Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Bucebi 1175(p),1176 P l.12 Dane

• Bucebia e.Hy3 Berkeley

• Buzcebi 1175 ChancR

• Buszebia 1175 P

• Buzeby 1209×35 RHug

• Buscebi 1199 FF 1209 GildR 1210 P 1225 GildR

• Buscebia 1219 ib

• Busceby 1237 Cur 1240 GildR 1298 RTemple 1306 LCDeeds 1323 Wyg 1327 Inqaqd

• Bussceby 1220×50 RTemple

• Boceby 1207 RFinib

• Bosceby 1207 ClR 1267 Cur 1268 Abbr l.13 CustRo

• Boisceby 1267 Cur

• Bosseby 1268 Abbr

• Bosby 1399 Pat

• Busseby 1249 GildR 1255 Fine 1398 Cl 1420 Inqaqd

• Bus(s)heby 1259 Cur 1342,1386 Banco

• Bushebye 1604 SR

• Buskeby 1331 Deed 1477 Charyte e.16

• Buskby 1410 ELiW 1412 PRep 1451 Pat

• Busshby(e) 1507 Ipm 1525 Fine 1526 CoPleas

• Bushby 1540 Ipm 1610 Speed

Etymology

Ekwall DEPN takes the specific of this place-name to be an ON  pers.n. Butr , hence 'Butr's farmstead, village', v. bȳ . An alternative Scand  pers.n. which could formally be acceptable is Butsi , as in the Danish Busseby (DS 11.210) and Busserup (DS 2.6). Fellows-Jensen suggests that an original pers.n. as first element became confused with OE  busc 'bush' or Scand  buskr 'shrub', buski 'shrubland' (SSNEM 80).However, in view of the strong possibility that neighbouring Thurnby records a former area of thorn-scrub, it seems preferable to interpret Bushby as 'the farmstead at the scrubland', v. busc , buskr , buski , bȳ .