Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• oluestona 1091×2 FPD 12th

• Wlfestuna 1114×28,1153×95 FPD

• W(u)lfistun c.1300 Spec

• Wluestuna 1128 DEC 1185 FPD

• Wluestona 1129,1154×66 ib

• Wluestune 1133×41 DEC 13th Spec c.1250

• Wluestun' 1154×89 FPD

• Wluestun c.1160,1163×89 Spec 1188×1212 Ct c.1190×5 DEC c.1260 FPD c.1320 Spec

• Wluestum (sic) c.1200 ib

• Wluest' 1153×95 Pont 1180,c.1200(p),mid13th Spec 13th DEC c.1310,c.1320 Spec

• Wlueston' 1341 DRA

• Wlvest' 1280 ib

• Wlveston' 1218×34(p),early13th,c.1320 c.1400 DEC

• Wlvesto', Wlveston mid13th,c.1310 Spec

• Wlvestu' c.1280,c.1300,c.1320,mid14th ib

• Wlvestone late13th GD

• Wlveston, Wlviston 1283 Bek

• Wluiston' 1294 Ct 1298etfreqto1357 Spec

• Wluisto' 1294 Ct

• Wluistona late13th GD

• Wlwestun' 1128 DEC 13th

• Wuluestune 1133×41 DEC

• Wulueston' 1185 Ct c.1200 1203×4 Reg 1233×44 Spec mid13th FPD c.1300,c.1310,1325,1344–5,1348 Spec

• Wuluestona c.1190 ib

• Wuluestun c.1200 ib

• Wuluestun' 1233×44 ib

• Wuluest' c.1230×50 ib

• Wulveston c.1710 Map

• Wuluiston' c.1270(p),1317,c.1320etfreqtoc.1350 Spec

• Wuluiston 1456 RepMag

• Wulviston 1310 Bek

• Wlluiston' 1369 Spec

• Woulueston 1375(p),1376–7 Halm 1669 Man

• Woulueston' 1376–7 ManAccts 1377 Spec

• Woulveston 1378,1381–2,1384 Halm

• Woolueston 1609 Man

• Woolveston 1638 IPM

• Wolueston' 1133×41 DEC 15th Reg 1189×99 Spec 1336 Ct [early13th]15thetfreqto1490 1366

• Wolueston 1359 Ct 1364–5 Halm 1682 Man

• Wolueston beside Biewley 1443 Spec

• Woluueston' 1298 ib

• Wollueston 1665etfreqto1681 Man

• Wolveston 1347 Halm 1350×1 GD 1357etfreqto1779 Halm

• Wolveston' 1314 RPD

• Wolvestone 1348 GT 1579–80 Man

• Wolviston 1296,c.1300,1358 Halm 1679,1683,1687 Man 1872 Gaz

• Wolviston' 1346 Spec

• Wolvistone 1595 Ct

• Woluiston' 1298,1374 Spec

• Woluiston 1345etfreqto1666 Man

• Woluistoune 1359 Spec

• Wolluiston' 1378 ib

• Woluyston' 1378×9 ManAccts

• Wollviston 1776 Man

• Wlestu' 13th Spec

• Wulleston' 1256 ib

• Wlleston' 1287etfreqto1370 et freq

• Wllesto' 1316 ib

• Wlliston' 1315×6 Ct 1332 ManActs 1370 Spec

• Wllystu' 1283 ib

• Wuluston' 1341 DRA

• Vlleston' 1370 Spec

• Wlston' 1322–3,1324–5(p),c.1340,1370–1 Spec

• Wlston 1338 ib

• Wolston c.1340,1345(p) 1347 Pont 1368 Halm 1421 Spec 1482,1549 IPM 1668 Man

• Wolsten 1500 IPM

• Wolstoun c.1570 Man

• Wolstone 1580 Surv

• Wolleston 1342 Spec

• Wolleston' 1363,1387 ib

• Woolstone 1595 Ct

• Woulston(e) 1607,1614 Man

• Wuston 1576 Map

• Woo(w)ston 1578–9 Man

• Woston(e) 1580 Surv 1595 Ct

• Woyliston 1370 Spec

• Wiluiston mid13th Spec

• Wullviston 1776 Man

• Welueston' 1369×70 ManAccts

• Welston 1567 IPM

• Wolverston 1613 IPM

• Wolverstone early19th Lond

• Wovel(l)weston 1615 Man

• Weivsen 1613 Man

Etymology

'Wulf's estate', OE  pers.n. Wulf , genitive sing. Wulfes , + tūn . The name is identical with Woolston Hampshire, Olvestune 1086, Wlveston 1236, though unlike Woolston, the present-day Durham name preserves the Old English genitival medial syllable. A possible interpretation is that this place was the subject of a grant to an individual tenant by the community of St Cuthbert out of their Billingham estate perhaps in the tenth or eleventh century. It is tempting even (though highly speculative) to suggest a family connection between the name Wulf and that of Elfred filius Birihtulfinci , i.e. Alfred son of Brihtwulf ing, to whom Bishop Cuthheard leased Billingham c.900×15. Alternatively the name may commemorate, like Nelson infra , the name of the donor of the estate to the community.