Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Chiriton(e), Chiryton(e) 1199,1203 Cur 1225 Pat 1242 Fees 1311 Ch 1316 FA 1318 Ipm 1327 SR 1349 Wigorn

• Chiriton(e) juxta Brayles 1309 Ass

• Chiriton(e) Parva 1327 FF

• Cherinton 1200 Cur

• Cheryton 1201 1424 StratGild 1428 FA 1492 Ipm

• Cheriton 1318 Ipm 1675 Ogilby

• Chirintone 1201,1203 Cur 1235 Fees

• Scheryngton 1512 ADv

• Cheryngton 1535 VE

Etymology

This is probably one of the series of names explained by Ekwall, Studies 38 ff., as compounds of OE  cirice, 'church,' and tun . These names have modern forms Cheriton and Cherrington and it is difficult to find early forms decisively in favour of Ekwall's etymology. It should be noted, however, that in the case of Cheriton (K), for which, when Ekwall wrote, we only had forms Cherintone , Ciritone , etc., Wallenberg (PN K 442) has now brought to light an earlier form Ciricetone , and we may note also Cheriton (Pembrokeshire) Churcheton 1346AD , 1363 Cl, Cheriton 1418 AD iii, while for Cheriton in Brendon (PN D 59), though we have no early cirice -forms, we have the interesting confirmatory evidence that the farm is by the site of St Brendan's church, and for Cheristow (PN D 72) we have the similar evidence of the presence of an ancient chapel, as well as an early form Chircstoua . Ekwall (op. cit. 35) suggests that we have an early form cyrictun for the Warwickshire Cherrington in the cyrictun of KCD 650. The context however shows that the place was in Oxfordshire and it should probably be identified with the estate at Great Tew which St Albans had received from Archbishop Aelfric (Wills 52).