Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ciuetone 1086 DB

• Kyvetun, Kivetun, Kiuetun, Kyveton 13 YDvii 1304 YI 1329 FF 1339 YDviii 1373 Ipm 1439 ADvi

• Keueton 1297 LS 1326 YD 1368 YDxvi,100 1532 FF

• Keton 1410 YI 1532,1544 FF

Etymology

The phonetic history of the name shows that we have an original long -ī - (or -ȳ - unrounded to -ī -) with occasional shortening and lowering to e (v. Phonol. § 22); the name may therefore be derived from OE  cȳf 'a vessel, a tub' (as by Goodall). It is less likely to mean 'Cifa's farmstead', v. tūn . An OE  pers.n. Cifa is not on independent record, but it enters into Chevington Wo 219, Chieveley Brk, Cheveley NbDu 44. In this doubtful case K - would be due to Scandinavian influence.