Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Assandun(e) 1016 ASC c.1050 ASC 1020 ASC c.1050 ASC 1020 ASC c.1100 LibEl 1020 c.1150 1020 c.1100 12th

• Assendum ib.

• Assatúnum c.1050 Knútsdrápa

• Nesenduna 1086 DB

• Assendon 1198 FF 1248 Ass

• Assenden 1198 FF

• Assynden 1306 Londin

• Assinden t.Ed3 FA

• Essendon 1203 Cur

• Essenden 1228 FF

• Essindon 1248 Ass

• Asington, Alsinton 1230 Ch

• Asendon 1238 SR

• Assingdon, Assyngdon 1250 CottCh 1313 Ipm 1374 Ct 1777 C

• Assindon, Assyndon 1254 Ass 1447 Pat

• Asshendon 1254 Ass 1346 FA 1552 EAS(OS)iv

• Asshindon(e) 1333 Ch 1345 Ipm 1371 SR

• A(y)sshedon t.Hy3 BM 1303 FA

• As(s)h(e)don 1406 Pat 1428 FA 1493–1500 ECP 1547 FF

• Assedoune 1285 Ass

• Assing(e)ton 13th Misc 1602 Stent 1678 Ogilby

• Ashyngdon 1325 MemoLTR

• Ashingdon 1535 VE 1594 N

• Ashildon' 1357–61,1371 SR

• Asshelden 1550 FF

• Assheldon 1553 Pat

Etymology

The identification of Assandun with Ashingdon is, on the whole, consistent with the later developments of the name.Assandun cannot lie behind the forms of Ashdon infra 502–3, with which it has alternatively been identified. Assandun may well be 'ass's hill,' or even 'hill of Assa ' (cf. Asso as the name of an Essex landholder in DB), but it is clear that early confusion with names in æsc (ME  asshe , esshe ) took place, and the genitival suffix an , en was re-fashioned as though it were an ing - name.

There is interesting evidence of the confusion in the chroni- clers themselves. Writing towards the beginning of the 12th century Florence of Worcester speaks of Assandun , id est mons asini , while some sixty years earlier the author of the Encomium Emmae (lib. ii, c. 9) speaks of a fight in Aesceneduno loco quod nos Latini montem fraxinorum possumus interpretari .

In Knútsdrápa , a poem in honour of Canute by Óttarr Svarti, the name of the battle is given as Assatún , a form which favours the identification with Ashingdon.