Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Flichtham 1086 DB

• Flitte, Flytte 1166 P 1202,1227 Ass 1236 Cl 1242 Fees891 1270 FF 1276 Ass 1282 Ipm 1284 FA 1287 Ass 1302 FA 1305 1316 1329 1388 Cl 1390–2 CS 1396 Cl 1428 FA

• Flete 1183 P

• Fliuten c.1200–25 BHRSii.128

• Flitten c.1200–25 BHRSii.128 1276 Ass 1279 RH 1297 SR 1327 Ipm

• Flette 1240 Ass

• Flyten 1260 FF

• Flyte 1262 FF

• Flit 1286 Dunst

• Flute 1291 NI

• Flitton, Flytton 1318 Ch 1331 QW 1526 LS

• Flyten 1331 QW

• Flitt(e), Flytte 1290–1431 Linc

• Flette, Fleytt c.1440 Linc

• Flytt(e) c.1470 Linc

• Flitton c.1480 Linc

Etymology

It is clear that in the discussion of this difficult name we must take into account, not only the forms of Flitton itself but those of Flitt Hundred, which must be associated with it, and of Flitwick just across the valley from Flitton, in the Hundred of Redbornstoke. Further, one must note that the stream which divides Flitton and Flitwick parishes is known as the River Flit(t), though the only actual record of this on the O.S. map is its expansion to a lake known as Flit Water, in the grounds of Flitwick Manor. Also, there still survives the Rural Deanery of Fleete , which is recorded in 1291 as Flitte , Flute (NI) and Flett in 1535 (VE).

Topographically it is to be noted that there are in reality a number of small streams parallel to one another, with small connecting streams, rather than a single stream, running along the valley which separates first Pulloxhill and then Flitton from Flitwick.

It is clear that the names in question must have something to do with OE  flēot or flēote , used of a small stream, the most familiar example of which is the one which gave its name to Fleet Street in London. Such would explain forms like Flete , Flieteuuiche , Fletwyk , Flettewyke , Flotewyk , Flutewyke , Fliuten , Flute , for we might expect such developments from OE  ēo in ME, the variant forms representing variant dialectal developments of the same OE word. They would clearly also account for the modern Deanery name. We are still, however, left with the puzzle of all the early forms in Flit - and still more with those in Flitt -.

Professor Ekwall suggests for the solution of this puzzle that there may have been very early shortening of ME  Flīt from OE  Flēot (cf. Liefric , Liueua in 12th cent. Beds Fines from OE  Lēofric , Lēofgifu ) to Flĭtt , helped by the influence of Flitwick, in which such shortening would be natural. The c of DB he takes to be a mistranscription for e . Traces of this form may also be found in the form (on ) flitum found as a gloss for Latin fluctris . This, Toller suggests (B.T. Supplt. s.v. fleot ), is a mistake for flactris , flactra being itself a Latin word for locus coenosus . This sense of 'marsh' would perhaps suit the ground even better than stream but, however that may be, the dat. pl. form flitum serves to remind us of the origin of the curious Fliuten , Flit (t )en (e ) forms which lie behind the modern Flitton .The usual form of the place-name in the dat. sg. would be flēote in OE , but as there was more than one stream or marsh, equally common would be the dat. pl. form fleotum and these in ME  would develop to forms with a suffix –en (for such double forms cf. Ion infra 151). The rare suffix -en was naturally altered to -on in later days. We are left with the small problem of the DB form for Flitton . The -ham may be simply for -am , the Lat. fem. accusative suffix which we sometimes find added to place-names in DB when they are in the accusative after 'tenet' (cf. Evreham in DB for lver (Bk)).Alternatively the -ham may be a bad form for the dat. pl. suffix -um . These names therefore mean 'wicby the stream,' and '(at) the stream or streams.'