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.

Cragdale

Early-attested site in the Parish of Aysgarth

Historical Forms

  • Cragdal 1218 FF
  • Crakedale 1307 Ch

Etymology

ME  crag (from Ir  creag , Ekwall) 'crag, rock' and dæl. The second spelling shows influence of ME  krake in such p.n.'s as Crakehall. The valley is rocky and scarred. It is possible however that the forms should be taken the other way round, and that the true meaning is 'Kraki's valley,' with later voicing of k to g before d .