Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wlmareswong 13th Chateriz

• Wlmaresdung, Wlmaresdong(e), Wlmarisdong(e) 13th,1336 Trinity 1337

• Wulmeresdunc 13th Trinity

• Wulmarsdunghel 1324 ib

• Wolmeresdong 1331 ib

• Wolmeredoune 1317 Ct

• Wolmersdown(e) 1585,1599 ib

• Wylmeredunghyll 1461 Ct

• Wil(l)mer(s)down(e), Wil(l)mer(s)down(e) end 1516,1522 Trinity 1596

• Wil(l)mer(s)don(e), Wil(l)mer(s)don(e) Grass 1612 HardwickeA

• le Wylmersdownhawk 1595 Ct

• Wilmersh down hill 1630 HardwickeA

• Wilmots Downs 1821 Baker

• Wilmottsdown Farm c.1825 O.S.

• Wylmedown hawke 1548 Ct

• Wilmsdon Grass 1612 HardwickeA

• Foldedong, Folddung 13th Trinity

Etymology

The first element is clearly the OE  personal name Wulfmǣr . The second is not so obvious. The first form is probably an eccentric one, due perhaps to repetition of the w of the first element at the beginning of the second. If it is genuine, then clearly Wulfmǣr , in addition to giving his name to a dung or dong , gave it to a wong or 'field,' v. vangr .Apart from this form it is clear that the final element was originally dung (dong , dunc ) rather than doune . This is doubtless the word dung recorded once in OE poetry in the sense 'subterranean chamber, dungeon,' corresponding to ON  dyngja , 'woman's apartment,' originally used of a room of which the lower part was underground and probably originally so called because the roof was covered with dung (Torp s. nn. dunge , dyngja ). So similarly MHG  tunc was used of a spinning room, half underground (Kluge s. n. Dung ). The exact sense of dung as a toponymical term in OE it is impossible now to determine. It may have denoted some primitive form of dwelling or it may be that dung , like its Old Norse cognate, had developed some such sense as 'heap,' hence 'small hill.' This word was probably rare and archaic even at the time when it was first used in relation to this place and it was soon confused with the more common dūn (doun , down). The word probably repeats itself in the names Foldedong , Folddung (13thTrinity ) in this parish. For hawk cf. Hawk Mill infra 139. -hel is for hyll .