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.

Exelby

Major Settlement in the Parish of Burneston

Historical Forms

  • Aschilebi 1086 DB
  • Aschelebi 1161–70 MaryY
  • Eskelby 12 Easby 1316 Vill
  • Eskilby 1199 FF
  • Exkilby 1372 FF
  • Exilby, Exylby 1419 YI 1468 Pat

Etymology

'Eskel's farm' from the OEScand  pers. name Eskel (Lundgren-Brate 312) and by. The two earliest spellings contain the OWScand  equivalent Áskell (LindN), found also in Asselby (YER), Aschilebi 1086 DB, though the persistence of Esk -forms makes ultimate derivation from the OEScand certain. This should be considered in connexion with Holme 224supra and Introd. xxv. In the case of this name and Asselby (YER)sk underwent metathesis to ks (x ), which became s in the dialect (v. Introd. xxxii). In Exelby this has further developed to sh as in Dishforth 184supra .

Places in the same Parish