The hamlet's name is Old English and refers to the nearby Whiteleaf Cross, a chalk carving in the shape of a cross in the side of the hill overlooking the Risboroughs. The cross dates back to the time of the medieval monastery in Risborough, though there are some who believe it to be a prehistoric phallic symbol that was doctored by the monks when the monastery was built.
Today the hamlet is still quite small and the community close knit.