In strictly geological terms can anyone tell me the meanings of the suffixes 'sex' and 'hampton' as in South, East and in oldern times West, and as far as hampton is concerned South and North?
The 'sex' in 'Essex' etc is a shortened and modified version of 'Saxon'...hence, Essex = East Saxon etc. Both 'ham' and 'ton' in Old English meant originally 'an enclosed place' and from that to 'home', 'village' and eventually 'town'.