Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wudiandun 736–7 BCS156 11th 774 11th ib

• Uuidiandun 774 BCS217 11th

• Widiandune c.800 11th ib

• Widindvne 1086 DB

• Widiendon' 1221 Eyre

• Widindon(e), Wydindon(e) 1221 Ass 1275,1287 Episc 1327 SR 1328 Misc

• Wydendonam 1278 WinchLB

• Wydyngdon' 1306 Ass

• Withindon(a), Wythindon(a), Wythyndon(a), Wythynd', Wythyndone 12,1191–9,13 WinchLB 1209 Fees 1221,1248 Ass 1274 RH 1275 Episc 1547 Pat

• Wythyndone super le Wolde 1329 FF

• Wythingdon, Wythyngdon 1248,1287 Ass 1408 Pat

• Wythyngdon als. Wedyngton 1439 ib

• Wythendon 1291 Tax

• Withinton, Wythinton, Wythynton 1211–13 Fees 1275 Episc 1282–1314 WinchLB

• Wythington, Wythyngton 1573 FF 1584 Comm 1654 PR

• Witindon' 1221 Ass

• Whithindon, Wythindon 1255 Ch 1287 Ass

• Whythyngton 1482 Pat

• Wydinton, Wydynton 1274 RH 1275 Episc 1285,1303 FA

• Wethington 1535 VE 1557 FF

• Wethingdon 1540 MinAcct

Etymology

'Widia's hill,' v. dūn . The pers.n. OE  Widia , Wudga , which is of obscure origin, may also be found in Woodenham (213infra ); like Hagena in Hampen (181supra ), it is found first in OE  heroic poetry as Widia in Waldere ii, 4, 9 and Wudga in Widsith 124, 130; in Germanic legend Widia was the son of Weland the Smith (cf. Widsith , ed. K. Malone, 198 ff). But the name appears much later as that of a moneyer in the 11th century (Redin 159), in DB, and in the 12th century (Feilitzen 417); its use for these persons as well as for the individual who gave his name to Withington would appear to per- petuate a memory of heroic story (cf. IPN 186–9, Introd.). For the affix le Wolde , v. wald 'high, open country' and cf. Cotswolds (2supra ).