Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Brochesbi 1086 DB 1196 ChancR 1197×1227 Hastings

• Brocchesbi 1198 P

• Brokesbya c.1130 LeicSurv

• Brockesby 1123×47 QuR 1202 Hastings 1254 Val

• Brokesbi 1197 P 1207 GildR

• Brokesby 1202 Fine 1236,1242 Fees 1251 RGros 1510,1514 LP 1547 Pat 1610 Speed

• Brokesby super Wreke 1296 Banco

• Brokesby super Wrethek 1307 Ass

• Brokesbye 1576 Saxton

• Brokesbie 1577,1580 LEpis

• Brokysby 1517 DI 1544,1588 ISLR

• Brokeby 1254 Pat

• Broksby 1258 Ass

• Broxby 1574,1577 LEpis

• Broxbie 1576 LibCl

• Brookesbie 1610 LML

• Brooksby 1835 O 1842 Map

Etymology

Perhaps 'Brōk's farmstead, village', v. bȳ . Ekwall DEPN suggests that the p.n. is to be interpreted as 'the bȳ on the brook', referring to the river Wreake near to which the settlement is situated (hence affixes with MLat  super 'on, upon'). However, the regular genitival forms may rather point to a Scand pers.n. as the specific; p.ns. in Leics. with OE  brōc 'a brook' as the specific do not otherwise show genitival structure (as Nether Broughton in Framland Hundred and Broughton Astley in Guthlaxton Hundred). The spelling Brokeby 1254 is unique among some 150 other forms with the gen.sg. in the editor's collection. A Scand  pers.n. Brōk would have been an original by-name from ON  brók 'breeches'. The ON  pers.n. Brókki is extant and may account for forms in -cch - and -ck -. Fellows-Jensen (SSNEM 39) ventures that an OE  specific brōc may refer to a small stream which rises near Brooksby rather than to the river Wreake or alternatively, the specific may be an unrecorded ODan  cognate brōk which appears to have been used in p.ns. in Denmark of 'a bog, a marsh'.