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.

Earby

Early-attested site in the Parish of Thornton in Craven

Historical Forms

  • Eurebi 1086 DB
  • Euerby, Everby 1260 YI 1276 RH 1373 ADi
  • Everby in Crauene 1280 Ass
  • Ereby 1526 Testv
  • Erbye 1546 YChant
  • Hyerbye 1552 WillY
  • Ear(e)by, Ear(e)bie 1557 FF 1652 WillS

Etymology

Earby, Eurebi 1086 DB, Euerby , Everby 1260 YI, 1276 RHet freq to 1373 AD i, Everby in Crauene 1280Ass , Ereby 1526 Test v, Erbye 1546 YChant, Hyerbye 1552 WillY, Ear (e )by , Ear (e )bie 1557 FFet freq to 1652 WillS. 'Upper farmstead' (from its situation further up the valley of Earby Beck than that of Thornton in Craven), from ON  efri as in Norw  p.ns. Øverby (NG iv, 42, 92, etc.) and . But the ON  pers.n. Iǫfurr is also formally possible.