Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Breiðe-tun c.1030 YCh7

• Braiþatun c.1050 YCh9

• Bretone, Brettan 1086 DB

• Brattona 1078–85 Selby

• Braiton(a), Brayton(a), Braytun c.1070 Selby 12 Selby 13 Ch 1311 ChR 1205 RegAlbiii,50d c.1216 FF 1234 YDi,173 1250–8 Ch 1252 FF 1588

• Braton 1303 KF 1606 PRLed 1658 SelbyW

Etymology

This name and Brayton Cu 262 are usually interpreted as 'broad farm', from ON  breiðr, possibly replacing OE  brād, as suggested by the single spelling Brattona . The only doubt is that brād (breiðr) is not usually compounded with tūn or habitative els. but with words for topographical features. It is formally possible therefore that the first el. is a Scandinavianised form of OE  Brāda or the rare ON  byname Breiði , ODan  Brēthe (in the p.n. Brederød , DaSN (F) 90), a wk. form of Breiðr and corresponding to OE  Brāda . The ONorw  p.n. Bræidabø noted by Lindkvist 26 may also contain this ON  wk. form Breiði rather than breiðr . 'Broad farmstead' or 'Breiði's farmstead', v. tūn .