Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wichingestone 1086 DB

• Wichingest' 1109×1122 Ch 1358

• Wichingestun 1205 Pap

• Wichingestonia 1199×1216 Dugd

• Wychingestona c.1155 Ch 1316

• Wikingeston(e) 1191,1193 P 1309,1324 Wyg

• Wikingestona 1223 BM

• Wyking(g)eston(e) 1220 MHW 1247 Ass 1335 Wyg 1376 Banco

• Wykyng(g)eston(e) 1271 Wyg 1274 Ass 1508,1509 Wyg

• Wykyngestona a.1189 15 ib

• Wikingston 1247 Ass 1208×92 Wyg

• Wykingston(e) 1247×60,1280×92,1298 1328 Rey

• Wykyngston 1345,1352 Pat 1511 Wyg

• Wikinston 1247×60 Wyg

• Wykinston c.1280×92 ib

• Wikynston 1348 LCDeeds

• Wykenston 1431,1443 Wyg

• Wykynston c.1291 Tax 1351 Fine 1428 FA 1503 LCDeeds

• Wykeston 1456 Wyg

• Wixton 1401 Wyg

• Wyxton 1553 ib

• Wiggeston 1410 Wyg 1416 Fine 1515 Wyg 1535 et passim

• eston 1418 Cl 1419 ELiW 1515 Wyg 1517 CoPleas

• Wygston 1457,1473 Wyg 1543 1550 Fine

• Wigston 1491,1493 Wyg 1550 Pat 1576 Saxton

• ~ with too steples c.1545 ECP

• ~ with the two steeples 1558×79 ib

• ~ two-Steeples 1846 White

• Great ~ 1610 Speed 1687 LML

• ~ Magna 1630,1693 LML

Etymology

Probably 'the village or estate named from or belonging to a man called Wicing or Viking', v. tūn . Four instances of an OE  masc. pers.n. Wicing are listed in Prosopography of Anglo -Saxon England (www.pase.ac.uk), those of moneyers from coin evidence dated between 1029 and 1066. Mills (DBPN 498) suggests an OE  masc. pers.n. Wīcing as a possible specific for the place-name, but the length of the initial vowel of such a pers.n. is uncertain, as is that of the OE sb. wīcing , wicing 'a pirate, a viking'. It is possible, though much less likely, that the specific of Wigston (Magna) is the Scand  víkingr 'a viking' (perhaps the source of the ON  pers.n. Víkingr , although Feilitzen 405 regards such a source as doubtful), or even the OE  wīcing, wicing . For the ON  masc. pers.n. Víkingr (ODan  Viking ), v. Feilitzen 405. And further to these pers.ns., note the discussion of OE  wicing and ON  víkingr in Professor Christine Fell's 'Old English wicing : a question of semantics', Proceedings of the British Academy , vol. 72 (1986), 295–316.

Only in the 16th cent. did confusion arise between forms for Wigston Magna and Wigston Parva, for the latter has a different etymology and development (v. Wigston Parva infra ), hence the late addition of MLat  magna 'great' and ~ with too steples (v. tū , stēpel ). Wigston Magna possessed two medieval churches. That of St Wistan was pulled down in the early 17th cent. but its tower with spire remained standing and the church was rebuilt in 1853.