Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Bowbrhead 1581 PR

• Bowber Head 1770 PR(B)

Etymology

Bowber Head, Bowbrhead 1581 PR, Bouberhead (e ) 1662, 1670, ib, Bowber Head 1770 PR(B), a name occurring several times in We (ii, 6, 25 supra , ii, 41, 150 infra ). In all but the last example, which is a small hill in a loop of the R. Leith in Great Strickland, the names refer to small round or curving hills, and there can be little doubt that they are all from OE  boga 'bow' in that sense (cf. EPN i, 40), v. beorg 'hill'.