Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Elvestone 1086 DB

• Eluestun 1166 P

• Elueston' 1176,1185 ib

• Nelvestone, Neluestone 1086 DB

• Jelverston 1318 Pap

• Ilueston' c.1130 LeicSurv 1176 P 1397 Wyg 1402 Hazlerigg

• Iluestona 1176 ChancR

• Iluestone 1330 Hazlerigg 1343 Wyg

• Ylueston' 1181 P a.1250 Laz 1404

• Yluestona a.1250 1404 ib

• Ylvyston 1220 MHW

• Ilveston' 1203 FF 1205 RotNorm 1438 Banco 1443 Wyg 1549,1572 Fine

• Ilvestona 1190×1204 France

• Iluiston' m.13 Wyg Hy3 Crox 1365,1393 Wyg

• Iluyston' 1393 ib

• Illeston 1377 SR 1381 LAS 1426,1435 Banco

• Yleston 1507 Ipm

• Ileston 1609 LML

• Ilston 1410 Wyg 1419 Banco 1604 SR 1610 Speed

• Ylston 1518 Visit 1526 AAS

• Illston 1625 Terrier

• Ylson 1537 MinAccts 1545 SR

• Ilson 1572 ib

Etymology

In origin possibly 'Ælfhere's village, estate', v. tūn . The OE  dithematic masc. pers.n. Ælfhere may have been shortened early, while the DB spellings Elves - Elues - (and Nelves - Nelues - with prosthetic n ) perhaps show AN substitution of e for æ (v. Feilitzen 47), the unique Jelverston in the Papal Registers, which sometimes preserve early forms, echoing with its medial -er - the -here of the OE dithematic pers.n. A shortened Ælfhere may subsequently have become confused with, or even replaced by, the ON  masc. pers.n. Iólfr . OScand  ió was on occasion identified with OE  ēo , giving e spellings in DB (v. Feilitzen 68), the form Jelverston perhaps indicating a sequence *Ælfheres - > *Elveres - > Ielvers - > Ilves -. If Iólfr replaced Ælfhere rather than having become confused with it, then the settlement may have been one appropriated by a Scandinavian from the Viking army which disbanded in 877. Note that Illston adjoins another township with a possible OE Scand name, i.e. Rolleston.The loss of t from the group -ston in 16th- and 17th-cent. Leics. place-name forms is typical — as Ylson , Ilson . For shortening of an OE dithematic pers.n., cf. Noseley and perhaps Rolleston, both infra . The suffix ~ on the Hill is modern.