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.

Syston

Major Settlement in the Parish of Syston

Historical Forms

  • Sitestone 1086 DB
  • Sithestun' 1201 Cur
  • Sitheston' 1207 P 1232 Fine 1277 Cl 1282 Pat 1370 Wyg 1374 LCDeeds 1631,1632 LML
  • Sithestone 1277 Hastings
  • Sithiston(e) 1205 RotNorm 1277 Hastings 1316 FA 1251 Ch
  • Sytheston' 1220 MHW 1247 Fees 1276×91 RTemple 1297 Coram 1391 Wyg 1392 Pat 1534 RTemple 1561 LeicW
  • Sythestone 1231 RHug 1540 Fine
  • Sithston 1535 VE 1630 LML
  • Seithston 1580 LeicW
  • Sideston' 1204 ClR 1205 P 1257 Ch
  • Sidestone 1220 RHug
  • Sydeston' 1229 Cl 1251 Fees 1264 Cl
  • Sieston c.1130 LeicSurv 1540 MinAccts 1549 Pat
  • Syiston 1271 Ipm
  • Syeston' 1411 ELiW 1411 PRep 1548 Ex-Rel 1558 Ipm
  • Seiston 1549 Pat 1576 LibCl
  • Seyston 1558 Pat
  • Siston 1329 Ipm 1380 LCDeeds 1614 LML 1647,1689 MiscAccts
  • Syston 1338,1339 Pat 1536,1546 AAS
  • Sison 1601 Terrier 1622 Burton 1635 Surv
  • Syson 1635 ib
  • Sithestan 1254 Val, 1290 OSut
  • Sydestan c.1291 Tax

Etymology

The first el. is an OE  pers.n. showing early shortening, such as Sigehǣð or Sigefrið , compounded with tūn 'a farmstead, a village'. The 17th cent, spellings Sison /Syson have typical Leics. loss of t from the group -ston which occurs from the 16th cent. onwards. Three 13th cent. forms with -stan spellings are attributed to this township : Sithestan 1254 Val, 1290 OSut and Sydestan c.1291 Tax. These are all from ecclesiastical records and presum. reflect scribal confusion with spellings for the Lincs. Syston some 27 miles to the north-east in the same diocese, whose generic is OE  stān 'a stone', v. DLPN 122s. n .