Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Colestone 1086 DB

• Colestuna t.Hy1 Dugdvi

• Coleston 1235 Fees 1269 FF

• Kyrcoluiston 1242 Fees

• Kyrcolston 1277 Ass 1291 1346 FA

• Kirkolston 1277,1280 Ass 1286 Ebor

• Kyrkecolston 1364 Ass

• Kyrkalston 1428 FA

• Kercolston 1271 FF 1275 RH 1280 Ass 1284 FA 1298 Ipm

• Kercoleston 1280 Ass 1299,1305 FF

• Ker Colston 1302,1346 FA

• Kerkolston 1308 Ebor

• Carecolston 1409 FF

• Carcoston 1434 Pat

• Care Colson 1567 Wills

• Carr Colson 1650 FF

• Colston Carr 1657 CoRec

• Carcaulson 1737 ParReg(Kelham)

Etymology

The first element of Colston is probably the ON  personal name Kolr , hence 'Kolr 's farm,' v. tun and Introd. xviii. The earliest forms suggest that the later prefix Car , added no doubt to distinguish from Colston Bassett infra 232, has developed from the ON  kirkja, 'church,' in the ME  form kirk (e ). Later this was no doubt confused with the word carr (ME  ker ), 'marshland,' common in Nottinghamshire place-names, v. infra 286, and found in Ker de Kercolston , infra 224.