Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Chelduna 1170–90 Pont c.1206 YCh1781

Etymology

Sheldon Hill, 1841 O.S., Chelduna 1170–90 Pont (YCh 1781), c. 1206 Pont. This is the name of a steeply rising hill standing out by the Great North Road as a small peak. The first el., in which the earlier Ch - is probably an orthographic variant of Sh - as in Chevin 204infra , could be OE  sceld 'shield', used in p.ns. of a shelter or protection of some kind. But here it could describe 'a shield-shaped hill, one resembling the boss of a shield', v. dūn . Cf. Skelda Hill vi, 41, Skeld Gate vi, 92, and Addenda.