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.

Witton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Witton

Historical Forms

  • Widituna, Wittuna 1086 DB
  • Wittona 1175–86 Holme
  • Witon' 1185 RotDom
  • Witton 1194 Cur 1201 RC 1212,1243 Fees t.Hy3 Ipm 1275 RH 1327 Banco 1328,1342,1374 Pat 1328 Bromh 1339 Cl 1405 FF 1428 FA 1440 FF 1535 VE
  • Wittun c.1200 Bromh
  • Wytton(e) 1234 Cl 1250to1286 Ass 1303,1324,1325 Pat 1309,1315 FF 1316,1346,1402 FA 1317,1356 FF 1330 BM 1347 Cl 1367 Seld 1428 FF
  • Wittone 1254–75 Val 1257,1286 Ass
  • Wottone 1254–75 Val
  • Withtun 1227 Bromh

Etymology

The situation of this place, as that of Witton, Blofield Hundred, on the edge of a woodland area, and the earliest spellings suggest OE  widu -tūn (wudu -tūn ) 'tūn by a wood'. This is also the explanation given by Ekwall (DEPN s.n.), who considers this derivation certain. v. widu , wudu , tūn .

The church, dedicated to St Margaret, possesses some remains of its Anglo-Saxon origin (v. Pevsner 345).