Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Waltune 12 HMC

• Walton 1101–7 Holme 1250 Ass 1535 VE

• Waltona 1186–1210 Holme

• Waltone 13 Holme 1257 Ass

• Walton Hall 1735 Ct

Etymology

Walton Hall, Waltune 12(p) HMC, Walton 1101–7 Holme, 1250Ass , 1535 VE, Waltona 1186–1210(p) Holme, Waltone 13(p)Holme , 1257(p)Ass , Walton Hall 1735 Ct. In discussing Walton, “a common name”, Ekwall (DEPN s.n.) says it can have at least three different sources: (1) OE  Wala -tūn 'the tūn of the Britons', (2) OE  Wald -tūn 'tūn in a wood or on a wold', (3) OE  Wall -tūn 'tūn by a wall' (using the Anglian forms of the first element, the West Saxon being Weala -, Weald -, Weall -). Since there are no early spellings with a medial -e -, the evidence may in this case be taken to indicate OE  Wald -tūn or Wall -tūn . Then it is really only the situation of the place that can give a hint as to the etymology, and on the whole, according to Ekwall, Wald -tūn 'tūn in a wood' is a more likely source. This name is not in Cameron's corpus in his survey of OE  walh in English place-names in Journal 12 (1980). Cameron accepts Ekwall's phonological criterion and, by leaving out this name, he indicates its inconclusive character (Cameron 1980: 8).