Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Bretlinton 1086 DB

• Brettlington' 1195 P

• Bretlingt' 1197 P

• Bredlinton(a), Bredlinton(e) a.1080 Whitby 13th Bridl 1125–30 BM 1146–53 Riev 1172–5 Bridl c.1280

• Bredlington(a) 1081–96 Whitby 15th Bridl 1120–9,1147–56 YCh 1185–95 YD 1618

• Brellingtona 12th YD

• Brellintun, Brellinton(a) 1119–35 Bridl c.1280 Bridl t.Hy1 Ch 1312 BM 1128–32 BevAct c.1135 Ch 1138 BM 1392 YCh826 1160 Ch 1160–75 1312

• Brellincton 1155–70 YCh1361

• Bridlington(a), Bridlyngton(a), Bridlinton(a) 1119–30 Bridl c.1130 Whitby 1201 Cur 1828 Langd

• Bridlincton t.Hy3 StoweCh

• Bridelin(g)ton(a) 1119–24 Bridl c.1135 BevAct c.1190 Bardney 13th Percy 1446 Ch

• Brilinton' 1135–54 Bridl

• Brillintona 1138–54 YCh1146

• Brillingtona 12th YD 13th BM

• Britlintona 1147–54 YCh1147

• Britlingtuna 1274 Ebor

• Berlinton(a) 1147–54 YCh 1170–85 ib

• Byrlyngton 1541,1577 FF 1581 BridlCh

• Burdlington 1650 ParlSurv

• Burlington 1651 Deposition

• Brenlintona t.Hy2 Bridl

• Brelint(ona) 1160–81 RegAlb 1170–84 YCh1141

• Bridlinget' 1201 Cur

• Breddelington 1203 Ass

• Briddelington(a) 1235,1268 FF 1280 Misc 1297 LS 1299

Etymology

It is difficult to decide on the OE  form of Bridlington and the choice between elements containing Brit -, Bret -, Brid - and Bred - must remain largely a matter of conjecture, for any one of these forms could be shown to be the origin of the different ME spellings. The problem is somewhat simplified, though not very satisfactorily, by the elimination of two or three of these possibilities through the lack of appropriate OE  etymons and parallels; pers. names like Bridela , Bredela or Britela are unknown, whilst Brǣdela which might be postulated as a derivative of Brād (a ) would probably have left in this area some traces in ME  shortened forms like Bradling -. It is further unlikely that OScand  Bertil (of continental origin) is to be seriously considered, except that this particular name in its Scandinavian or continental form may to a small extent have influenced the early spellings of Bridlington.

The least unsatisfactory solution is the OE  pers. name Berhtel (Redin 139) in a metathesised form Brehtel or Brihtel . The early interchange of e and i in the spellings may reflect these possible OE variations in the pers. name or it may be due to the not infrequent raising of e to i before a dental consonant (cf. Zachrisson, PN *vis , 54–5, and Språkvetensk. Sällsk. Förhandl. 1925–7, 49 n.); in this connexion it should be noted that up to 1200 the proportion of e - to i -spellings is some 2 to 1.This ratio has no material significance in the light of the documents from which the spellings are taken, but it at least suggests that e is the original spelling. The frequent appearance of d by assimilation from t is clearly paralleled by the early spellings of Basildon (PN Ess 140–1); similarly Basildon exhibits the unusual loss of OE h in Berhtel and the same loss of h is to be noticed in some of the spellings of Brotton (from Broc-tun , which would normally become Brohtun , PN NRY 142). The numerous Brell -, Brill - spellings of Bridlington arise from a common consonant assimilation of the kind found in Nafferton supra 94, Swillington (WRY), Suillintun DB, Suinlington 13th YD, etc.Byrlington and Burlington are metathesised from Brillington and have undergone the dialectal change of ir to [ɔ] (cf. Introd. xxix). 'Berhtel 's farmstead,' v. ingtun .