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.

Marton in the Forest

Major Settlement in the Parish of Marton le Forest

Historical Forms

  • Martun 1086 DB
  • Marton(a) 1160–75 YCh
  • Marton(a) in Galtres 1278 Baildon
  • Mareton' 1167,1172,1178,1179 P

Etymology

The name Marton is of frequent appearance in Y. On phonological (and in many cases topographical) grounds the first element cannot be identified with OE  mere , 'pool,' which in DB and 12th and 13th cent. sources would scarcely appear as Mar - and in many cases there is no evidence for the presence of a pool. There is, however, a Yorks dialect word mar (EDD) used of 'marshy land, sodden or reedy ground,' a sense which would suit the topography of the Yorkshire Martons. Zachrisson (PN in Ing 113, 114) derives this word from Scandinavian and compares Swed  mar (from OSwed  mar , 'sea') which has the meaning of 'marsh' in some dialects, and Dan  mar , 'fen, marshland.' If so, the first element of Marton is from an ON  marr , 'fen, marsh,' and the name means 'farm in the marshy land.'v. tun .

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site