What is the meaning of the suffix "don" in town names such as Wimbeldon, Huntingdon? [closed]

Solution 1:

As Edwin has noted, there are references for even such obscure items as this. But that doesn't necessarily give every thing.

The study of place names is called 'toponymics' and every language has its own. People are just not that inventive, but the names we have inherited have gone through layers of minute changes till they have become unrecognizable.

Most of these suffixes (and prefixes) are geographical. The Celts and Germans had some very precise names for different kinds of features.

The suffix 'don' can come from what means either 'valley' (from OE), 'hill' or 'down' (from Celtic) or even 'fort' (as a prefix from Celtic). So depending on your particular town, look around and if you're in a lower area, it comes from one kind of name, but a low flat top grassy hill another, and a steep hill another. See the etymology of down and dune for more info.

Solution 2:

In the two cases you mention it comes from the Old English 'dun' meaning 'hill'.

I note the locations you refer to are in England, so you might find this site hosted by the Institute of Name Studies at the University of Nottingham useful:

http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/