Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Lobewic(slehte) 12 YDx

• Lobwith(slec), Lobwyth(slec) 1152–5 YChvii

• Lobwic, Lobwyk 13 YDx 1266 MinAcct

• Lobwyth, Lobwith 1266 1314 Pat

• Lobewiht, Lobewyht 1287,1299 BltComp9,45

• Lobbewood flatt 1539 AOMB

• Lobwood 1617 WillC 1764 Glebe

Etymology

Lob Wood, Lobewic (slehte )12 YD x, Lobwith (slec ), Lobwyth (slec )1152–5 YCh vii, Lobwic , Lobwyk 13 YD x, 1266MinAcct , Lobwyth , Lobwith 1266 ib, 1314 Pat, Lobewiht , Lobewyht 1287, 1299BltComp 9, 45, Lobbewood flatt 1539AOMB , Lobwood 1617 WillC, 1764Glebe . The first el. in this name and Lobwood v, 75 supra is clearly an OE word lobb which seems to have had the root meaning of 'something clumsy or heavy'; in these wood-names we may have early examples of the later dial. usage 'part of a tree where the branches divide' (EDD s.v. lob sb § 6) or 'something pendulous'; it may well denote a wood where the branches of the trees are very low. There is of course also the possibility that lobb has some topographical sense like 'steep slope' as it has in Devon p.ns. The second el. is ON  viðr 'wood' or possibly OE  wiht 'bend' (referring to a loop of the R. Wharfe); v. also slétta 'level field' (clearly the level ground along the river just north of Lob Wood).