Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Witegift, Wytegift, Wytegyft c.1070 Selby 1078–85 YCh468 1104–6 1154 Selby 1197 FF 1200 Cur 1230 Selby 1304 Ebor

• Wytegifth 1164–1209 YCh487–8 1293 BM

• Wytgift 1362 Works

• Witesgift 1204 ChR

• Wigtset, Wigesech' (sic) 1221 Cur

• Whitegift, Whytegift, Whytegyft 1232 Ch 1246 Ass36 1276 RH 1304 Selby 1316 Vill 1331 FF 1372 BM

• Whytegiftes 1302 BM

• Whytegeft 1314 YDix

• Whyteguift 1370 DodsN

• Whythgift 1362 Works

• Whittegift 1327 MinAcct

• Whitgift(e), Whytgift(e), Whytgyft 1412 SelbyOb 1415 Pat 1434 Testii 1822 Langd

• Whytgyft in Marsland 1557 WillY

• Whytgiffe 1531 Testiv

• Witgiffe als. Widgiffe 1552 FF

• Wydgyfte 1557 WillY

Etymology

Whitgift is named from its once having been dowryland, the second el. being ON  gipt 'gift, dowry' or a Scandinavianised form of OE  gift; cf. also morgen-gifu as in Morgay Sx 519. The first el. may be OE  hwīt 'white', but as the implication of the word in this context is not clear, it is more satisfactory to take it as a pers.n. OE  Hwīta (or possibly the fem. Hwīte ) or indeed the ON  byname Hvíti .