English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Sproxton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Helmsley

Historical Forms

  • Sprostune 1086 DB
  • Sproxtun(a) 1165–75 YCh 1192 Kirkham 1202 FF
  • Sprocston' 1186 P
  • Sproxton(a) 1226 FF 1228 Pat 1252 Ass 1285 KI 1298 YI 1301 LS 1308 Ch 1417 YI

Etymology

v. tun . For the first element the following names should be compared: Sproxton (Lei) and Sproxmire (13Easby 142 d ), the name of a lost place in Crakehall (HangE) infra . Professor Ekwall suggests that it is the same as the OSwed  pers. name Sprok found in Sproxstatha (1376) recorded by Lundgren-Brate.This pers. name is probably to be associated with OFris , LGerm  sprock 'brittle.'