English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Claxton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Greatham

Historical Forms

  • clachestona 1091×2 Reg early12th
  • Claxtun' 1153×95 Rav
  • Claxston' 1183 BB c.1320
  • Clacstona 1183 BB c.1382
  • claston' c.1200 Spec
  • villa de claxton' 1233×44 Spec
  • Claxton' c.1280etfreqto1378 Spec c.1290 Ann 14th,1349 Ct 1382 Hatf
  • villata de claxton' 1399,1415(p) Spec 1441 Ct 1453 Spec
  • Claxtone 1294 GD 1307 Lond 1381,1386(p) GD
  • klaxton' 1356 Spec
  • Klaxton' 1396 Ct
  • klaxston' 1357 ib
  • Clakistoun' 1370 Ct
  • Claxton mid13th(p)etfreqto1520 Spec c.1294 Bek 18th RPD 1312,1313 GD 1321(p)etfreqto1476 IPM 1373(p),1380etfreqto1622 Halm 1381 Hatf 1382 Halm 1383 Wills 1386 Lang 1418 Wills 1420 ChancH 1433 Ct 1441 FPD 1464 Saxton 1576
  • manerium de Claxton 1631 NRCbox7 1661×85 ib
  • Clakestona 1086 DEPN

Etymology

'Clac's estate', late OE  pers.n. *Clac (c ) < ON  Klakkr , ODan  *Klak (SPNLY 172, SPNN 264), genitive sing. Clacces , + tūn , cf. Claxton Norfolk TG 3303, Clakestona 1086 DEPN, North Yorkshire SE 6960, Claxtorp 1086, Claxton (a ) 1282 etc., PNYN 37. ON  Klakkr , OEScand  *Klak , is an original by-name connected with the ON  appellative klakkr 'a lump' used in p.ns. to denote the summit of a hill. It is well attested both in p.ns. and in independent use in England.