Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Gastecrike (sic) eHy3 Bard p1269

• Gascrike 1250 FF 1250 Bard p1269

• Gascrik Hy3 HarlCh 1297 Cl 1302 Nelthorpe 1313 Pat

• Gascrike 1318 AddCh

• Gaskryk 1332 SR

• Gayskerik 1334 Cl

Etymology

GASCRICK (lost), Gastecrike (sic)eHy3 (p1269) Bard , Gascrike 1250 FF, 1250 (p1269) Bard (copy of prec.), Gascrik Hy3HarlCh (p), 1297 Cl (p), 1302Nelthorpe (p), 1313 Pat (p), Gascrike 1318AddCh (p), Gaskryk 1332SR (p), Gayskerik 1334 Cl (p), recorded from at least 1332SR as an hereditary surn. in Robert Gascrik '. In spite of the spelling of the first form, it would appear that this is a Scandinavian compound of gás 'a goose, a wild goose' and kriki 'a nook, bend', ME  crike 'a creek' (cf. MED s.v.), hence 'the creek of the wild geese' or the like, with a similar diphthongisation in the 1334 form as occurs in Gaisgill, PN We 2, 50, and Gazegill, PN YW 6, 176. According to LNQ vi, 204–6, “Gascrike … was the original name of the Haven of Barton”.