Galby
Major Settlement in the Parish of Galby
Historical Forms
- Galbi 1086 DB 1206 Cur 1206 P 1306 Pap
- Galby 1221 Fine 1232 RHug
- Galbya 1286 BM
- Galbye 1532 Wyg 1549 Pat 1604 SR
- Gaubi 1190,1191 P l.13 Laz 1404
- Gaubia 1178×84 Ch 1328 Dugd Hy2 Laz John 1404
- Gauby 1206 RFinib 1220 RHug c.1292 LCDeeds l.13 Laz 1404
- Galeby 1242 GildR 1258 BM 1346 Pat 1348 Cl
- Galleby 1260 Cur 1264 Cl 1304,1307 Pat 1434 Wyg
- Galdbye 1527 Wyg
- Gaulby(e) 1576 Saxton 1610 Speed 1716 LML
Etymology
Probably 'the farmstead, village on poor soil', v. gall , bȳ . Ekwall DEPN rightly observes that it is doubtful that the first el. is the ON masc. pers.n. Galli because of the absence of e between l and b in the earliest forms. He suggests the possibility, rather, that the specific is an unrecorded ON sb. gald 'sterile soil' (cf. OSwed galder 'sterile').However, one would have expected by the time of DB gald > galt with the retention of t . More probably, the first el. is an unrecorded ON sb. gall 'a barren spot' related to OE galla 'a barren or wet spot in a field', LGerm galle 'a wet place', Du gal , Germ galle 'a barren spot in a field', Swed gall 'barren' and ModEdial. gall 'a barren spot in a field, spongy ground'. The township is surrounded by English settlements with names in -tūn — King's Norton, Little Stretton, Houghton, Illston, Rolleston and Burton Overy and would plainly have been settled on soils of inferior quality which earlier farmers had avoided. The soils here are chiefly of stiff clay and loam.
Spellings with au for al are due to AN influence.