It seems to me that she would be using actual place names to cue the readers to whatever associations there were with those places at the time

When JA used real places you can bet your buttons that they are accurately and aptly depicted. It's what she did with the unreal ones that is uncertain.

I can think of a few pun for Netherfield (mostly having to do with Hades), but I am not so sure about Hunsford (something to do with Attila?) or Rosings (something to do with the Lancasters and the Yorks)

Well, I once wrote a fan-fic about the origins of Hunsford and Rosings based on place-name theory and the clues JA gave us, but I have to admit it is all just pie in the sky. All we know is that it's supposed to be near Westerham (Mr Collin's letter) and that JA knew a big house in that area quite well- it was called Rowling. I fhtere's a Hunsford- sounding name near there , I haven't found it yet.