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.

Burton Overy

Major Settlement in the Parish of Burton Overy

Historical Forms

  • Burtone 1086 DB 1229 RHug 1277 Hastings
  • Burtona 1156 Ch 1318
  • Burthona c.1200 BM
  • Burton 1220 RHug 1227 Cur
  • Burtun c.1220 Hazlerigg
  • Burtoun 1360 Ipm
  • Bocton' c.1130 LeicSurv
  • Borton' 13 Peake
  • Bortona 1190×1204 France
  • Bourton 1317,1336 Ipm
  • ~ Nouerai 1259 RGrav
  • ~ Noveray 1260 Ass
  • ~ Overay 1317 Cl
  • ~ Overey(e) 1333 Ipm et passim
  • ~ Overy 1582 LEpis, 1610 Speed et freq.
  • Radulphus de Noveray in 1260 Ass
  • Robertus de Noveray in 1261 Cur
  • John Noverey 1389 Cl

Etymology

Either 'the farmstead, village by a fortification' or 'the fortified farmstead, village', v. burh-tūn. The affix is added as: ~ Nouerai 1259 RGrav, ~ Noveray 1260 Ass, ~ Noverey (e ) 1285 et passim with various spellings to 1727 LML; and by metanalysis as ~ Overay 1317 Cl, ~ Overey (e )1333 Ipmet passim with various spellings to the modern form ~ Overy 1582 LEpis, 1610 Speed et freq .

The manor was held by Radulphus de Noveray in 1260 Ass, by Robertus de Noveray in 1261 Cur and remained in the family as late as John Noverey 1389 Cl; the family may have originally come from Nourray, south-west of Orleans and north of Tours. The township lies in a valley between two hill-spurs. Either of these is the possible site of an early fortification but there is no evidence on the ground for such.(However, note the Arbour in f.ns. (b)). Earthworks surviving in the village are likely to be the remains of the medieval settlement.