Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Clareton(e) 1086 DB 1243 Fees 1267 Ebor 1600 FF

• Clarton 1176 P 1268 Ass8 1285 KI 1301 YI 1614 FF

• Claireton 1606 FF

• Clarohill 1597 SessnR 1817 M

• Claro monte 1650 PRAll

Etymology

Clareton, Claro Hill, Clareton (e )1086 DB, 1243 Fees, 1267 Eboret passim to 1600 FF, Clarton 1176 P (p), 1268Ass 8, 1285 KI, 1301 YIet freq to 1614 FF, Claireton 1606 FF, and Clarohill 1597 SessnR, 1817 M, Claro monte 1650 PRAll. The letter gave its name to Claro Wapentake (1supra ). Claro Hill is on the Great North Road and Clareton is over ½ mile to the south-west. The first el. common to these two p.ns. is uncertain; usually in similar pairs which have a habitative suffix bȳ 'farmstead' (þorp , etc.) and haugr 'mound, hill', it is a Scandinavian pers.n. (cf. Grimesthorpe i, 210, Haggenby iv, 239 supra ). A pers.n. Clare is recorded in OE in a charter (949 BCS 882) which has several Scandinavian pers.ns. There is, however, doubt about the etymology of Clare ; Redin 133 thinks it might be a short form of some name containing Lat  clarus 'clear' (cf. OG Clarembald ). But whatever its origin the pers.n. Clare existed and seems to enter into the two p.ns. This is preferable to Anderson's alternative suggestion that the first el. is OE  clǣfre (or clāfre ) 'clover', for although this is sometimes shortened to Clare - in p.ns. like Clarborough Nt 27 or Clarewood Nb 47 these p.ns. have ample evidence for clāfre in their Clavre - spellings, which we do not find in Clareton, Claro Wapentake, Claro Hill or Clargate (iv, 259 supra ).