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.

Speeton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Bridlington

Historical Forms

  • Spretone 1086 DB
  • Specton(e) 1086 DB 1166 YCh1139
  • Spetune, Speton(a) 12th YD 1155–7 YCh 1579 NCWills
  • Speyton 1549 FF
  • Spighton 1586 FF

Etymology

The DB spellings suggest that we have as first element OE  sprǣc , spǣc (ONb  sp (r )ēc ) 'speech,' as in Spetchley (PN Wo 165); this is supported by the 1166 Spectone and by Spighton , but c was generally lost in the combination ct as in Brotton (PN NRY 142), cf. also Bridlington supra 100. The name means 'speech enclosure' and it was probably the place where the Hundred met. Cf. Spell Howe infra 116.

Places in the same Parish