Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (æt) Ceorlatun 956 BCS925 c.1240

• (æt) Ceorlatune 982 KCD1278 c.1240

• Cerletone 1086 DB

• Cherleton' 1180 P

• Cherleton by Wanetyng 1360 Pat

• Charltona e.Hy3 AddCh

• Charlton juxta Wantyng 1401–2 FA

• Charleton 1242 Ipm

• Chereleston' 1284 Ass

• Cherltone 1313–4 AD

• Cherlton 1369 BM 1412 Fine

• Churleton 1394 Cl

• Chorlton 1411–2 AD 1459 BM

Etymology

'Farm of the peasants', v. ceorl , tūn . There is an important discussion of this common name by H. P. R. Finberg in Lucerna (1964), pp. 144–60. Professor Finberg argues convincingly that it is a comparatively late name, applied to a village dependent on some larger centre, in many instances a royal manor, and that the ceorls referred to are the labour force of a large estate; he suggests that the translation 'farm of the free peasants' which has sometimes been given for Charlton is misleading, as these men were neither free nor independent. This Charlton would be named from its relationship to the royal estate of Wantage.