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.

Wistow

Major Settlement in the Parish of Wistow

Historical Forms

  • Kingestune id est Wicstoue 974 Rams c.1350
  • Wistov 1086 DB 1114–33 BM
  • Wyrstowe (sic) 1227 Ass
  • Kingeston 1253 BM
  • Wyn(e)stowe 1270 Ass
  • W(h)ytstowe 1286 Ass
  • Wistowe 1321 FF

Etymology

This is OE  wīc -stow (v. stow ), which is variously used to denote 'house, dwelling-place or camp.' As the name here seems to be alternatively 'royal manor,' one may perhaps be permitted to take the name to mean 'site of the royal manor- house.' Wistow (Y) has the same history.

Places in the same Parish