English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Dromonby

Early-attested site in the Parish of Kirby in Cleveland

Historical Forms

  • Dragmalebi 1086 DB
  • Tromundesbi c.1150 Godr
  • Dromundby c.1190 Fount
  • Dromundebi, Dromundeby 1190–1210 YCh 1310 Ch
  • Dromondby 1371 Baildon
  • Dromonby 1285 KI 1665 Visit

Etymology

'Dromund's farm' v. by . The first element is the OWScand  pers. name Drómundr (LindBN), found as the surname of Henr .Dromund (Guis ii. 302) in Y. The normal gen. in ON  would be Drómundar , so that the above spellings without any trace of the gen. suffix -r may arise from OEScand loss of -r - before a consonant (v. IPN 61–2) in such compounds. Cf. Romanby 210infra . The DB form is curious. It cannot be brought into relation with the later forms. It should not, however, be dis- missed as a mere mistake. In BCS 1052 a man named Dragmel occurs among other Northern witnesses to a Yorkshire charter of King Edgar. Evidently Dromonby was in the possession of one Dragmel before it passed to Drómundr . The Dragmel may even be identical with the witness named above.

Places in the same Parish

Major Settlement

Early-attested site