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.

Great and Little Creaton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Creaton, Great and Little

Historical Forms

  • Craptone 1086 DB
  • Creptone ib.
  • Creton(e) 1086 DB 1484 ADiv
  • Magna Creton 1202 Ass
  • Parvam Creton 1284 FA
  • Grosse Creton 1405–24 ECP
  • Mich Creton 1477 ADiv
  • Cretton 1176 P 1235 Fees
  • Creiton 1202 Ass
  • Creyton 1526 SR 1563 FF
  • Cratton' 1285 Ass
  • Greate Creaton 1657 NRSi
  • Critton 1687 StJ

Etymology

The history of this name is not made easier by what are clearly eccentric forms in DB. Topographically the chief feature of Creaton is that it stands on the top of a high ridge which slopes steeply down on two sides. The most likely possibility is that it is named from the hill on which it stands, and that that was called Cre (i )c . For such a hill-name, v. Crick infra . Hence, 'farm on the hill,' with early assimilation of k to t . The DB forms may be attempts to wrestle with the difficult ct combination.Creeton (L), with early forms Cretun , Cretone and two late forms Cretton may be a parallel, but no certainty is possible. It lies at the foot of a steepish hill in the valley of the Glen.

Places in the same Parish

None