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.

Firbeck

Major Settlement in the Parish of Firbeck

Historical Forms

  • Friebec 1171–9 BM
  • Fritebec 1190 P
  • Fridebech 1190 P
  • Fybrecc' 1200 ChR
  • Frithebek, Frythebek 1276 RH 1355 MinAcct 1373 Ipm
  • Frithbek(e), Frythbek(e) 1373 MinAcct 1403 YD 1535 VE
  • Firth(e)bek 1379 PT
  • Firbecke als. Firthbecke 1592 FF
  • Firbe(c)k(e), Fyrbe(c)k(e) 1489 Ipm 1509,1585 FF 1598 NCWills
  • Ferbecke als. Ferthbecke 1577 FF
  • Fribeck c.1600 BM

Etymology

'Woodland stream', v. fyrhðe , bekkr , but the ODan  pers.n. Frithi is formally possible as the first el. For the AN  loss of -th - in the DB spelling, v. IPN 109–110. The stream is now called Firbeck Dike.