Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Birstale 12 YCh1636

• Birstal, Byrstal 1205–37 YDii 1229,1287 Ebor l.13 BM 1364 YDi

• Birstall, Byrstall 1195–1211 YCh 13 Linds J BM 1286 1288 YDi 1822 Langd

• Byrstoll 16 BM

• Burstal(e) l.12 YChviii 1303 Abbr

• Burstall l.12 YChviii 1202 FF 1542 Testvi

• Bristol 1292 Nost63d

• Bristall, Brystall 1300 Ebor 14 Sawl194 1305 BM 1368 FF 1370,1380 YDvii 1401 Calv 1542 TestLds

• Berstal 1293 BM

• Brestal 1499 Testiv

• Birstalkirk 1368 Baild

Etymology

'The site of a fort', v. byrh-stall, with byrh as the gen.sg. of burh 'a fort, a fortified house'; Bristall is a normal metathesised form. As Goodall 75 notes, Birstall, which gave its name to the parish, was a member of the manor of Gomersal (21infra ) and since the parish church (Birstalkirk 1368 Baild) was here it is possible that the burh of the manor was also here.