Hemsby
Major Settlement in the Parish of Hemsby
Historical Forms
- Hemesbei, Heimesbei, Haimesbei 1086 DB
- Heimesbi c.1200 NfD
- Heynesby 1257 Ass
- Hem(m)esby 1103–6 BM 1121–45,1140–45(p),1248 NCReg 1215to1340 FF 1248 Ch 1250to1286 Ass 1254–75 Val 1275 RH 1289 Ipm 1316 FA 1330,1472 Pat 1361 Cl 1361,1379 BM 1388to1457 AD 1509–10 SP 1535 VE 1551 Pat
- Hem(m)esbi 1136–45 BM 1177 P 1198 FF 1199 Abbrev
- Hem(m)isby 1250 Ass 1261 Cl 1275 RH
- Hemmysby 1443 FF 1557 AD
Etymology
The majority of the spellings suggest the gen. of a pers.n. *Hēmer , a name best evidenced in West Scandinavian, OWScand Heimir , gen. Heimis , and bȳ . Ekwall (DEPN) reckons with an ODan *Hēmer , an interpretation accepted by Insley (201 f.). The OSwed pers.n. *Hēmer has been postulated on the basis of place- names (LB 99). v. Sandred 1988: 13 f.