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.

Wheatenhurst

Major Settlement in the Parish of Wheatenhurst or Whitminster

Historical Forms

  • Witenhert 1086 DB
  • Witenehet c.1100 France
  • Witenherste, Wytenherste 1195 P
  • Wytenhurst(e) c.1275 For 1284 Episc 1285 FA 1428 MinAcct
  • Wittenhurst 1316 FA
  • Wytehurst(e) Hy3 Ipm 1332 Ch
  • Wythehurst 1261 Ch
  • Hwitehurste 1220 Fees
  • Whitherst 1248 Ass
  • Whythurst 1260 FF
  • Whytehurst, Whitehurst 1335 Misc 1336 Heref
  • Whitenherst, Whytenherst 1248 Ass
  • Whytenhurst(e) 1274 Ipm 1287 Ass 1291 Tax 1302 Ch 1425 MinAcct
  • Whittenhurst 1725 PR
  • Whitenerst 1378 Works 1428,1429 Pat
  • Whetynhurst 1547 FF
  • Wettenhurst 1563 FF
  • Whetenhurst(e) als. Whitnester, Whytnester 1579,1602 FF 1612 Asht 1623 FF
  • Whytnester als. Whitmyster 1612 ib
  • Wheatenhurste als. Whitminster 1645 FF 1830 M

Etymology

'The white (bright) wooded hill' or 'Hwīta's wooded hill', v. hwīt (wk.dat. hwītan ), hyrst , or the OE  pers.n. Hwīta . The later development, quite clear from the spellings, has a curious metathesis of -hurst , -herst to -ester , and -nester became -minster by popular etymology. A few later spellings are given infra for this later adaptation: