Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Dawtha ye ded(e) 1170–84 Kendi,388

• Douþa, le Dowtha inter Wynfel et Faxside 1282 ib

• the watter of Bowthey (sic), Dowhtye 1558 ib

• Dowdy croft & rigg 1836 KCR

Etymology

Dowdyrigg, 1857OS , Dawtha ye ded (e )1170–84 Kend i, 388, Dowyehae (sic for Dow þe -), a stream 1190–1220 Cockers, '(water of) Dautha ' 1195 HMC x, 323, 1198–1200 Kend i, 231, 389, Douþa , le Dowtha inter Wynfel et Faxside 1282 ib 390, the watter of Bowthey (sic), Dowhtye 1558 ib 237, Dowdy croft & rigg 1836KCR . 'The dead river' from ON  dauðr 'dead' and á 'river'; such r.ns. often refer to the dried-up courses of rivers (cf. Dead Eye YW vi, 28, 76, Dead Water ib v, 41, 53, Dedhe ib iv, 252, and Dautha ib v, 29); Ekwall (RN 116) gives other examples with the cognate OE  dēad 'dead'.Dowdyrigg is between Fawcett and Whinfell near Ashstead Beck at grid 89–551022.