Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Crocestone 1098 DB

• Crokestun lHy2 Dane

• Crokeston' 1190,1191,1192,1193 P 1194 1234 Cl

• Crokeston “by” Newshus 1293 Ipm

• Crokastun 1159–81 NCot e13

• Crochestune 1086 DB

• Crochestone 1086 ib

• Crochestuna c.1115 LS

• Crochestun(e) c.1150 Dane lHy2 ib

• Crocheston' 1086–8,1088,c.1143(l13) Blyth 1166,1167 P

• Crocston' 1194 CurP 1195 P 1196 ChancR

• Croxston c.1150 Newh Ed1 FF 1284 FA 1428 AD 1539

• Croxtune 1155–60 Dane

• Croxtuna 1166–75 Fulstow

• Croxtun(') 1157–63 Dane c.1180 NCot e13 HarlCh e13 NCot 1219 HarlCh e13 NCot 1220–30 Fees 1224,c.1235(e13) 1238–43

• Croxton(') 1188 P 1190 NCot e13 ChancR 1196 P 1197,1198,1199 ChancR 1200 Ass 1202 Fees 1212 Ch 1227 HarlCh 1238 NCot 1241 Fees e13 1242–3

• Croketon' 1218,1219 Ass

• Crokton(') 1231 Cur 1353 Inqaqd 1535 VE

• Crocton' 1232 Cur

• Croston 1325 Inqaqd 1408 Cl

• Crowston 1697 Pryme

Etymology

This is to be compared with Croxton (St) and Croxton Kerrial and South Croxton (Lei), all four being interpreted as 'Crōc's farmstead or village', v. tūn by Ekwall (DEPN s.n.). The same first el. seems to occur in Croxall (now St, but v. PN Db 631–32) and Croxden (St). The OE occurrences of the per.sn. have been collected by Insley 558, and two l12–e13 century examples from L are noted in SPNLY 181. There seems general agreement that Crōc represents an original byname ON  Krókr , ODan  Krōk .However, Dr Fellows-Jensen objects that this “pers.n. only makes infrequent appearances in England, however, and I would tentatively suggest that the first el. of the six p.ns. is in fact the OE  topographical el. *crōc m. “crook” perhaps “nook” … It should be noted that there is no trace of Scand  gen. ks in the DB forms of the p.ns.” It may be objected that it would be remarkable in the extreme to find six p.ns. in genitival composition with the same hypothetical OE appellative. So, on balance of probabilities it would seem more reasonable to accept that the first el. is indeed the pers.n. Crōc , from ODan  Krōk , which is probably also found in Croxby (LNR), Croxley Green (PN Hrt 81), Croxteth (PN La 114), Croxton (PN C 158) and Croxton (Nf 2x). It may be noted that Croxall is first recorded in a 13th century copy of an AS charter dated 942Peniarth (S 1606), v. PN Db 631, and this led Ekwall (DEPN) to remark “The Scandinavian name here appears remarkably early”. As is pointed out in PN Db 632, however, there is good evidence for such early settlement in South Derbyshire. In all probability, then, Croxton is to be interpreted as 'Crōc's farmstead, village'.