English
Northampton
Northampton comes from Old English Norþhāmtūn.
- Old Englishc. 450–1150Norþhāmtūn
- Englishearliest quotation 2025Northampton
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Englishc. 450–1150Norþhāmtūn
- Englishearliest quotation 2025Northampton
Earliest quotation: 2025, Jeanne Bonner, This independent haven is a ‘tangibly different’ college tow: “Northampton is a town of just 30,000 people, with…”
The story
The earliest reference to Northampton in writing occurred in 914 under the name Ham tune. The Domesday Book (1086) records the town as Northantone: the prefix “North” was added later to distinguish it from other towns called “Hampton”, most prominently Southampton.
Every English word from Old English Norþhāmtūn
Today it means
name A large town, the county town of Northamptonshire, now in West Northamptonshire district, England.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old English Norþhāmtūn / Northampton