Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Lettrint(t)one, Lettrent(t)one 12,1205–24 Glouc p.1412 GloucHist

• Lechtrinton' 1221 Ass c.1230 StPGl

• Lehtrintona c.1228 GlChi,29

• Leghtryngton', Leghtrinton' 1287 Ass 1313 FF

• Leyʒtrintone 1327 SR

• Leightryngton 1374 Ipm

• Lethtrinton' 1269 FF

• Leyt(e)rin(g)ton 1284 FF 1287 Ass

• Leythrinton 1287 Ipm

• Leighterton, Leyghterton 1289 Ipm 1470 FF 1600 et passim

• Laiterton, Layterton 1698 PR 1739,1740 ib

Etymology

It has been suggested that this name means 'farmstead where lettuce grew', v. leahtric , tūn , with -in (g )- as an analogical substitution for -ic (cf. Karlström 15). But although medial -in (g )- is so regular in all the early spellings it is unlikely that we have an unrecorded OE  pers.n. Lēohthere with -ing 4 (the pers.n. theme Lēoht -, Līht - is found in OE  Līhtwald and DB Lihtuuinus , cf. Feilitzen 319).Phonologically such a pers.n. would have given spellings like Light -, etc. (cf. Luick §§ 272, 275). Cf. Phonol. § 49.