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.

Thistleton

Major Settlement in the Parish of Thistleton

Historical Forms

  • Tisteltune 1086 DB
  • Tystelton' 1286 QW
  • Thysteltun, Thisteltun 1212 Fees 1241 Cl
  • Thistelton(e) 1226 RHug 1249 RGros 1300 Ipm 1535 VE 1610 Speed
  • Thystilton', Thistilton' 1262 FF 1265 Misc 1340 Pat
  • Thustelton 1286 Ass
  • This(s)leton 1535 VE 1670 FF
  • Thistleton 1610 Speed

Etymology

'The farm where thistles abound', v. þistel , tūn . For the archaeologist, thistles are associated with deserted habitation sites because high phosphate content in the soil encourages their growth.There is a large Romano-British settlement site a half mile southwest of the parish church and thistles growing there may well have given the later settlement site its name.