Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Latun' 1133×41 DEC c.1260×90 Spec

• Latun c.1162 1163×80 GD c.1170 Pont late12th Elemos 1198×1204,c.1200(p) GD early13th Rav 1256 GD 1273×90 Spec

• latun 1185 c.1200×10 ib

• Latune c.1190 Godr

• Laton' 1153×95 Rav c.1162×74 Spec c.1175×95(p)etfreqto1357(p) Spec 1290×99 Rav c.1300 Ct 1313 RPD

• villa de Laton' 1358 Ct 1382 Hatf

• laton' 1185×95 Scam 1233×44 Spec 1382 Lond

• Latona 12th Finc c.1162×74(p),c.1170×80(p)etfreqtoc.1240(p) Spec 1185×95(p),13th(p) GD c.1230 NCD

• latona c.1190 Spec

• Latone 1180×86(p)etfreqto1323×4(p) GD

• Lat' c.1187×80 Spec c.1180×95 Spec 1196×1208 ib

• Laton 1198×1204(p),13th(p) GD 1284 Finc late13th Finc c.1300,1303×4 GD early14th Wills 1310 Bek c.1324 GD

• 'manor of' Laton 1348×9 IPM 1364×5(p)etfreqto1561 IPM 1371(p),1378(p) Wills 1380 GD 1663 Lond 1668 GD

• laton 1260×90 Spec

• Latoun 1363 GT

• Laton next Segefeld 1533 IPM

• Laton next Segefeild 1547 ib

• Latton' 1180 Spec 1211 Finc

• Layton 1544(p),1559 Wills 1605×6 IPM 1668 GD 1717 Hud 1720 Bran 1722 HC/CB

• Layton a village, Layton Chappel 1685 Ogilby

• Laiton 1559 Wills 1597 GD 1605×6 IPM

• Laitone 1559 Wills

Etymology

OE  lād + tūn. Hardly 'the settlement on the stream' like Layton Lancashire, Latun 1086, Latona c.1140 DEPN, since there is no such clearly distinctive feature here other than minor watercourses some way to the E and W. The site of the deserted medieval village, however, is immediately adjacent to the ancient main way from Stockton to Sedgefield via Grindon; probably, therefore, 'the village beside the track', a well-attested sense for lād in literary Anglo-Saxon beside the more usual meaning in p.ns. of 'small watercourse, drainage ditch' (cf. the discussion in Landscape 23–5).