Oversley Green
Major Settlement in the Parish of Oversley
Historical Forms
- Oveslei 1086 DB
- Oueresleia 1140 Monast c.1155 Ch 1340
- Ouereslega 1199 P
- Ouresleia c.1140 BM
- Overesleye 1284 Ipm 1327 SR 1365 ADiv
- Overeslegh 1226 ClR 1262 Ass 1292 Pat
- Overesle(e) 1287 Ipm 1316 FA 1416 IpmR
- Uverlia c.1140 Monast
- Overlegh 1330 FA 1361 Cl
- Oseley 1450 Pat
- Oversley al. Oseley 1540 LP
- Osley 1545 ib
- Overley al. Owseley 1553 Pat
- Oversley al. Owsley 1740 Recov
- Oversleygrene c.1500 Harl
Etymology
This is a difficult name. It is probable that the r is not original. Cf. the history of Silverstone and Overstone (PN Nth 43, 134) which show similar early intrusive r . The name, like Overstone, probably contains the OE pers. name Ofe with early popular association with ofer , 'bank,' and ufera , 'upper, over.'v. leah . Otherwise we must take it to be a genitival compound oferesleage , i.e. 'woodland belonging to the ofer or bank.' “On a notable ascent” (Dugdale 627).