Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Shaves Cross 1811 OS

• Shave Farm 1843 TA

• Schaue 1398 IpmR 1399 Cl 1488 Weld2

• Shawe 1456,1469 Weld2

• ten called Shawe 1489 Poul 1546 Ct

• Shewe 1495,1500 Weld2

• mess' called Shawe al's Shave 1598 Poul

Etymology

Shave Cross (SY 415980), Shaves Cross 1811 OS, named from Shave Fm (SY 411974), Shave Farm 1843TA , Schaue 1398 IpmR, 1399 Cl, 1488Weld 2, Shawe 1456, 1469Weld 2, ten called Shawe 1489Poul et freq to 1546Ct , Shewe 1495, 1500Weld 2, mess ' called Shawe al 's Shave 1598Poul , cf. Roger de la Shaghe c.1220Poul , Roger de la Sah 'e n.d. (13) Weld 2, Roger de la Schache n.d. (14) ib , John atte Schawe 1331HarlCh , John atte Shawe 1332 SR, Henry Sheaghe 1376AD , from sc(e)aga 'a small wood, a copse'. For the dialectal development to shave , cf. Shave Hill 387. Folk etymology gives rise to the nice local legend that the 14th-cent. Shave Cross Inn (cross 'cross-roads') takes its name from medieval monks, on pilgrimage to the shrine of St Wite at Whitchurch Canonicorum, stopping here to have their heads shaved. Cf. also Gt Shave & Hr Shave , Shave Wood , etc. in f.ns. infra .