Brompton
Major Settlement in the Parish of Brompton
Historical Forms
- Bruntun(e) 1086 DB c.1170 Riev
- Brunton 1086 DB 1665 Visit
- Birunton' 1167 P
- Brumton' 1219 Ass 1245 Malton 1301 YI
- Brumpton(e) 1253 Ch 1399 YI
- Brompton(e) 1285 KI
- Bruneton DB
- -brumton 1285 KI, 1306 Bridl
Etymology
The name Brompton occurs elsewhere in the Riding and in YER as Potter Brompton, Bruneton DB, (Potter )-brumton 1285 KI, 1306 Bridl. Most of the early spellings have Brun - and to explain this we must suppose either that the ME nasal sign' or - should be interpreted as m and not n (as is usually done) or that n later became m , a change which is unlikely before t .The reverse process is more probably correct and if we take the first element as being originally Brum - we can explain the n forms as due to the influence of the following t . A similar change of m to n at an early date is found in Bromley (K), OE Bromleag BCS 506, Brunlei in DB, and Bromley (St), OE Bromleage , c. 1096 FW, but Brunlege DB.
The origin and meaning of the first element are open to speculation, but the most likely explanation is the OE word brom 'broom,' which enters with certainty into many English place-names, such as the two Bromleys already noticed, Brumdon (Do), Bromdun KCD 1322, Broomhope, Broomley (PN NbDu s.n.), etc. The word seems to have become brum at an early date, as shown by the spellings of Broomley (Nb, Brumleg 1255) and the two Bromleys. If this is correct Brompton means 'enclosed piece of land overgrown with gorse' v. brom , tun and cf. Brampton 180infra .