Place Name
Croydon means the valley of the crocuses. It is a throwback to the medieval crop that grew here, saffron (Crocus sativus), which was used for dyeing and medicinal purposes. The association was made before the Norman Conquest of 1066, with the name Crogedene first mentioned in AD809. By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086 this had mutated to become Croindene. Directional, meaning the road leading to and from Croydon.
