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.

Rawtonstall

Early-attested site in the Parish of Halifax

Historical Forms

  • Ructunstal 1238 YDii
  • Rutonestal 1276 RH
  • Routunstal(e) 1265 YI 14 YDxiii,48
  • Routonstal(e) 1265 YI 1275 WCR
  • Routonstall 1274 1336 YDxiii,48 1342 Tayllvii
  • Rotonstall 1403 Stansf
  • Rottanstall Hey 1582 HAS
  • Rowtunstall, Rowtonstall 1560 FF 1567 DodsN 1583 WillY 1591 FF
  • Rowtenstall 1589 HAS
  • Rattonstall 1583 WillY 1817 M
  • Rattinstall Bank 1771 M
  • Rawtonstall 1606 PRHept 1822 Langd

Etymology

'Rough farmstead', v. rūh , tūn-stall (cf. Saltonstall 125supra ).The spellings with -u - and -ou - are normal, whilst later variants Ra - and Raw - are dial. (cf. Phonol. §§ 8, 32). The name is paralleled by Rawtenstall La 92; cf. also Ritter 144.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name