 The derivation of the villages name is uncertain, but Ekwall believes it be mean Cairpe's settlement in Old Norse ("Cairpes bȳ").The name "Cairpe" is of Old Irish origin, implying Norse-Gaelic settlement in the area.In the centre of the village is a high-stepped cross, dated 1674, that tells of the time when Carperby had a market (granted in 1305).