Recorded as Saxelby, Saxilby, Saxby and Saxeby, this is an English surname. It is locational from either a place called Saxby of which there are several examples in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Sussex, or from Saxelby, in Leicestershire. Over the centuries given that few could read or write and local accents were very thick, the surname spellings have become overlapped or fused, to the point where nameholders particularly in Leicestershire and the adjoining county of Lincolnshire cannot be certain of their etymology. On the other habnd it does not really matter as all places have the same meaning of 'Sax's farm'.. Sax or Saxi according to the Oxford Dictionary of Place Names, is a pre 7ty century Olde Scandanavian personal name. Recent research has thrown doubt on many of the findings in this book, and in this case we would suggest that the place name and hence the surname really means 'A farm belonging to a Saxon'. When the Vikings came to England they conquered or at least 'took over' large areas of former Anglo-Saxon land. Nevertheless and inspite of their reputation much of which is clearly unfounded as even the name Viking only means a fisherman, they often worked hand in hand and traded with, the local inhabitants. Saxelby village is first recorded as Saxelbie in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, whilst most of the Saxby villages are in the same recordeds for their relevant county or slightly later. William de Saxelby is recorded in Lincolnshire in the Hundred Rolls of the year 1273.

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