Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Sproteburg 1086 DB c.1210 BWr 1285 KI

• Sproteburgh 1303 KF 1409 DiocV 1474 Testiii

• Sprotteburg(h) 1246 Ass16 1250,1255(1269) Ebor 1279–81 QW 1285 KI 1303 Aid

• Sprotburg(h) 1276 RH 1279–81,1293 QW 1296 LacyComp 1305 Ebor 1316 Vill 1348 Testiv 1590 Camd

• Sprotburrowe 1517 Testv

• Sprotbrugh 1546 YChant

• Sprotbroughe 1578 NCWills

• Sprodeburgh 1524 Testv

• Sprodebrugh 1546 YChant

• Sprodburgh 1525 Testvi 1593 FF

• Sprodbrough 1571,1595 FF 1641 Rates

Etymology

Sprotbrough is one of the line of fortifications west of Doncaster in the Don and Dearne valleys (v. Introd.); the others in this series (Conisbrough 125, Mexborough 77, Barnburgh 80, Masbrough 186, Kexbrough 318, Worsborough 292infra ) have mostly personal designations, and it is therefore possible that the first el. of Sprotbrough is a pers.n. Sprot (t )a ; a pers.n. Sprot is recorded in DB, as is Sprottulfus (of which Sprotta would be a normal shortened form); cf. Feilitzen 370, who also notes that the local distribution of Sprot suggests a Scandinavian origin. But Sprotbrough could be simply interpreted as 'fortification overgrown with sprouts and shoots' from OE  sprota, as in Sproatley YE (which has a similar run of forms). The later Sprod - forms have a common assimilation of the voiceless -t - to -d -, as in Cadeby 63supra or Todwick 157infra .