Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ascebi 1086 DB

• Essebia c.1130 LeicSurv e.Hy2 Dane l.12 WoCart 1449 Dane c.1200

• Essebi e.13 WoCart 1449 RGros 1236 Laz m.13 WoCart 1404 p.1250 1449

• Esseby c.1180 1449 ClR 1216 RHug 1225 MiD 1294 WoCart 1303 Banco 1449 1342

• Aessebi 1185 Templar

• Eisseby c.1190 Nichols

• Hesseby 1236 Fees 1338 Pat a.1350 WoCart 1449

• Asseby p.1250 Laz 1404 Coram 1294 Ipm 1317 WoCart 1318 1449

• Assheby 1310 Fine 1313 Banco 1314 Ass 1500 AD 1503 Banco 1541 MinAccts 1553 Pat

• As(s)cheby 1310 Ipm 1316 WoCart 1449 1349 BPR 1449 1351

• Asshby 1316 WoCart 1449 Inqaqd 1333 WoCart 1390(1449),1449

• Ashby(e) 1528 Visit 1533 Rental 1575 LEpis

• ~ Fol(e)vill(e), ~ Foleuyl(l)e, ~ Foluuil' 1232 RHug 1236 RGros 1243 Fees Hy3 Crox 1294 MiD 1310 Fine

• ~Fol(l)well 1526 Ct 1528 Visit 1535 VE 1609,1612 LML

• ~ Fowlwell 1541 MinAccts

• ~Ful(l)well 1540 1553 Pat 1580 LEpis

• ~ Fallowes 18 Nichols

• ~ Follows 1718 LML

• ~ on-the-Fallows 1722 ib

• Essebia Fulconis de Foleuilla c.1200 Dane

• Maroye de Foluille c.1180 (1449) WoCart

• Willelmus de Foleuille 1185 Templar

• Eustachius de Foluille 1274 Pat

• Johannes de Folevyle 1305 Hastings

• Johannes Folvyle 1368 Pat

Etymology

'The farmstead, village where ash-trees grow', v. æsc , bȳ . The name is either a hybrid OE/Scand formation in origin or is the result of a Scandinavianization of an earlier English name. Note that the spellings in Esse - may be due to the influence of ON  eski 'an ash-tree'.

Fulco de Foleuille held the manor early in the reign of Henry II (as in the p.n. form Essebia Fulconis de Foleuilla c.1200 Dane) and it remained in the family into the 14th century via such members as Maroye de Foluille c.1180 (1449) WoCart , Willelmus de Foleuille 1185 Templar, Eustachius de Foluille 1274 Pat, Johannes de Folevyle 1305 Hastings and Johannes Folvyle 1368 Pat. The family took its name from a place called Folleville in France, prob. that in Calvados, Normandy.

From early in the 16th century into the 17th century, the feudal surn. suffix became confused with the common stream-name Fulwell (OE  fūl - wella 'foul or dirty stream'), while in the 18th century it was further confused with Fallows (ME  falou 'ploughed land', later 'land left unploughed, fallow land').