Thorsten

Male
CPL
4 of 5

Discussion of the name

Thorsten is a male name of Scandinavian origin, normalized as ON Þorsteinn, ODan Thorsten, and derived from the name of the god Þórr (Thor) and the word stein (‘stone’) (von Feilitzen 1937: 396; Fellows Jensen 1968: 347, 351). The name was common in all parts of Scandinavia and was adopted in the Danelaw after the Viking settlements and more widely in the eleventh century after the accession of Cnut. In tenth-century England men bearing this name included the father of one of Ealdorman Beorhtnoth’s retainers at the battle of Maldon in 991 (Thurstan 2 Thorsten 2); and moneyers at Leicester (Thurstan 19 Thorsten 19 and Thurstan 32 Thorsten 5); one of the two housecarls murdered by the inhabitants of Worcester while collecting taxes in 1041 (JW: II, 532–3); a rich East Anglian landowner, Thorsten son of Wine, who left land to Benedictine monasteries and local minster churches in the 1040s (Thurstan 9 Thorsten 10); and the abbots of St Benet’s at Holme appointed by Edward in 1046 (Heads: 67) and of Ely appointed by Harold in 1066 (Heads: 45; Thurstan 11 Thorsten 21–25), Norwich (Thurstan 21–23 Thorsten 28), and Canterbury (Thurstan 18 Thorsten 13–15).

The Scandinavian name was also taken up in Normandy, where it became absolutely the most common name of northern origin; charters and narrative sources from the duchy most commonly spelled it Turstinus, but spellings with the ending –ing (or its variants –inc, –eng, and –enc) were almost as frequent (Adigard des Gautries 1954: 326–40).

The English and Norman versions of the name were probably distinct in 1066, but during the twelfth century coalesced, with the spelling Thurstan eventually becoming standard.

In the Domesday material it ought to be possible in principle to distinguish Englishmen from Normans and to give them different normalized forms. PASE has thus adopted the later medieval spelling Thurstan for Normans and the Old Danish spelling Thorsten for Englishmen.

Bibliography

Adigard des Gautries 1954: J. Adigard des Gautries, Les noms de personnes scandinaves en Normandie de 911 à 1066, Nomina Germanica 11 (Lund, 1954)

Heads: The Heads of Religious Houses: England and Wales, 940–1216, ed. David Knowles, C. N. L. Brooke, and Vera C. M. London (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1972)

JW: The Chronicle of John of Worcester, ed. and trans. R. R. Darlington, P. McGurk, and Jennifer Bray, II and III (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995–8)

Tengvik 1938: Gösta Tengvik, Old English Bynames, Nomina Germanica 4 (Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksells, 1938)        

von Feilitzen 1937: Olof von Feilitzen, The Pre-Conquest Personal Names of Domesday Book, Nomina Germanica 3 (Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksells, 1937)

Forms of the name

Spellings in Domesday Book: Turstan(us), Turstinus; Turstane (gen.), Tursten, Turtin

Spellings in IE: Torstinus

Forms in modern scholarship:

  von Feilitzen head forms: ON Þorsteinn, ODan, OSw Thorsten

  Phillimore edition: Thurstan (mostly), Thorsteinn (Yorks.)

