Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Barnesbi 1086 DB 1190,1206 P

• Barnesbia 1177 ib

• Barnesby c.1130 LeicSurv 1220 MHW 1247 Abbr 1390 WoCart 1449 LCDeeds 1402 MiscAccts 1502 Ct 1526

• Barnisby c.1180 WoCart 1449 Wyg c.1271 MiD 1294 SR 1327

• Barnysby 1449 WoCart

• Bernisby c.1180 WoCart 1449 AAS 1275 IpmR 1275

• Bernesby 1342 WoCart 1449 Ipm 1344 MiscAccts 1502

• Barneby 1207 RFinib 1224 ClR 1276 RH 1299 Ipm

• Baresby(e) 1449 Fine 1478 Ct c.1570 Rental 1610 Speed

• Baresbee 1553,1554 Ct

• Baresbee alias Barnesbee 1570 ib

• Barysby c.1485 ECP 1495 Ipm 1528 Visit 1533 Rental

• Barsby 1620,1641 LML

Etymology

Probably 'Barn's farmstead, village', v. bȳ . The Scand  pers.n. Barn is an original by-name from ON  barn 'a child', v. SPNLY 48. Fellows- Jensen (SSNEM 35) suggests alternatively that rather than the pers.n., the first el. may be the sb. barn itself. Spellings in Bern - are due to the common interchange of a and e in AN.