Belton
Major Settlement in the Parish of Belton
Historical Forms
- Belton(e) Wm1 Dugd 1205 P 1205 RFinib 1232 Pat 1295(p),1310 Peake 1311 Rut
- Beltuna 1080–7 Reg
- Beleton 1243 RGros
- Bealton 1167 P
- Baealton' 1205 ib
- Beuton' 1244 Fees 1266 FF 1266 For
- Beautone c1200 RBE 1237 Fees
- Beulton' 1340 Peake
Etymology
The first theme of the name is obscure. Elements suggests OE bēl1, meaning 'a beacon' in p.ns., but this does not really seem satisfactory in combination with OE tūn 'farmstead' and Ekwall NoB xlv 139 wonders if this word appears in any p.ns. discussed by Smith in Elements s. v. bēl 1 . For detailed treatment of Belton, v. Ekwall Studies2 159–63 where it is suggested that the element is bel - which may be cognate with ON bil , Swedish dial. bil , Danish dial. bil , boel 'interval, space'. This word or a derivative bilan or the like, Ekwall suggests, might have developed a meaning such as 'open land in a forest' or 'a piece of dry land in a fen'. In the period of the opening up of the west of Rutland, the countryside around Belton would have been heavily wooded. Indeed, the parish was formerly within the bounds of Leighfield Forest. An interpretation 'farmstead on open ground in woodland' would suit the place well, but the idea of a border beacon site next to Wardley (q. v .) is also attractive, v. tūn .
Because of the reorganization of the counties in 1974, the village is now (1991) officially known as 'Belton in Rutland' to distinguish it from Belton Lei.