Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Dalbi 1086 DB Hy2 Berkeley 1208 Cur

• Dalbia c.1130 LeicSurv

• Dalby 1156 Ch 1318 RHug 1209×35 Pat 1235 RTemple 1316 MiD 1325

• Daleby 1251,1254 Fine Edw1 CroxR 1314 GarCart 1324 RTemple

• Daubi 1206,1207 P 1214 Cur John Berkeley

• Dauby 1208 Cur 1209 Derby 1214 Cur 1209×35 RHug Edw1 CroxR 1338 Hosp 1340 Ch

• Dawby 1543 ExchAO

• ~ de Wauz 1209 Derby

• ~ super Wald(as) c.1130 LeicSurv 1316 RTemple 1325 MiD 1327 SR

• ~ super Woldas Edw2 MiD

• ~ super (le) Wold(e) 1316 FA 1408 Inqaqd 1499,1529 RTemple

• ~ on le Walde 1408 Pat

• ~ de le Woldys 1505 RTemple

• ~ on the Wold 1510 CoPleas 1526,1529 RTemple

• ~ (up)on the Would(s) 1576 Saxton 1641,1715,1719 LML

• ~ super le Wold(e)s 1604 SR 1709 LML

• ~ super le Oldes 1555 Pat

• ~ (vp)on (the) Olds 1610 Speed 1688 LML

• Old ~ 1718 ib

• ~ Hospital(i) 1254 Val 1314 GarCart 1340,1344 Nichols

• ~ Pital 1253×58 RHug

Etymology

'The farmstead, village in the valley', v. dalr , bȳ . Spellings with u for l are due to AN influence. Old Dalby lies in a small valley at the edge of the Wolds. The current affix Old ~ is a late form of Wold (v. infra ). The manor was given by Robert Bossu, Earl of Leicester, to the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem in the reign of Henry II (cf. Magister Hospitalis Jerlm ' de Daubi 1206 P). They had a preceptory here.