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.

Drebley

Early-attested site in the Parish of Skipton

Historical Forms

  • Drebelaie 1086 DB
  • Drebbay in Craven (sic) 1435 Pat
  • Dribley 1577 WillY
  • Drebley, Dreblay 1580 ib

Etymology

Drebley, Drebelaie 1086 DB, Drebbay in Craven (sic)1435 Pat, Dribley 1577 WillY, Drebley , Dreblay 1580 ib, PRBrn. Probably 'Drebba's forest-glade or clearing', v. lēah . Ritter 146 suggests the OE  pers.n. Drebba as a mutated variant of the once-recorded Drabba (Redin 91). OE  dræbbe , drebbe 'refuse, dirt' (which might be thought of) is purely conjectural in form and meaning.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name