Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Essebi 1086 DB 1176 BM

• Essebia c.1130 LeicSurv

• Esseby 1212 FF 1209×35 RHug 1243 Fees 1278,1280 Goodacre 1301 1316 FA

• Asseby 1287,1295 Cl

• Assheby 1251 Cur 1274 Coram 1285 Banco 1384 Goodacre 1397 Cl 1502 MiscAccts 1506 Ipm 1541 MinAccts

• Asshebi 1383 Goodacre

• As(s)cheby 1352 Goodacre

• Asshby 1518,1528 Comp

• Ashby 1515 Deed 1535 VE 1610 Speed

• Ashbie 1572 LEpis 1576 LibCl 1583 DKR

• Parua ~ 1086 DB

• Parva ~ c.1130 LeicSurv 1212 FF 1278,c.1280 Goodacre 1384 1444 Peake 1502 MiscAccts

• ~ Parva 1176 BM 1251 Cur c.1300 Goodacre 1510 Visit

• Luytel ~ 1347 Ipm

• Litle ~ 1441 Will e.16

• Lytell ~ 1515 Deed 1583 DKR

Etymology

'The farmstead or village where ash-trees grow', v. æsc , bȳ . As for Ashby Magna supra , note the possible influence of ON  eski 'a place growing with ash-trees' or OE  esce 'a stand of ash-trees'. The township was distinguished by the MLat  affixes parva 'small' and ME  litel 'little' to avoid confusion with Ashby Magna supra .