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.

Lowesmoor

Early-attested site in the Parish of North Claines

Historical Forms

  • Losmare 1232 Ch
  • Losemere c.1270 AOMB61 15th Ass 1275
  • Losomere (sic) 1299 RBB 18th
  • Losmere, Losmerestrete 1293 WoCh 1316 Ipm 1549 Pat

Etymology

This is probably from OE  hlōse -mere , 'pool with a pigstye by it,' v. hlose , mere . The first form would suggest a second element mære , but it is difficult to see what the sense of such a name could be. Cf. Lowe's Wood (PN BedsHu 144).