Leighton Buzzard
Major Settlement in the Parish of Leighton Buzzard
Historical Forms
- Lestone 1086 DB
- Le(c)htone 1164,1169 P 1227,1240 Ass
- Lechtone 1173 P 1202 P
- Leocton 1177 P
- Lectune 1194 Cur(P)
- Lecton 1195 P 1196 FF 1202 Ass 1228 Cl 1253 ADiii
- Leiton, Leyton 1206 FF 1227 Ass
- Leghton 1247 Ass
- Leghton Busard 1287 Ass
- Lachton 1264 Pat
- Bussard 1287 QW 1321 Cl 1656 BM
- Busard 1287 Ass 1297 SR 1307 Cl 1316 FA 1326 Cl 1349 BM 1446 HMCVariv 1477 ADi
- Bousard 1331 QW
- Bosard 1355 Cl 1447 IpmR 1499 Ipm
- Bussarde al. Budeserte Eliz ChancP
- Beaudesert 1643 HMCv
- Beudesert al. Budezard 1646 NQiii
- Buzard 1649 HMCv
- Beuzard 1655 NQi
Etymology
'Kitchen-garden' is the meaning of OE leactun from which this p.n. comes. The Buzzard addition has never been satisfactorily explained. Busard is the name of a well-known French family, but their nearest property so far as we know was at Knotting in the north of the county. The Beaudesert of the later forms is clearly an antiquarian invention due to a determination to find some meaning for the name.