Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hamelesuurde, Hilmeuuord 1086 DB

• Himelesw(o)rd(e), Hymelesw(o)rd(e), Himeleswurd(a) 12 Pont 1193 P e.13 Nost10d 1301 Ebor

• Himeleswurðe 1191 P

• Himelesw(u)rth, Himelesworth(e) c.1190–1220 YCh 13 1247 Ebor 1272 Ch 1280 Ebor 1296 WCR 1428 FA

• Hymeliswrd, Hymeliswrth c.1220 Pont

• Himmelsworth 1316 Vill

• Hemelsword 1137–9 YCh1492 16

• Hemelesw(o)rth(e) 1288,1305 Ebor

• Hymmelewrth c.1150 Nost23d

• Hymelwrth 1242 Ebor

• Himlesvrtha, Hymlesvrtha 1188–1202 YChviii

• Himlesw(o)rd(e) c.1190–1220 YCh a.1230 YDii 1245 YI

• Himlesw(o)rth 13 YDx 1230–40 Bodl34 1272 DodsN 1319 YDx

• Humleworth 1245 Pat

• Hymesw(o)rth 14 Linds 1382 Test 1430 YDvi 1488 Testii 1587 WillY

• Himisworth 1365 YDv

• Himmesworth, Hymmesworth 1334,1371 FF 1379 PT 1504 Arm

• Hymmysworth 1535 FF 1539 YDviii

• Himsworth(e), Hymsworth(e) 1356,1533 FF 1541 NCWills 1546 YChant 1662 PRHms

• Himsorth 1545 NCWills

• Hemmesworth 1431 YDx 1526 FF

• Hemmysworth 1524 WillY 1536 FF

• Hemsworth 1556,1585 FF 1598 SessR

Etymology

'Hymel's enclosure', v. worð . For the OE  pers.n. Hymel cf. Hemingfield 103supra . The history of the form of the name is clear from the spellings: Himeles - was reduced to Him (m )es - in the fourteenth century and Him (m )es - was lowered to Hemmes - in the fifteenth. Of the early Hem - spellings one is from a late copy and the other two from Ebor are, like DB Hameles -, due to AN influence.