English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Watlington

Major Settlement in the Parish of Watlington

Historical Forms

  • (æt) Wæclinctune 887 BCS547 11th
  • Wæcling tun 11th Heming
  • Huuætlingatune 11th Heming
  • Watelintone, Watelintune 1086 DB
  • Watelinton' c.1160 OxonCh
  • Watelinton c.1280 Os
  • Watlint' 1123–33 OxonCh
  • Watlintona 1129–33 OxonCh 1320 Ch
  • Wattlinton' 1300 Ipm
  • Wattlintune 1320 Ch
  • Wathlintona 1184 Ex late12th
  • Watling' 1203 Cur
  • Watlingtun' 1218 Cl
  • Wattlington' 1246–7 Ass
  • Wattlington 1319 Cl
  • Wattelyngton 1392 Cl
  • Wartlinton' 1238 Cl
  • Wathinton' 1275–6 RH
  • Wakelintone, Walyngton 1285 Ass
  • Whatlyngton' 1294 AD
  • Whatelyngton 1428 FA
  • Wanlintona 1320 Ch
  • Whattelinton 1482–3 MertR
  • Wattelton 1708 Cooke

Etymology

'tūnof the Wæclingas or of *Wæcel ', v. ingtūn . The first element may be formally identical with that of Watling Street, named from the Old English name for the Roman settlement at Verulamium; v. PN BedsHu 5–7, PN Herts 7, 87, PN Mx 9. Probably, however, this name consists of the personal name *Wæcel , and the element ingtūn . v. Introduction xviii.