Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Etiminstre 1086 DB

• Eteminster 1091 Osm

• Eteministr(e) 1214 Cur 1226 Osm 1229 Pat 1244 Ass

• Etteministr' 1244 ib

• Edemenistr(e) 1200 P 1201 ChancR

• Edmenistr(e) 1201 P

• Etheminster, Etheministre c.1209 Sarum 1244 Ass

• Ethemenistre c.1226 Sarum

• Ethemynistr' 1244 Ass

• Geteministr(') 1226 Osm

• Gateministr(') 1243 HarlCh

• Yatemin(i)str(e), Yateminster c.1226 Sarum 1244 Ass 1314 Pat 1483 DCMDeed

• Yatemen(y)str(e) 1288 Ass 1331 Pat 1381 et freq

• Yatemunstre 1360 Cl

• Yatemystre, Yatemyster 1417 Fine 1559 Salis

• Yatemester 1474 AddCh

• Yttreminster 1250 Pap

• Yeteministr(e) 1252 Cl 1297,1318 Pat

• Yetemynystr' 1280 Ass

• Yetemen(y)stre 1297 Pat 1336 ib

• Yetemynstre 1320 ib

• Yetemyster 1454 Cl

• Yetminister' 1268 Ass

• Yetmester 1586 Batten

• Yetmyster, Yetmister 1586 ib

• Yetmister Episcopi 1677 Digby

• Hyetemenstre 1270 For

• Jatemin(i)str(e), Zotemin(i)str(e) (sic) 1291 Tax

• Iatemenstre 1337 Ipm

• Yatesministre, Yatesminster 1300 Ch 1391–3 ChR

• Yatteministre 1309 Drew

• Yattemenstre 1331 Pat

• Yathemenistre

• Iatmynstre 1316 FA

• Jatmystr' 1499 Ipm

• Yatministre, Yatmin(i)ster 1318,1327 Pat 1535–43 Leland

• Yatmynstr(e), Yatmynster 1337 Ipm 1368 Sher 1428 FA

• Yatmystr(e), Yatmyster, Yatmister 1380 Sher 1601 et freq

• Yatmester, Yatmestre 1427 1437 Pat 1585 Sher

• Yattmyster 1426 Sher

• Yeatmyster, Yeatmister 1551 Sher 1599 Gough

• Yettminster 1617 Pitt

Etymology

'Ēata's church', from the OE  pers.n. Ēata (Redin 64, cf. Adber 3393) and mynster 'a large church'. The man in question may have founded or endowed the church, cf. Beaminster par. infra where the pers.n. is that of a woman. For the alternating forms in -e - and -a - from OE  ēa and for the development of prosthetic y - [j], v. Phonol. An interesting folk etymology for this name, arising out of the similarity of the first el. to the local form y (e )ate from OE  geat 'a gate' as in names like Verne Yeates 1220 and Woodyates 2271, is reported by Hutch1 2 467: 'it seems to be so called from some remarkable gate or pass here. Tradition says, that it was a principal gate into the forest of Blakemore' (v. Blackmoor Forest 3274). For the prebends of Yetminster Prima and Yetminster Secunda, v. Netherbury (lost) and Upbury Fm infra .