Sowerby

English

Etymology

From Old Norse saurr (“mud, dirt, sour ground”) + bý (“farmstead”).

Proper noun

Sowerby (countable and uncountable, plural Sowerbys)

1. (uncountable) A placename:
   1. A hamlet in Inskip-with-Sowerby parish, Wyre district, Lancashire, England (OS grid ref SD4738).
   2. A village and civil parish in Hambleton district, North Yorkshire, England (OS grid ref SE4381).
   3. A village in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England (OS grid ref SE0423).
2. (countable) A habitational surname from Old Norse.

Derived terms

• Inskip-with-Sowerby
• Sowerby Bridge
• Temple Sowerby

 

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Sowerby is the 61585^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 326 individuals. Sowerby is most common among White (85.89%) individuals.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Sowerby”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.

Anagrams

• Bowerys, bowyers