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.

Ufton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Ufton

Historical Forms

  • Hulhtune 1043 KCD916 17th
  • Ulfton 1043 Ch 1267 Pat 1352
  • Ulfeton 1457–60 ECP
  • Wlfeton 1444 ADi
  • Olufton c.1045 KCD939 17th LP 1545
  • Olloufton c.1057 Monast
  • Ollifton 1139 RegAlb
  • Oluston 1290 Pat
  • Ulchetone 1086 DB
  • Ulehtonam c.1144 Ch 1348
  • Ulehtan, Hulugton 1221 Pap
  • Ulghton 1284,1290 Pat 1314 FF 1315 Ass
  • Oulghetone 1306 ib
  • Ulughton 1309 ib
  • Olechton 1257 Ch
  • Olefton 1257 Monast
  • Olcheton 1285 Ass
  • Oluton 1262 1297 Cl
  • Olouton, Olughton 1278 Coventry
  • Oluweton 1279 Nott
  • Oloughton 1284,1364 Monast 1549 Pat
  • Olougton 1285 Ass
  • Olughton 1291 Tax 1312 FF 1325 Ipm 1327,1332 SR 1355 Pat
  • Olgton 1314 RegAlb
  • Holughton 1320 Pat
  • Oloughton al. Oluffton 1558 FF
  • Vleughton 1319 Pat
  • Oloughton and Ufton (sic) 1535 VE
  • Ufton al. Oloughton 1536 BM
  • Olufton 1554 Pat
  • Oloughton al. Oluffton 1558 FF
  • Owlufton 1585 LRMB

Etymology

This is a difficult name. It should be noted that the first form is of no authority and the same is true of the early forms in Ulf - and Oluf -. We cannot make any attempt to explain this name unless we take the DB form Ulchetone to be the earliest that is of any value and explain the f forms as due to the same development of spirant [χ ] which we find in [inʌf] for inogh , 'enough.'A clue to the solution of this name-puzzle is however almost certainly to be found in the Long Itchington charter (supra 134 n.).It was noted there that wulluht graf corresponds in site with Ufton Wood on the edge of Long Itchington parish. There can be little doubt that the first element wulluht in this Long Itchington name is the same as that found in Ufton. DB Ulchetone is for earlier Wulluhttun and initial w has been lost before a back vowel as in Umbome for Womborne (PN D 15, 624), Odle for Wodhull (ib. 642). If that is so we have an element wulluht compounded with graf and with tun . No explanation of this element, clearly English in origin, can be offered on the basis of its being a significant noun or adjective. It may well however be a late OE  form for an earlier Wulfwiht . This name is not actually on record but both elements are used in OE compound names. For loss of f we may compare OE  wullafes wællan for wulflafes wællan in this same charter, Wlwahrd for Wulfweard , DB Wluuara for Wulfwaru , Wluuold for Wulfweald , Wluuard for Wulfweard , Wlwi for Wulfwig . The reduction of wiht to uht has its parallels in the OE  pers. name Ceoluht for Ceolwiht and the form nanuht for earlier nanwiht . In Ufton, earlier Wulluhttun , and in Wulluhtgraf the pers. name would, as is sometimes the case, seem to have been prefixed in the nominative rather than in the genitive form.It is of course possible that the early form of Ufton was Wulluhtingtun , with connective ing , rather than simple Wulluhttun .Hence, 'Wulfwiht 's farm,' v. tun .

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site