English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Cliburn

Major Settlement in the Parish of Cliburn

Historical Forms

  • Clibbrun 1133–47 Weth
  • Clibbron 1682 PR
  • Clibburn(e), Klibburn(e), Clybburn(e) 1204 Weth 1235 Weth 1332 ChancM 1703 NicVisit
  • -Tail(e)-, Taylboys 1331 Cliff 1370 Hom 1634 NB
  • -Harv(e)y 1416 Clib 1634 NB
  • -hervy 1425 BrStAcct
  • Clibborne 1391 Wyb
  • Clibbourn(e) 1710 Dep
  • -Hervy 1363 Ipm
  • Cliburn(e), Clyburn(e) 1223–46 Carliol 1303 Weth 1250–60 Ass2 1256 Tax 1291
  • -Hervy 1345 Cl
  • -Haruy 1370 Hom
  • -Tailboys 1366 Clib
  • Cliborn(e) 1315 Ipm 1565 PR 1612 FF
  • Clibrun 1337 Clib
  • -bron 1777 PR(Brt)
  • Clifburn(e), Clyfburn(e) c.1250 Weth 1260 FF 1274 Weth c.1300 Bart
  • Cleburn(e) 1279 Ass2 1292 QW 1337 SR 1655 PR(Mrl)
  • Clebron 1577 Harrison
  • Clebbor 1676 PR
  • Clipburne 1714 RatesE

Etymology

'Stream by the bank', v. clif , burna ; the stream is in fact the Leith and the 'cliff' one of the scars alongside the stream or the hillside on which the village stands; the latter may well be the slope from which the Leith (i, 9supra ) was named. On the assimilation of -fb - to -b (b )- cf. Phonol. §25; the pronunciation [ˈklaibə:n] is a spelling pronunciation. The affix Tailboys refers to the feudal owners, Robert Taylebois c. 1235 Clib 231, Walter Tailbois 1331 Cliff 331, 1422 Cl 9, whose family were Barons of Kendal (NB 458–9); the family of Hervy is referred to in Hervy 's lands in Cliburn (1392 Cl 454) and Hervycrokbank (infra )