Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (Alfcetel in) Há' c.1050 YCh9

• Hameltun, Hamelton(a) 1086 DB 1087,1087–1107,1154 Selby 1272 FF 1276 RH 1279–81 QW 1291 Ebor 1546 YChant

• Amelthon 1252 Ch

• Hamulton 1308 Linds

• Hamylton 1379 PT 1441 Selby 1557 WillY

Etymology

There can be little doubt that this name is connected with Hambleton Hough infra , a small but prominent wooded and conical hill ¾ mile south of the village. The first el. is clearly OE  hamol 'scarred' which is normally combined with dūn 'hill' as in Hambleton v, 213, vi, 66 infra , YN 198 (cf. also EPN i, 231); in many of these p.ns. dūn has eventually become -ton . In Hambleton, however, tūn 'farmstead' seems to be original, and it may well be that hamol was also used as a noun denoting 'a scarred hill' or the like, as was MHG  hamel 'steep abrupt cliff'. Hambleton La 155, which also has Hameltune , -ton regularly from DB and no trace of a medial -e - to suggest a pers.n., may similarly contain a noun hamol , referring to one of the small hills standing out of the flats along the Wyre estuary (1″ O.S. 94–3742). The identification of the much-abbreviated OE  form Há ' is probable, as the festerman Alfcetel appears to be the Alchel who was tenant here TRE in DB. v. Addenda.