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.

Unstone

Major Settlement in the Parish of Unstone

Historical Forms

  • Onestune 1086 DB
  • On(e)ston(e), Oniston(e), Onyston(e), -ton(e) 1263 FF 1269 Ass Hy3 WollCh 1282 FF 1296 Ipm 17th
  • Honestune 1086 DB
  • Honeston 1272 Ass
  • Honistun e.13th DbCh
  • Honston 1519 ib
  • Ounston(e), Ownston(e) 1368,1393,1538 Relxx 1546 MinAcct 1577 Saxton 1757 ShefMD
  • Hunston 1296 Ipm

Etymology

Perhaps 'Ōn's farm', v. tūn , as suggested by Ekwall (DEPN).The unrecorded OE  pers.n. Ōn would be the strong form of Ona .Spellings in Oun -, Own -, which show the development of an unshortened pronunciation, are paralleled by spellings in browke from brōc .