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.

Breadstone

Major Settlement in the Parish of Breadstone

Historical Forms

  • Bradelestan' 1236 FF
  • Bradeneston 1273 Ipm
  • Bradneston 1322 Orig
  • Brodeston 1243–5,c.1250 Berk
  • Bratheston(e) 1248 Ass 1250 Berk
  • Brotheston c.1250 Berk
  • Bradeston(e) c.1250,c.1270 Berk 1273 Misc 1287 Ass 1522 Rent
  • Braddeston 1439 IpmR
  • Bradston(e) 1479,1507 Rent 1492 Aug 1640 InqM
  • Bradston als. Bredston 1561 FF
  • Broadston als. Bradston als. Bredston 1613 FF

Etymology

'The broad stone', v. brād , stān ; Brad (e )ne - is from the OE  wk. form brādan , and Bradele - is an AN  variant of this with interchange of -ne and -le (cf. IPN 107). The modern Bread - is from a shortened ME  Bradde - (cf. Phonol. § 1). The forms Brathe -, Brothe - may also represent the early stage of loss of a dental stop similar to that postulated by Zachrisson (IPN 111 note 1) for names like Doynton (iii, 77infra ).