Croydon is a suburban town to the south of London, and though it used to be a Surrey Urban District Council, it is now a Greater London borough. Its name derives originally from the Anglo-Saxon croeas deanas, meaning "the valley of the crocuses", indicating the fact that like Saffron Walden in Essex it was a centre for the collection of saffron. The crocuses are long gone and it is now more well known for being a largely faceless dormitory town.
Croydon includes several towns (former villages) within its boundaries, such as Purley, Coulsdon, Selsdon, Sanderstead, Thornton Heath and Waddon.
see also Croydon Tramlink
There are a number of towns/suburbs named Croydon in Australia. Croydon is a small country town in northern Queensland, and there are 'Croydon's in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.