Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Dreslin(g)tone 1086 DB

• Drichtlington 1202 FF

• Dright(e)lington, Dryght(e)lington, Dright(e)lyngton 1401 YDii 1424 Rent 1435 DodsN 1444 Calv 1478 YDii 1526 FF

• Dritclington 1226 DodsN

• Driclington 1226 FF

• Drtlingtona c.1250 Calv

• Drytlington 1251 Ass

• Drittlington 1303 Aid

• Drithlington, Drithlyngton 1285 KI 1379 PT

• Drithlingeton 1329 FF

• Drighlington, Dryghlington, Drighlyngton 1303 KF 1402 FA 1504 WB 1542 FF 1641 Rates

• Drighlington 1612 PRLds

• Brightelington, Brightelyngton (sic) 1316 Vill 1428 FA

• Driglington 1540 TestLds 1592 WillY 1771 PRHtsd

Etymology

'Farmstead associated with Dryhtel', v. -ing 4 , tūn . An OE  pers.n. Dryhtel or Dryhtla is not recorded, but it would be a normal derivative of some OE  pers.n. in Dryht - (Dryhthelm , Dryhtlāf , Dryhtwald , etc.), and is paralleled by OHG  Truhtilo (Bach i, 123). The local pronunciation with [drig-] was already in use by 1540. The DB spelling with -s - is a common AN  one for OE -h - (IPN 113).