Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Dano 4 AntIt

• CairDaun c.800 HistBr

• æt Doneceastre 1002 ASWills

• Donecastr(e)', Donecastr(i)a(m), Donecaster 1086 DB 1123–33 YCh169 1136–52 1154 Selby 1157 YCh354 a.1168 Pont c.1180–1200 YCh1106–7 1189 Ch 1308 Fount 1198 Test 1382

• Doncastr(e), Doncaster 1119–47 LeonN5 1225 Ebor 1292 Baild 1348 Testiv 1367 FF 1369 Brett 1822 Langd

• Doncastir 1487 Ipm

• Dunecastr(e)' 1130 P 1268 Ebor 1543 Leland

• Donacastre 1158–66 YCh175

• Danecastr(e)', Danecastra, Danecastrum, Danecastrie, Danecaster Hy2 Riev 1159–63 YCh1005 1160 P Ric1 Ch 1252 YCh 1194 Ch 1199 Kirkst 1232 l.12 FF 1200 YI 1202 1304

• Danekastre 1200 Cur

• Denecastr(a)', Denecastre, Denecaster 1165 P 1205 ChR 1207,1219 FF 1220 Cur 1229 Pat 1246 FF 1268 Ebor

• Duncastre, Duncaster 1328 1425 Pat

• Dancastre 1405 1418 Pat 1654 PRCnt

• Dankestyr 1466 Pat

• Doncastell 1418 Pat

• Dongecastre 1540 MonRent

Etymology

'Fortification on the Don', v. R. Don (RNs.) and ceaster . Doncaster was the site of an important Roman station Danum . The original vowel of Don was long (OE  Dōn ), but in the p.n. this was shortened and treated as OE short o before nasals; in south-west Yorkshire this could appear as EMidl and Northern a (as in the Dan (e )castre spellings) or as WMidl o (as in Don (e )castre ); the spellings with Dun (e )- are likely to have been influenced by the r.n. itself, where the long vowel would appear to have been retained and raised to [u:], and then to have been shortened once more to Dun - (cf. Phonol. § 29).The spellings with Dene - cannot be explained as normal phonetic developments, and probably arose by a mistaken association of Dane - with the name of the Danes (cf. ON  Danir, OE  Dene, as in Denby, Denaby 326, 122infra ). The final el. is in its usual northern form -caster , once replaced by ME  castel (as in Castleford ii, 69infra ).