Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Meabruna Gerardi 12 Weth

• Mebrun(n) 1158–66 YCh 1185 Lowth 1198 Pipe 1202 P 1241 Cl

• Mebron 1606 PR(Ask) 1634 PR(Mrl)

• Nebrunne (sic) 1196 P

• Meburn(e) 1200 Pipe 1232–5 Weth 1256 Ass10d 1268 Pat 1272 Misc 1601 PR(Mrl)

• Meburn(e) Regis 1279 Ass6d 1283 Ipm c.1285 Weth 1429 FA

• Kinges Meburn(e), Kynges Meburn(e) 1292 Ass32 1292 QW 1327 Ipm 1344 Pat 1368 et freq

• Kynge(s) Meborne 1539 DRH 1540 MinAcct

• Medeburn 1279 Ass6d

• Kingesmedburn(e) 1279 ib

• Meuburn 1369 Cliff

• Meweburne 1422 Cl

• Mayburne 1370 Hom

• Maybourne 1484 Pat

• Kings Meaborn, Kings Meaburn(e) 1617 NWm 1634,1646 PR(Mrl) 1777 M

Etymology

v. also Maulds Meaburn (ii, 156infra ), 3 miles further up the Lyvennet. Both names are originally stream-names referring to that river and mean 'meadow stream', v. mǣd (Angl  mēd ), burna . In the majority of spellings -d - has been assimilated and lost; they may well be connected with NCy dial. mea 'pasture' (as in Seavy Man ii, 13supra ), evidenced as 16th century maie in DobsonMere (ii, 109supra ). The few spellings with Meu -, Mewe - may have arisen from the influence of OE  mǣwe which also denoted 'a meadow', or they reflect (again with loss of -d -) the OE  oblique case mǣdwa (gen.pl. of mǣd ). The manor belonged to the Crown (NB 453), v. cyning (Lat  rex ). For Gerardi (the name of a feudal owner) in the first form cf. Crosby Garrett (ii, 39supra ).