coombes

Coombes is an English surname and also a toponymic element found in English place names. The name originated as a habitational designation for someone who lived near a hollow or valley. It derives from the Old English or Middle English terms for a hollow, such as cumb or coombe, with coombe or coomb becoming common spellings in later centuries.

Variants of the name include Coombs and Coombe. Coombs remains a common surname in its own right, while Coombe appears frequently as a surname and as part of placenames, sometimes referring to different places that share the same descriptive meaning. Like many English surnames, Coombes has spread beyond its country of origin through migration, and bearers are now found in North America, Australia and other regions with historical English settlement.

As a placename element, coomb(e)/combe is widely used in England to describe geographic features such as valleys or sheltered hollows. This toponymic usage appears in numerous localities and often contributes to the naming of villages, farms, or hillsides associated with a specific landscape feature.

In summary, Coombes is primarily an English surname tied to a landscape descriptor meaning hollow or valley, with related spellings and a broader presence in English toponymy.