Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Dacre 1086 DB 1198 Fount 1411 Pat 1457 FountBurs 1597 FF

• Dacre in Nyderdale 1536 Testvi

• Dakre 1308 Font

• Dacra c.1142 Font 1145 YCh79 1155 Fount 1175,c.1200 Font

• Dachar c.1180 Font

• Dacar 1570 WillY

• Dacarre 1592 Arm

• Daker 1156 YCh80 1292 Ebor 1361 Ripi 1608 PRHmp

• Dager 1553 FF

• Decar 1641 PRHmp

Etymology

Like Nidd 97supra , Dacre was originally a Celtic river-name, and probably referred to the stream now called Smelt Maria Dike which flows into the R. Nidd at Dacre Banks, or Darley Beck on the southern boundary of the township. Dacre itself is on a hill between the two, and there are many springs on the hill-side. Ekwall (RN 111) derives this and Dacre Beck Cu 10 from a Brit  *dakru -, related to OBret  dacr , Welsh  deigr , Cornish dager 'a tear', the root idea being 'drop, trickle'; the r.n. would mean 'the trickling one', 'the spring', or the like. The spellings represent an OE  form with a sound-substitution of -c - for PrWelsh  -g - (Jackson 556–7). If this etymology is correct (as it seems to be), the modern form is either a spelling pronunciation or has its long vowel from a ME  Daker with ME  lengthening of short -a - to -ā - in the open syllable.