Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ripestan, Ripestain 1086 DB

• Ribestan(n), Rybestan(n) 1173 YCh197 1182–5 1220–4 YDvii,433 1226 YChx 1227 Ch

• Rybestain, Rybestayn 13 YDvi 1236–47 YChx

• Ribbestain, Ribbestein, Ribbesteyn 1196 P l.12 YDx 13 Percy 1202,1213 FF 1206–12 YChx 1217–41 YDiv 1327 YDii

• Rybbystayn 13 YDvi

• Ribbestan, Rybbestan 13 Percy 1278 YI 1372 YDvii,445

• Rybbeston 1205 OblR

• Ribstain, Rybstain, Rybstayn 1217 YDix,73 1370 YDvi

• Rybstan(e) 1276 RH 1314 Pat 1502 Ipm

• Magna Rybstan(e) 1303 KF 1316 Vill

• Temple Rybstan(e) 1379 PT

• Ribston, Rybston 1535 VE 1540 PrHosp

Etymology

Probably 'rock or stone by which rib-wort or hound's-tongue grew', v. ribbe , stān , the latter sometimes replaced by ON  steinn.Ekwall's suggestion that it means '(boundary) stone of the Hrype ' (the tribe named in Ripon 164infra ) is improbable in view of the regularity of the spellings with Ribe - and Ribbe -; the parallel of Hebden (iii, 191supra ) and Skibeden vi, 73 cited to show voicing of intervocalic -p - to -b - is not relevant, as the voicing in those cases is a simple assimilation to the following voiced -d - in -den , and this circumstance does not occur in Ribston. The DB spelling Ripe - has in fact the reverse assimilation of -b - to -p - before the voiceless -s -.'Magna' and 'Temple' (v. tempel ) to distinguish it from Little Ribston 31infra ; there was a preceptory of Templars at Lund in Ribston (YAJ vii, viii, PrHosp, etc.). The village itself, probably in Ribston Park, has long been depopulated (cf. YAJ xxxviii, 235).