Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Elfatune, Hafeltone (2 ×) 1086 DB

• Ælfatune Exon

• Hechfelton 1199 CartAnt

• Hethfeltun 1227 FF

• Hethfelton 1280 Ch 1315 Pat 1331 Pat 1344 Pat 1355 IpmR

• 'manor and grange of Hethfelton' 1571 Hutch3 1811 OS

• Hethfelderton 1227 FF

• Ethfeld 1234 HarlCh 13 Ch 1234 1279

• Hetfelton 1280 Ch

• Hetfeldyngton 1291 Tax

• Hethfeldton 1280 Weld1 1706

• Hetherfelton 1344 Inqaqd

• Hethefel(d)ton 1535 VE

• Ethfilton 1541 Hutch3

• Heathfelton (als. Heathelton) 1625 DoIpm

• Heathfieldton 1765 Tayl

• Hethelton Mead(ow) 1638,1682 Weld1

• Heckelton l17 Weld1

• Hefleton, Heffelton ham 1703 Weld1

Etymology

'Farm at Hethfeld ' ('open land overgrown with heather'), as suggested by Fägersten 145 and Ekwall DEPN, v. hǣð , feld , tūn , with mǣd and hamm . It is suggested in Hutch3 1417 that the name may mean 'Æðelflǣd's farm', from the woman called Ædelflete (OE  Æðelflǣd ) who held TRE the largest of the three DB manors of Hethfelton (VCHDo 395), but as Dr von Feilitzen notes, nothing in the run of forms points to this pers.n. There was at one time a grange of Bindon Abbey here (Hutch3 1 370, 417, cf. 1234 (13) HarlCh 58/H/45 in which terram de Ethfeld is granted to the abbey).