English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Selsdon

Early-attested site in the Parish of Sanderstead

Historical Forms

  • (on) Selesdune c.880 BCS558
  • Selesdone 1225,1272,1279,1347 Ass
  • Selysdon 1247 FF
  • Sellesdon(e) 1286,1334 FF
  • Selsdon 1570 ParReg

Etymology

Selsdon is (on ) Selesdune c. 880 BCS 558, Selesdone 1225, 1272, 1279, 1347Ass , Selysdon 1247 FF, Sellesdon (e )1286, 1334 FF, Selsdon 1570 ParReg. OE  personal names in Sele - are fairly common. It would seem that in this name we have a pet-form Seli of one of them. Cf. Selesgrof (1338 Ipm) in Chilham (K).Hence 'Seli 's hill,' v. dun .