Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Blitheburc' l12 DuDCCh

• Blitheburgh' 1286 FF

• Blytheburhg (sic) 1232–33 Fees Hy3 RBE

• Blyburghe alias Blytheburgh 1563 Pat

• Blithbury 1293 Abbr

• Bliburg 1086 DB 1181 Bly Hy2,John RPD l12 AD c1200 Dane 1212 Fees 1213 Abbr 1218 Bly 1218 FF 1293 RSu

• Blyburg' 1213 Cur 1234 FF 1254 ValNor 1281 QW

• Bliburc c1115 LS 1148,1177,c1180 Bly 1200 P 1202 Ass 1266 Pat

• Bliburch c1160,c1180 Bly 1185 Templar

• Blyburch 1263 FF 1340 Misc

• Bliburgh c1180 Bly 1198 Ch 1328 FF 1253 CoramR 1297 Ipm 1292

• Bliburghe 1576 LER

• Bliborough 1539 AD

• Blyburgh 1256 FF 1291 Tax 1312 Ipm 1314,1327 Pat 1332 SR 1341 Pat 1351 Ipm 1610 Speed

• Blyborough' 1542 AOMB

• Blibur c1180 Bly c1180 DuDCCh

• Blieburc 1181,1182 P 1195 Ch 1335 Cur 1203 Abbr 1203 Ass 1203 P 1206,1207

Etymology

There are springs at Blyborough and a stream rises here so perhaps the first el. is the OE river-name Blīðē 'the gentle, merry stream' with burh 'a fortified place'. Alternatively, the first el. may be the unrecorded OE  pers.n. *Blīða , hence 'Blīða's fortified place', v. burh .Most of the forms show loss of medial -th - due to AN influence.