ðə nˈeɪm ɪz fˈɜːst ɐtˈɛstᵻd ɪnðə dˈoʊmsdeɪ bˈʊk ʌv wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪɾi sˈɪks æz wˈaɪdtʌn ˈiː slˈæʃ wˈaɪdtən ˈiː ænd sˈiːmz tə dᵻɹˈaɪv fɹʌm ˈoʊld ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ wˈɪðɪɡ wˈɪloʊ ænd tˈʌn sˈɛɾəlmənt, ᵻstˈeɪt, fˈɑːɹm, ðˈʌs mˈiːnɪŋ wˈɪloʊ fˈɑːɹm.
The name is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Widetun(e)/Wideton(e) and seems to derive from Old English wiðig 'willow' and tūn 'settlement, estate, farm', thus meaning 'willow farm'.