Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Oure, Overe 1086 DB

• Euerum (sic for Ouerum), Vuerum 13 Font

• Huuerum 1200–18 YChviii

• Uuerune 1243 Fees

• Huverum c.1260 Bodl152

• Suthuuerum 13 YDxii,248 c.1270,c.1280 Bodl150–1

• Ouerom 1277 YDxii,299

• Sudhouerum, Sudhouirhum 1268–80 YDv

• Southouerum 1297 WCR

• Suthur' a.1246 YDiii

• Ourum 1303 1316 Vill

• Southourum 1326 WCR 1387 YDi

• Southaure 1337 Bodl149

• Sowthawrum 1485 YDv

• Ourom 1402 FA

• South Ourom(e) 1379 PT 1416 YDii 1503 YDiii 1533 BM

• Southowrom(e) 1539 WillY 1546 PRHfx 1597 SessnR

• South Orum 1430 Pat

• Southourme 1508 BM

• Sothorme 1514 WillY

• Sowthowrame l.15 Bodl304a

• Southowram 1570 PRHfx

Etymology

This name and Northowram 96infra refer to the two long ridges, one of which runs north from the Calder for some 4 or 5 miles and is separated from the second by Shibden Brook, Southowram being the southern ridge and Northowram the northern. The theme -owram means '(on) the slopes' from OE  æt uferum (v. ufer , a variant of ofer 2 'a slope, hill, ridge' (EPN ii, 54), -um ). The later forms are normal developments of uf (e )rum with vocalisation of -f - before r .