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.

Manston

Early-attested site in the Parish of Whitkirk

Historical Forms

  • Mainestun(e), Manestun(e) 1086 DB
  • Manston 1247–85 YDii 1276 RH 1285 KI l.13 Kirkst 1549 Testvi
  • Manstone 1564 Visit 1574 WillY

Etymology

Manston, Mainestun (e ), Manestun (e )1086 DB, Manston 1247–85 YD ii, 1276 RH, 1285 KI, l. 13 Kirkstet passim to 1549 Test vi, Manstone 1564 Visit, 1574 WillY. Most spellings point to an OE  Man (n )es -tūn 'Mann's farmstead', from the OE  pers.n. Mann and tūn . But if the DB Maines - is to be trusted it is rather 'Mægen's farmstead', from an OE  pers.n. Mægen (as in Manningham iii, 246supra , which also has the change of Mægen - to Man - from the thirteenth century); this accords with the scantier evidence available for Manston (cf. Phonol. § 11).