Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Humbrestone 1086 DB 1440,1444 Visit 1526 Sub

• Humbreston 1226 ClR 1530 Willsiii

• Humberston 1242–43 Fees 1294 Ass 1310 Cl 1312 Pat 1322 Pap 1331 Ipm 1331 Cl 1346 FA 1368 Pat 1375 Peace 1402,1428 FA 1450 Pap 1451 Cl

• Humberstone 1309 Pap 1421 Fine 1431 FA 1446 Fine 1557 Pat 1638 MiscDon

• Humbrestan Hy2 Dane Hy2 Pat 1461 Cur 1223 FineR 1226

• Humberstan Hy2 Dane 1202 Ass 1212 Fees 1235 IB 1238 RRG 1266 Cl 1273 Ipm 1275,1276 RH 1291 Tax 1292 Ipm 1303 FA 1450 Cl

• Humberstane 1323 Pat 1353 Ipm 1355 Cor 1372 Misc 1458 Pat

• Humberstein c.1115 LS 1180 P 1203,1208 FF 1209 P 1219 Ass p1220 WellesLA 1231 Welles 1240 RRG

• Humbersteyn p1220 WellesLA 1241 RRG 1254 ValNor 1258 Pat 1278 Fine 1289 RSu 1291 Tax 1295 Ass 1428 FA

• Humbrestein 1191 P 1202 Ass

• Humbrestam 1155–58 Ch 1334

• Humbrestain 1164–81 YChv l13

• Humbrestayn 1267 Cl 1310 FF

• Humbrestayne 1440 Visit

• Humberstayn 1235 IB 1242–43 Fees 1244 Cl 1247 Lib 1258 Cl 1262 RRGr 1266 Misc 1272 Ass 1274 RRGr 1282 Pat 1291 Tax 1295 RSu 1296 Ass 1298 Pat 1423 Pap

• Humberstayne 1319,1331 Pat 1373 Peace 1375 FF

• Humberscam 1203,1204 P

• Humberstain 1224 FF 1226 Welles 1245 FineR 1230 HarlCh 1233 RAii 1293 RSu 1296 AD

• Humerstain' 1228 Cur

• Humerstein' 1230 ib

• Homeston (sic) 1552 HumbD

• Homerston 1576 Saxton 1607 Camden 1610 Speed

• Humerston 1608 LRMB

Etymology

'The stone by the R. Humber', v. stān , forms in -stein , -stain are from the cognate ON  steinn 'a stone'. Of the stone itself, Holles in 1634 reports, “here upon ye Shoare lyes a great Boundry blew Stone just at ye place where Humber looseth himselfe in ye German Ocean”. Kirkby 18 states, “The boulder clay of the ridge contains stones of all sizes … The larger of these 'erratics' have been used as boundary marks … One or two serve as mounting blocks for horsemen … The largest of these 'erratics', measuring 4 feet x 3 feet x 2 and a half feet, lies buried in the field known as First Newcroft, on Kirby Fm”.

According to Kirkby 19, “In the 1930's the Post Office authorities, to avoid confusion with Humberstone, Leicestershire, changed the official spelling to Humberston. At the present time [1953] the suffixes -on and -one are both used”.