Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Seleby c.1030 YCh7

• Selebi c.1050 Cuthb

• Saleby(a), Salebi(a) c.1070,1070–88,1070–1100 Selby 1086 YCh468 1101–8 DB c.1140 YCh473 Hy1 HCY 1307 Pat 1154 Selby

• Salebe 1137–40 YCh116

• ecclesæ Salebiensi 1070–1100,1109–14 Selby

• Seleby(a), Selebi(a) c.1070,1087–1100,12–13 Selby 1093 YCh43,471,etc. 1164–77 RegAlbi,62 1166–1208 YCh487 1199 P J ChR 1291 Ch 1205 Fount 1221 Pat 1230 Ebor 1231 FF 1343 Selby 1504 FF

• Ouer Selebi(a), Vuer Selebi(a) 13,1244–54 Selby

• ecclesia Selebiensi 1109–14 Selby

• Selesbi, Selesby 1200 OblR 1204 ChR

• Selby 1221 Pat 1316 Vill 1319 Abbr 1352 FF 1408 Fount 1641 Rates

• Ouer Selby 1573 Dep

Etymology

It has been suggested (Ekwall, DEPN 392) that the OE  Sele tune , where the high reeve of the Northumbrians burned the alderman Beorn (ASC 779 E, c. 1050 Cuthb), is represented by Selby, but the chief grounds for this are the similarity of the first el. in both names; there are, however, many examples of Scandinavian influence of the kind implied in the replacement of OE  tūn by ON  bȳ 'farmstead' (cf. Introd.). The first el. could be OE  sele1 'a dwelling, a hall', the compound sele -tūn having something of the same significance as bōðl-tūn and the like. But the occasional ME  spellings with Sale - would rather favour OE  sele2 'willow copse', which sometimes alternated with salh 'willow' (gen.pl. sala ) and which had in ME the same form as ON  selja 'willow' (cognate with salh ). The situation of Selby on the bank of the R. Ouse is one favourable for the growth of willows. It is called 'Over' in relation to Little Selby infra .