> Is spanner the Brit name for wrench, like open end or box wrench
> or perhaps crescent wrench?

'spanner' used to be, and probably still is, more common in the UK
and Commonwealth countries than 'wrench'

My older UK dictionary (1951) says

'Spanking - a series of slaps intended as...' ooops

'Spanner - span(1) + er, a wrench (then obvious definition)

'Span(1) - 
Old English/Middle English/Old High German/Dutch 'spannen',
clasp, enfold, fasten, stretch ; Old Norse 'sponn'

'Wrench' - OE/ME/MHG twist

(interesting OHG word derivation for 'wench', too fortuitously
suggestive even for me to post)

An adjustable one (wrench, not wench) is known as in, IME,
decreasing popularity

Crescent
Monkey wrench
Adjustable spanner


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