Editing Accrington (section)

===Etymology===
The name "Accrington" likely has Anglo-Saxon origins. The earliest known recording of the name is found in the Parish of Whalley records from 850, where it is written as "Akeringastun". In subsequent records, the name appears in various forms, including "Akarinton" in 1194, "Akerunton", "Akerinton", and "Akerynton" in 1258, "Acrinton" in 1292, "Ackryngton" in 1311, and "Acryngton" in 1324.<ref name="Ekwall 89">{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/stream/placenamesoflanc00ekwauoft#page/89/mode/1up |title=Accrington |work=Place Names of Lancashire |first=Ellert |last=Ekwall |page=89 |access-date=5 July 2011}}</ref> The name may derive from the Old English words "æcern", meaning "acorn", and "tun", meaning "farmstead" or "village", thus possibly meaning "acorn farmstead".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924088434620 |title=Accrington |work=The Victoria History of the County of Lancaster |first1=William |last1=Farrer |first2=J. |last2=Brownbill |page=423 |access-date=28 April 2015}}</ref> However, some sources argue that this interpretation is not definitive and that alternative explanations may exist.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The etymology of 'Accrington' |first=David |last=Postles |journal=Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society |year=1998 |volume=96 |pages=13–20}}</ref>

New Accrington, the southern part of the town, was historically part of the Forest of Blackburnshire. The area's abundance of oak trees can be inferred from local place names such as Broad Oak and Oak Hill. Acorns, a product of oak trees, were once a crucial food source for swine, which may have led to the naming of a farmstead after this resource.<ref name="The Literary Club">{{cite book |title=A Glossary of the Lancashire Dialect |first1=John H. |last1=Nodal |first2=George |last2=Milner |location=Manchester |publisher=The Literary Club |year=1875 |page=7 |ol=7247738M}}</ref> In the Lancashire dialect, "acorn" is pronounced "akran", which might have influenced the name's development.

No known Old English personal name corresponds to the first element in "Accrington". Nevertheless, the Frisian names "Akkrum" and "Akkeringa", as well as the Dutch name "Akkerghem", are believed to derive from the personal name "Akker". This finding suggests the possibility of a related Old English name from which "Accrington" could have originated.<ref name="Ekwall 89"/> It is also worth noting that "Ingas" is the Old Norse word for "tribe", which may be relevant to the name's origin.

Overall, the etymology of "Accrington" is complex and there are several theories about its origin. While the "acorn farmstead" interpretation is the most commonly accepted explanation, further research and analysis may be needed to confirm or refute this theory, or to identify alternative possibilities.