Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Saltebi 1086 DB 1194 P m.13 Laz 1404 Ipm 1301

• Saltebia c.1130 LeicSurv

• Salteby c.1150 TutP 1211 FF 1222 RHug 1364 IpmR 1367 Cl 1539 Deed 1549 Pat

• Saltheby Hy3 Crox 1311 Ch

• Sautebi 1185 Templar 12 Dugd 1200 OblR 1208 Cur

• Sauteby 1220 MHW 1228 Rut 1228 RHug 1259 Cur Hy3 Crox Edw1 CroxR 1328 BelCartB e.15

• Saltby 1328 Banco 1345 Cl 1535 VE 1539 Deed

• Saltbye 1549 Pat 1576 Saxton 1611 Rut

Etymology

Formally, this p.n. could derive from the ON  pers.n. Salt , from the OE  (Angl ), ON  sb. salt 'salt' or from an adj., OE  (Angl ) salt , ON  saltr 'salty'. There are salt domes in the Lower Lias formations which underlie the Wolds and a stream-name such as Saltbeck (q. v .) in Belvoir parish some five miles to the north and the erstwhile spa there indicate iron salts and other mineral salts in solution draining from the high ground on which Saltby is situated into the Vale of Belvoir. Ironstone has been worked at Saltby for many years and there is a major chalybeate spring plus several other minor springs immediately southwest of the present village. It seems, therefore, less likely that the p.n. was formed from a Scand  pers.n. Salt .

A possible interpretation of the name could be 'the farmstead at the salty spring', v. salt 2 , saltr , bȳ . Whether, prior to the development of the countrywide salters' routes in the Middle Ages, salt could have been produced in any quantity at Saltby by the evaporation of brine from the mineral springs is uncertain; but if this were the case, then we would have rather 'the salt-making farmstead, village', v. salt 1 , bȳ and note Saltputes in Wymondham f.ns (b).

Spellings of the p.n. with u for l are due to AN influence.