Braunston
Major Settlement in the Parish of Braunston
Historical Forms
- Brantestun 956 BCS978
- Branteston 1175 P 1291 ADv
- Brampteston 1255 Seld13
- Brandeston(e) 1086 DB 1216 ClR 1294 ADiii
- Braundeston 12th Survey 1265 Ch 1280 Cl
- Braunston 1304 ADiv
- Braunston by Daventre 1394 Cl
- Brawnston 1415 ADv 1457 ADiii
- Braunson 1612 NRSiii
Etymology
This is probably 'Brant 's farm,' v. tun . The Brant - forms have their parallel in many of the early forms of Brancepeth (PN NbDu 29), Brauncewell (L), Braunston(e) (L, Lei, R) and Brancey infra 178. So similarly we have branteswyrð in BCS 712, a late copy of an OE charter, which belongs to Northants (v. infra 101 n.), and Branston (St), BCS 771 (copy) Brontiston , DB Branteston . These suggest the probability of an independent personal name Brant (cf. OE brant , 'steep') which is supported by the personal name Branting , found as that of a moneyer in late OE times and in DB, and by the personal name Brenting in the Badby Charter and in the list of Peterborough sureties (BCS 1130). In a few of these names the Anglo-Scandinavian name Brand is also possible, especially where there is a combination of consonants which might lead to unvoicing, e.g. in Brancepeth, where dsp might become tsp .