Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Chingestone 1086 DB

• ad Kinghestunam, Kyngest(o)un 15 ShaftR

• Kingeston 1212 Fees 1266,1270 Pat 1280,1288 Ass 1575 Saxton

• Kyng(g)eston 1270 Pat 1371 Ass 1288 FA 1316 SR 1327 Ct 1545

• Kyngeston Abbatisse 1297 FF

Etymology

Kingston (SY 957797), c. 1586 Tres, Chingestone 1086 DB, ad Kinghestunam , Kyngest (o )un n.d. (15) ShaftR , Kingeston 1212 Fees, 1266, 1270 Pat, 1280, 1288Ass , 1575 Saxton, Kyng (g )eston 1270 (1371) Pat, 1288Ass , 1316 FA, 1327SR et passim to 1545Ct , Kyngeston Abbatisse 1297 FF, Kyngston 1512 .Ct , 'the king's farm', v. cyning , -es 2 , tūn . In 948ShaftR (S 534 (1)) King Eadred granted land here (referred to as pars telluris Purbicinga , v. Isle of Purbeck supra ) to the religious woman Æifðryð who was apparently then abbess of Shaftesbury; Kingston belonged to Shaftesbury Abbey until the dissolution, hence Abbatisse . According to Hutch3 1 511 Kingston was 'sometimes called South Kingston, and Kingston Abbess, to distinguish it from the other Kingstons in the county' (there are at least six examples of this name in Do).