There are two Haggington's, East and West, either side of the ridgeway to Widmouth Hill, which is also the parish boundary. West Haggington farm is about a kilometre to the south-east of Hele, off the old road to Berrynarbor. There is also West Haggington Beach, about one and a half kilometres to the north, on the western side of Rillage Point.

Further along the old road to Berrynarbor, the 1891 Ordnance Survey map records East Haggington, Remains of a Manor House, just to the west of the present East Haggington Farm. The hill overlooking the road down to Berrynarbor is called Haggington Hill and the mill below was Haggington Mill. Both East and West Haggington were Saxon Manors, and both had licensed chapels in Bishop Lacy's register of 1439.

The Doomsday survey suggests that Haggington was once a single Manor, but was divided during the late Saxon period. The place name Haggington comes from Old English, probably from Hœcga's ton or farm. Many other local place names are from Old English, often with a Saxon personal name as their first element, for example Berrynarbor (originally Hurtesburie), Ilfracombe, Campscott, Mullacot, Winsham and Warmscombe.

West Haggington is called Haggington on the OS map of 1809; Lockington on Greenwoods' 1827 map; Haggington on the 1839 Ilfracombe Tithe map (Transcription West Haggington, owned by Pincombe Charity, held by Henry Watts); 1841 Census Haggington occupied by Henry Watts family; West Haggington on the OS map of 1891.

East Haggington is confusingly called West on the OS map of 1809 (Haggington Hill and Haggington Mill are so-called) and Greenwoods' map of 1827; East Haggington is shown slightly to the west of the present East Haggington farm and is marked Remains of a Manor House on the OS map of 1891. This also names Haggington Hill and Haggington Mill.

"Hagi(n)tona 1086 DB (Exon), Haintone (Exch), Haginton(a) 1167 P, west- 1300 Ipm, Est- 1326 Ipm, Haggington 1213 FF, Akinton 1197 FF, Hakynton' 1242 Fees 784, Est Hagyngton 1316 FA. Probably 'Hœcga's farm' v. ingtun. This may, as Blomé suggests, be a pet form for such an OE name as Heardgār. See further PN Wo 292 s.n. Hagley" (Gover et al 1932 p 28)