Himbleton
Major Settlement in the Parish of Himbleton
Historical Forms
- Hymeltun 816 BCS256 11th BCS552 884 KCD680 18th c.972 11th
- Himeltun 1086 DB
- Humeltuna c.1086 EveB 1190
- Humelton(e) 1240 WoP 1275 SR 1291 Tax 1346 FA 1389 Pat
- Hemelton 1320 Pat
- Hymulton 1535 VE
- Humulton 1549 Wills
- Himbulton 1564 Wills
- Himbleton 1570 Wills
Etymology
The first element in this name is clearly the same as that found in the old name Hymelbroc for the Bow Brook (v. supra 10) on which it stands. That stream is mentioned in the bounds of Crowle, Peopleton and Grafton Flyford, some miles to the south in those of Himbleton itself, and in those of Phepson to the north of Himbleton. It is however more likely that the tun and the broc were named independently than that the one took its name from the other. The same element is found in hymelmor in Wolverley (KCD 645) and also in Himley (St). It is probable that in all alike the reference is to some plant but we cannot be sure to what. The wild hop has been suggested but it is very doubtful whether it is a native plant. More probably it is used here as in some of the OE vocabularies, of either bryony or bindweed, and the whole name would then refer to the frequency of the plant here.