Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Heptone (sic) 1086 DB

• Hett(on)' 12 Font

• Hetun, Heton(e) 1170–1211 YCh 1699,1701,1198 Fount e.13 BM 13 Lewes300 1202 FF 1208 DodsN 1219 FF 1241 Ebor 1246 Ass5d 1251 Ass 1275 WCR 1457 FountB

• Kirk(e)heton(e), Kyrkheton(e) l.13 Font 1369 YDxii,256 1387 Lindsay 1433 YDx 1546 YChant

• Heeton 1307 WCR

• Heyton 1462 Testii

• Kirkheyton, Kyrkheyton 1488 Ipm 1658 WillS

• Heaton als. Kirkeheaton 1607 FF

• Kirk(e)heaton 1577 WillY 1588 FF 1616 PrHosp

Etymology

'High farmstead', v. hēah , tūn ; the village is situated on the upper slopes of a steep hill. 'Kirk' (v. kirkja ) to distinguish it from Upper Heaton infra and Earlsheaton 194 and Hanging Heaton 196supra ; the church is frequently mentioned (as in 1244 Ebor, 1276 RH, etc.).The DB spelling Heptone has no doubt taken its form from Lepton which immediately precedes it in the Survey and the Recapitulation.