Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Arnecrewe 1579,1580 Kendi,158,304

• Arncro(o)e 1579 ib

• Iron Craw (sic) 1669 Kendi,307

Etymology

Ancrow Brow, 1836KCR , Arnecrewe 1579, 1580 Kend i, 158, 304, Arncro (o )e 1579 ib, FF , Iron Craw (sic)1669 Kend i, 307. The name refers to the steep upper slope of the mountain above Stockdale. The first el. is earn (ON  ǫrn ) 'eagle' or the ON  pers.n. Arni ; cf. also Arnesate (i, 165infra ), which doubtless contains the same first el. and would favour the pers.n. The second el. is e.ModE  crew , croo , which means 'hovel, a cote for animals, a pen' (NED s.v.); croo , like Icel  kró , is a loan from OIr  cró 'sty, pen' and crew from early Welsh  creu ; cf. also Manx croa 'cattlefold' in p.ns. like Ballagraw (Marstrander 161).The word occurs in Broom crow (i, 144 supra ), Crew, Crewgarth, etc. (Cu 61, 229).