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.

Exeter

County Town in the County of Devon

Historical Forms

  • Ἴσκα c.150 Ptolemy 13th
  • Isca Dumnoniorum 4th TabulaPeuteringana
  • Isca Dumnuniorum 3rd AntonineItinerary 8th
  • Isca Dumnamorum c.650 RavennaGeographer 13th
  • Adescancastre c.750 VitaS.Bonifacii
  • Escanceaster 876 ASC c.890
  • Exanceaster 894 ASC c.900 Coins t.Alfred BCS724 938
  • Exanceastre c.1000 Asser 900–25 Laws c.1140
  • Exancestre 932 BCS693 c.1000 Earle
  • Exancester 1067 ASC c.1100
  • Eaxanceastre 925–39 Laws
  • Eaxeancestre c.1000 Asser
  • Eaxeceaster 1003 ASC 1121 Coins t.Ethelred2
  • Execeaster 928 BCS663 12th
  • Exaceaster 938 BCS723
  • Exceaster t.Cnut Coins
  • Ecxeceaster t.Haroldi Coins
  • Execester t.EdConf Coins
  • excestre 1050–73 Earle
  • Exacestre 1070 Wellsi,434
  • Execestre 1135 ASC 12th P 1196
  • Essecestra 1086 DB(Exon)
  • Execestre
  • la cite Dexcestre c.1200 Canonsleigh
  • Æxechæstre, Axcetre, Exchæstre, Excestre c.1225 Lay
  • Essexestr' 1242 Cl
  • Eccestre c.1300 RG
  • Excyter 1523 SR
  • Excestre, Excetour, Exceter 1477 Seld16
  • Excester 1577 Saxton
  • Exeter 1547 Wardens
  • Exiter 1549 SomRecSoc

Etymology

In British times the city was clearly named from the river alone. Cf. Romano-British Dano for Doncaster. Later this was compounded with ceaster .

Parishes in this County Town

None