History of Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby School, one of England's oldest and most prestigious public schools, rose to national prominence in the 1820s through the teaching methods pioneered by its headmaster, Dr Thomas Arnold, which contributed to a radical change in Public School education in England. Most of the present school buildings, near the centre of the town, date from this period. In 1823 William Webb Ellis is said to have invented Rugby Football when he picked up the ball and ran with it.
History of Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby got its name in Saxon times. It was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as a small farming settlement then called "Rocheberie". One theory is that the name came from the Anglo-Saxon "Hrōceburh" = "Rook fort", where Rook may be the birds or may be a man's name. There is another theory that it is derived from an old Celtic name "Droche-brig" meaning "wild hilltop". Viking influence in the area changed the ending to the Old Norse "-bý"; in 1200 it was spelt "Rokebi". The name later evolved into "Rokeby", and by the 18th century had become "Rugby".