English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Shenstone

Early-attested site in the Parish of Stone

Historical Forms

  • Senestone 1221 Ass
  • Schenestone 1275 Ass, SR (p)
  • Scefneston 1275 Ass
  • Shenston 1327 SR
  • Shenston in Kidderminster 1410 IpmR
  • Sheynstone 1654 FF
  • Sceua (ib. 78)

Etymology

The absence of any stan -forms, and the presence of the form Scefneston , seems to make derivation from OE  sciene, stan impossible. There is the possibility of an OE  pers. name Scēaf (if it is not of purely mythological origin, v. Redin 22) and a weak form Sceua (ib. 78). An -en derivative of this name (cf. Pensham supra 221) would give rise to an OE  Scēafnes -tūn and this may be the source of the name.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Major Settlement