Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Horninctune, Horni(n)tone 1086 DB

• Hornynton 1188 RegAlbii,97

• Hornington(a), Hornyngton(a) 1190 P l.12 YDx e.13 YDv 1223 Pat c.1230 Bodl76 1280 Ass7 1621 FF

• Hornyngton(a) on Querf 1349 FF

• Hornigton(a), Hornygton(a) 1202,1246 FF 1259 YDii c.1290 Percy 1318 YDvi

• Horningeton 1196 P 1208,1221 FF 1586 WillY

• Hornyton, Ornyngton 1304,1305 Ch

Etymology

This could be 'farmstead of those dwelling on the horn ', v. -ingas (esp. § 4), tūn , but in view of the infrequency of spellings in -inge - it is rather to be taken as 'farmstead near the horn ', with the connective -ing 4 , which is sometimes used with appellatives (cf. Rimington vi, 176infra ). The horn (OE  horn 'a projecting horn- shaped piece of land, esp. one formed in a river-bend,) is probably the long stretch of land included in the angle formed by the R. Wharfe and The Foss (the latter separating it from the rest of Bolton township); this horn also enters into Hornley f.n. infra . Hornton and Horley O 399 are a parallel pair of similar origin.