Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cowme Smethes 1542 TestLds

• Cowmbesmythies 1582 WB140

• Combsmithies 1604 WB34

• Cowm(e)hill 1641 WillY 1691 PRThl

• Coumhill 1681 PRThl

• Cowne-hill 1684 ib

• ye Cowms 1740 ib

• The Combes 1815 EnclA

Etymology

Combs, Cowme Smethes 1542 TestLds, Cowmbesmythies 1582WB 140, Combsmithies (a forge) 1604WB 34, Cowm (e )hill 1641 WillY, 1691 PRThl, Coumhill 1681 PRThl, Cowne-hill 1684 ib, y e Cowms 1740 ib, The Combes 1815EnclA 36; most of the spellings point to an earlier coume or colm , culm ; it is most probably l.ME  colm 'soot, coal-dust, slack' (cf. NED s.v.) and hyll . Besides the forge referred to in -smythies (v. smiððe ), there is a colliery here and the name (like Soothill 193supra ) may refer to the spoil from the old coal workings.