Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Burtchbie Sale 1624 Deed

• Berchby Sale al's Berehby Quarter al's Berchley Laund Sale al's Birchley Coppice 1677 ib

• Birchby Sale al's Birchley Coppice 1694 ib

• Birchby Closes 1729 Surv

• Bruchby Close e18,1748(l19) Whit

• Birchby Close, Birchby Meadow 18 Surv

• Burchaby Close 1822 Whit 1878

• Great Burchaby, Little Burchaby 1842 Asw

• Birchaby 1943 Map

Etymology

BIRCHABY (lost), Burtchbie Sale 1624Deed , Berchby Sale al 's Berehby Quarter al 's Berchley Laund Sale al 's Birchley Coppice 1677ib , Birchby Sale al 's Birchley Coppice 1694ib , Birchby Closes 1729Surv , Bruchby Close e18, 1748 (l19)Whit , Birchby Close , Birchby Meadow 18Surv , Burchaby Close 1822 (1878) Whit , Great Burchaby , Little Burchaby 1842Asw , Birchaby 1943Map , perhaps 'farm on land newly broken up for cultivation', v. bryce , bȳ . Only minor and field-names represent what may have been a farmstead in cleared woodland on the Rutland border with Lei, v. sale , quarter , launde , copis . The hybrid OE/Scand formation of the name would not indicate primary Scand settlement and there evidently developed some early confusion with birce 'a birch tree' and lēah 'a woodland clearing used for pasture or arable'. The only other possible p.n. with Scand  bȳ in the county is also at the Rutland boundary, v. Hooby Lodge in Stretton.