Sotheby

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/ˈsʌðəbi/

proper noun

A habitational surname from Old English.

OriginOld Norse suðr i bý →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative Southby · alternative Southerby · alternative Suddaby · alternative Sutherby

  1. A habitational surname from Old English.

Origin

  1. Old Norsesuðr i bý“south in the village”
  2. EnglishSotheby

"The man who lives south in the village", from Old Norse suðr i bý (“south in the village”). The surname presumably comes from a now defunct placename in England.

More words from Old Norse

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Sotheby. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sotheby

MLA

“Sotheby.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sotheby. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Sotheby,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sotheby.

Source: Sotheby on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.