Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Werne 1086 DB

• Iwerna Exon

• Stepelton(e) 1210–12 RBE 1235–6 Fees 1288 Ass 1316 FA 1327 Cl 1331 Ipm 1341 Cl

• Stepleton(e) 1234 Pat 1547 Ct 1550–3 BMI

• Stepilton 1412,1428 FA

• Stupelton(e) 1244 Ass 1279 Ipm 1280 1285 Ipm 1288 Ass 1291 Tax c.1300 AD 1303 FA 1327 SR 1332 SR 1340 NI 1346 FA 1428 FA 1431 FA

• Stupleton 1278 QW 1280 Ass 1428 FA

• Stipelton 1291 Tax 1412 FA 1428,1431 IpmR

• Stypylton 1385 Pat

• Stypleton 1547 Ct

• Stapelton(e) 1316 FA 1331 Ipm

• Iwernestapleton 1346 FF

• Iwerne Stupelton 1359 ib

• Iwerne Stupleton 1431 IpmR

• Iverne Stupulton 1435 FF

• Ewerne Stipleton 1594 DCMDeed

• Steepleton Preston 1795 Boswell 1839 TA

• Steepleton Iwerne or Steepleton Preston 1939 Kelly

Etymology

One of three pars. named from R. Iwerne, v. Iwerne Minster par. and RNs. infra ; for the DB identification, v. Eyton 131–2, VCHDo 394, DBGazetteer 126. It is probable that the meaning of Steepleton is 'village (v. tūn) with a church steeple or tower' rather than 'village at a steep place' (although this could refer to its situation in the Iwerne valley under Ranston Hill), v. stēpel (WSax  stīepel), cf. Steeple par. 1 95, Winterborne Steepleton par. infra , Hutch3 1 298. Preston is probably from Preston, in Iwerne Minster par. infra , part of which may once have been in this par. (Preston was a tithing in Pimperne hundred in 1327SR , 1332 SR, 1548Ct , and Hutch3 3540 describes it as 'part in Blandford and part in Shaftesbury division'). For the forms Stapel -, -staple - cf. NED s.v. staple sb, sense 1b.