Crosby
Major Settlement in the Parish of Crosby
Historical Forms
- Cropesbi 1086 DB
- C[r]oc[hes]bi c1115 LS
- Crosseby 1206 Ass 1206 Cur 1227 1238–45 RAii 1272 Ass 1275,1276 RH 1291 Ipm c1300 Shef 1316 FA 1546 LPxxi
- Crossebi 1207 Cur 1210 P 1214 1219 FF 1219 Ass 1219–29 Shef
- Crosceby 1294 Ass
- Crosby 1327 SR 1350 Ch 1445,1504 Cl 1525 Shef 1535 VEiv 1576 Saxton
- Crosbye 1591 Shef
- Crosbie 1612 Foster
- Croxby 1303,1346,1428 FA 1347 Pat
- Crochesbi 1130 P (p)
Etymology
According to Ekwall, DEPN s.n., Crosby is identical in etymology with Croxby, PN L 3, 26–27. This seems unlikely for the only spellings supporting such a suggestion are one partially illegible and those from the 13th-14th century. These are too late to be significant etymologically. Other early spellings which have been identified with Crosby, like Crochesbi 1130 P (p), belong to Croxby itself.
If the DB spelling is correct then Crosby was probably 'Kropp's farmstead, village' from the OScand pers.n. Kroppr and ODan bȳ. In that case medial -ps - has been early assimilated to -ss -. However, it is quite possible that the DB spelling is simply an error, unsupported as it is by later forms, and that the name means 'the farmstead, village marked by crosses', from the gen.pl. of ON kross, late OE cros 'a cross', and ODan bȳ.