1478 Pat

Etymology

'Soppa's fortified place, v. burh (as in Burg ' f.n. infra ). There is a Roman camp on the escarpment ½ mile north of the village (cf. BG viii, 74). The OE  pers.n. Soppa is not recorded but it is found in p.ns. like Sopwell (Hrt 95) and Sopworth (W 112), which is 5 miles north-west of Old Sodbury and may be named from the same man.'Great' (Lat  magna ) to distinguish it from Little Sodbury (52supra ) and 'Old' (v. ald , Lat  vetus ) to distinguish it from Chipping Sodbury (51supra ), which was the 'new' market-town. The later forms with Sod - are doubtless colloquial attempts to isolate the first element of the double voiced stop [bb], which arose from assimilation of the older -pb -.