Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Winttertonne 1044–7 (13 Sawyer 1055) KCD 785

• Wintretuna 1086 DB

• Wynterton' 1094–5 Holme

• Wintertona, Wyntertona t.Hy2 ib

• Winterton 1198 FF 1199 Seld 1200,1225 Cur 1275 RH

• Wintertone 1209 Ass

• Wyntreton' 1230 P

• Wynterton(e) 1250to1286 Ass 1316 FA 1321,1353 FF 1344to1383 Pat 1358 Cl 1384 Seld 1457 AD 1535 VE

• Wintertune c.1250 HMC

• Wenterton 1275 RH

• Wyntirton 1360 AD

• Wyntyrton 1450 Past

Etymology

OE  winter-tūn 'farm or dwelling used in winter'. It may be that the cattle were kept here in winter and taken to the neighbouring Somerton in summer. This is the usual explanation, but it has also been suggested that the name may have referred to some other activity. An OE  pers.n. Winter or Wintra (Redin 58) occurs in the first els. of Winterton in Lincolnshire and its neighbour Winteringham, but there the early spellings are quite different (v. DEPN s.nn. and PN -ing 146).