  Alecto edition: Thorsten

Distribution map of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

List of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

Holder 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Essex 37,6 Parndon Turstinus Thorsten 'of Parndon' - Ranulph brother of Ilger Roger 'the man of Ranulph brother of Ilger' 0.29 0.30 0.30 E Map
Essex 5,8 Navestock Turstinus Thorsten the red 'of Navestock' - Maurice, bishop of London unnamed canons of St Paul's, London 1.33 1.50 1.50 E Map
Gloucestershire 48,3 Naunton Turstan Thorsten, thegn of King Edward - Osbern fitzRichard Roger d'Oilly 5.00 3.00 3.00 D Map
Gloucestershire 53,8 Icomb Proper Turstan Thorsten, thegn of King Edward - Durand of Gloucester Walter 'the man of Durand of Gloucester' 2.00 1.50 2.00 D Map
Gloucestershire 56,1 Great Barrington Turstan Thorsten, thegn of King Edward - Walter fitzRoger - 4.00 4.00 4.00 D Map
Middlesex 19,1 Cranford Turstinus Thorsten, thegn of King Edward Edward, king William fitzAnsculf Hugh 'the man of William fitzAnsculf' 5.00 5.00 3.00 D Map
Norfolk 66,16 Wallington Turstinus Thorsten 'of Wallington' Thorkil Hermer de Ferrers - 0.83 0.60 0.60 B Map
Norfolk 8,89 Didlington Torstinus Thorsten 'of Didlington' Wulfric, abbot of Ely William de Warenne Thorsten 0.00 0.00 0.00 B Map
Norfolk 9,74 Great Snarehill Turstinus Thorsten, burgess of Thetford - Roger Bigod - 2.00 0.80 1.00 B Map
Nottinghamshire 9,101 East Bridgford Turstan Thorsten 'of Oxton' - Roger de Bully - 0.25 0.13 0.05 E Map
Nottinghamshire 9,19 Ordsall Turstinus Thorsten 'of Ordsall, senior' - Roger de Bully 2 men 0.13 0.35 0.30 D Map
Nottinghamshire 9,19 Ordsall Turstinus Thorsten 'of Ordsall, junior' - Roger de Bully 2 men 0.13 0.35 0.30 D Map
Nottinghamshire 9,37 Perlethorpe Turstan Thorsten 'of Perlethorpe' - Roger de Bully Richard 'the man of Roger de Bully' 0.63 1.00 0.65 E Map
Nottinghamshire 9,38 Gleadthorpe - Thorsten 'of Perlethorpe' - Roger de Bully Richard 'the man of Roger de Bully' 0.25 0.00 0.00 E Map
Nottinghamshire 9,76 Oxton Turstan Thorsten 'of Oxton' - Roger de Bully - 0.50 1.00 1.50 E Map
Shropshire 4,14,10 Harcourt Turtin Thorsten 'of Harcourt' - Roger, earl William Pantulf 0.50 0.40 0.10 B Map
Shropshire 4,28,1 Broome Turstinus Thorsten 'of Broome' - Roger, earl Reynold de Bailleul 0.25 0.00 0.00 B Map
Staffordshire 12,18 Ettingshall Turstan Thorsten, thegn of King Edward - William fitzAnsculf Robert 'the man of William fitzAnsculf' 2.00 1.50 1.50 C Map
Staffordshire 12,8 Wombourn Turstinus Thorsten, thegn of King Edward - William fitzAnsculf Ralph 'the man of William fitzAnsculf' 7.00 3.00 3.00 C Map
Suffolk 1,107 Brampton Turstanus Thorsten 'of Brampton' Stigand, archbishop of Canterbury William, king - 0.17 0.20 0.20 B Map
Suffolk 3,74 Woolverstone Turstinus Thorsten 'of Woolverstone' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Ælfric the priest 'of Woolverstone' 1.00 1.00 1.50 A Map
Suffolk 3,75 Bentley Turstinus Thorsten 'of Woolverstone' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Ælfric the priest 'of Woolverstone' 0.33 0.27 0.30 A Map
Suffolk 3,76 Pannington Turstinus Thorsten 'of Woolverstone' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Ælfric the priest 'of Woolverstone' 0.50 0.40 0.40 A Map
Suffolk 3,77 Wherstead Turstinus Thorsten 'of Woolverstone' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Ælfric the priest 'of Woolverstone' 0.33 0.25 0.25 A Map
Suffolk 3,78 Kalweton Turstinus Thorsten 'of Woolverstone' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Ælfric the priest 'of Woolverstone' 0.33 0.27 0.27 A Map
Suffolk 77,4 Aspall Turstanus Thorsten 'of Aspall' Saxi 'of Debenham' William, king - 0.18 0.50 0.50 B Map
Yorkshire 11E2 North Cave Turstan Thorsten 'of North Cave' - Robert Malet - 1.00 0.48 0.09 C Map
Yorkshire 14E27 Ulrome Turstan Thorsten 'of Ulrome' - Drew de la Beuvrière Erembald 'of Ulrome' 1.25 1.00 0.25 D Map
Yorkshire 1N87 Sheriff Hutton Turstan Thorsten 'of Sheriff Hutton' - William, king - 1.33 0.17 0.00 C Map
Yorkshire 9W124 Beeston Turstan Thorsten 'of Beeston' - Ilbert de Lacy - 3.00 1.00 0.00 C Map
Yorkshire CE43 Sproatley Turstane Thorsten 'of Sproatley' - Drew de la Beuvrière - 6.00 0.00 0.00 D Map
Yorkshire CN5 Sheriff Hutton Tursten Thorsten 'of Sheriff Hutton' - William, king - 1.33 0.00 0.00 C Map
Totals

Tenant-in-Chief 1086 demesne estates (no subtenants)

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Somerset 16,9 Abbots Leigh Turstinus unnamed father of Thorsten - Thorsten, king's clerk - 1.00 0.50 0.50 B Map
Totals

Lord 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Norfolk 66,76 Great Snarehill Turstinus 1 free man Thorsten of Thetford Roger Bigod Thorsten of Thetford 0.13 0.06 0.06 B Map
Norfolk 66,77 Great Snarehill Turstinus 3 free men Thorsten of Thetford Roger Bigod Thorsten of Thetford 0.17 0.08 0.08 B Map
Suffolk 1,107 Brampton - 1 free man Thorsten 'of Brampton' William, king - 0.02 0.03 0.03 - Map
Yorkshire 9W125 Hunslet - - Thorsten Ilbert de Lacy - 3.00 0.00 0.00 C Map
Totals

Subtenant in 1086

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Essex B3a Colchester Turstanus - - William, king Thorsten, burgess 0.00 0.00 0.00 B Map
Norfolk 66,76 Great Snarehill - 1 free man Thorsten of Thetford Roger Bigod Thorsten of Thetford 0.13 0.06 0.06 B Map
Norfolk 66,77 Great Snarehill - 3 free men Thorsten of Thetford Roger Bigod Thorsten of Thetford 0.17 0.08 0.08 B Map
Norfolk 8,89 Didlington Torstinus Thorsten 'of Didlington' Wulfric, abbot of Ely William de Warenne Thorsten 0.00 0.00 0.00 A Map
Norfolk 9,1 Thetford Turstinus - - Roger Bigod Thorsten of Thetford 0.00 1.60 1.60 A Map
Yorkshire 24W12 Copgrove Tursten Gospatric son of Arnkil - Erneis de Buron Thorsten 6.00 1.00 0.80 C Map
Yorkshire 9W33 North Milford Tursten Wulfstan 'of Thorner' - Ilbert de Lacy Thorsten 2.00 0.50 0.50 B Map
Totals

People of this name