Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wibetese 1086 DB

• Wybecye 1283 Ch

• Vilbesaye c.1220 Bodl

• Wibbeseye 1311 Ch

• Wibesey(e), Wybesey(e), Wibesay(e) 1307 WYD 1328 Ch 1357 YDiv 1546 Arm

• Wibsay, Wybsay, Wibsey 1379 PT 1402 FA 1418 YI 1657 Pick

• Wibsey in Bradford dale 1605 FF

• Wibsey anas 1817 M

Etymology

'Wigbeorht's hill'; the first el. is a pers.n. Wibet , which would be a shortened form of some such OE  pers.n. as *Wīgbēd . The second element offers difficulties. Formally it appears to be OE  ēa 'stream' or ēg 'island', but on topographical grounds these are most unlikely since Wibsey stands on high ground at the end of a ridge which runs down from Reevy Beacon Hill. We may well have either OE  (ge)hæg 'enclosure' or the OE  *hēah2 'a high place, a height' suggested for Heighton Sx 361 (v. EPN i, 238); possibly this is also the second el. of Reevy supra , Ashday 90, Pudsey 236, Bardsey pt. iv, and Embsay pt. vi infra . v. Addenda.