Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ringestede 1086 DB 1244 Ass

• Up Ringestede 1293 Cl 1299 Ipm 1475 Ampthill

• Ryngested(e) 1280 Ass 1288 1361 Cl 1389 Weld1 1576 Ampthill

• Est Ryngested 1504 ib

• Rynggested 1288 Ass

• Ringhesteta, Ringhestede 1086 Exon

• Rynghestede 1498 Ct

• Ringsted(e), Ryngsted(e) 1227 FF 1264 Ipm 1276 FF 1285 FA 1291 Pap

• Est(e)ringsted(e) 1285 FA 1554 Ampthill

• Eystringsted(e) 1408 ib

• Eastringsted 1774 Hutch1

• Westringsted 1285 FA 1774 Hutch1

• Upryngstede 1303,1346 FA

• Upperyngsted 1428 ib

• Middleringsted 1774 Hutch1

• Rigstede 1275 RH

• Reggestede 1278 QW

• Rygestede 1392 Ct

• Ryngstod 1280 Ass

• Ryngustede 1392 Ct

• Rynstede 1421,1440 Weld1

• Rengstede 1452 Weld1

• Estringsteed, Estryngsteed 16 Ampthill

• Ringsteed 1634 1663,1682 Weld1

• Rinksteed 1663 ib

• Ryngston (sic) 1575 Saxton

• Ringston 1610 Speed

• Ringstead East, Ringstead Middle, Ringstead West 1795 Boswell

Etymology

Probably from an OE  *hring-stede 'place or site with, or in, a ring', with reference to a stone circle, to a circular enclosure, or to some other circular feature not now apparent, v. Sandred 103, 285 who discusses this name and five other occurrences of the compound in England and refers to Scandinavian parallels. However Ekwall DEPN may be correct in thinking that the first el. is hringe fem. 'ring', used here in the specialized sense 'salt-pan' (Ringstead is on the coast); the forms with medial -e - (Ringestede etc.) might then be accounted for, although these could equally well be from a gen.pl. hringa of hring masc. Ringstead was formerly a parish and a village (the site of which is marked 6″); in 1774 Hutch1 1430 it is said that 'the manors are extinct and the vills depopulated'. But the three farms of East, Middle, and West Ringstead still formed a joint tithing in Winfrith hundred in 1795 Boswell, v. ēast , middel , west ; Up(pe)ringe -, -ryngsted (e ) was perhaps an alternative name for East Ringstead (Hutch3 2506) or for Upton infra (RCHMDo 2 179), v. upp 'higher up'. There was ½ mill in one of the DB manors called Ringestede (VCHDo 3101), and a water-mill in Ringstead is mentioned in 1227 FF. Remains of a Church (mentioned in 1227 FF and 1291 Pap) are marked 6″.