Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Kingsdown 1582 Hutch3 1811 OS

• (terre super) Kyngesdo(u)n(e) e14 GlastE

• boscis…vocatis Kingesdon(e) 1337 Glast m14

• Kynggesdon', Kinggesdon' 1338–40 Glast

• (Gt) King's Down 1839 TA

• (on) Trildoune 968 Glast(S764) 14

Etymology

Kingsdown (ST 799131), Kingsdown 1582 Hutch3, 1811 OS, (terre super ) Kyngesdo (u )n (e )e14GlastE , boscis …vocatis Kingesdon (e )1337 (m14) Glast , Kynggesdon ', Kinggesdon '1338–40 Glast, (Gt ) King 's Down 1839TA , probably 'the king's down', from cyning and dūn , with reference to old royal demesne, cf. the 4 hides in the manor of Sturminster N. held of the king by Goscelm the cook in 1086 DB (VCHDo 373). A surname as first el. is perhaps less likely, but cf. Alice La Kynges e14GlastE . An earlier name for Kingsdown may have been (on ) Trildoune 968 (14) Glast (S 764), 'the down by River Tril ' (now Darknoll Brook, v. RNs.infra ), mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon bounds of Sturminster N.