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.

Aston Upthorpe

Major Settlement in the Parish of Aston Upthorpe

Historical Forms

  • (æt) Eastune 964 BCS1143 c.1240
  • Estone 1086 DB
  • Eston' 1198–9 HunterFines 1212 Fees 1229,1231,1234 Cl
  • Aston et Upthrop 1316 FA
  • Astone Upthroope 1346 Pat
  • Astone Upthope 1401–2 FA
  • Astone Upthrope 1428 ib
  • Aston Upthorpe 1469 PubLib
  • Aston Upthrup als Upthropp 1754 ArchJ

Etymology

Aston means 'east farm', v. east , tūn , in this instance so called from its relationship to Blewbury. Aston Upthorpe and Aston Tirrold are two sides of the same village, the parish boundary between them running through the village. The boundaries attached to BCS 1143 leave no doubt that Eastune in this charter refers to the land-unit now represented by the parish of Aston Upthorpe v. Pt 3.In the 14th cent., however, Aston seems to have been applied to the eastern part (Aston Tirrold) and Upthrop ('higher village', v. upp , þrop ) to the western. The name Upthrop was in use also in the 15th- 18th cents, cf. William Benefeld of Upthrope of the parish of Blebury 1419Queen , Upthorpe 1761 Rocque. According to VCH iii 452 (1923), Aston Upthorpe is locally known as 'Thorpe'.