Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Gravesberie 1086 DB

• Grauesbyri 1096–1101(1150),1150 Chest

• Grauesbiri 1096–1101 1280 ib

• Grauesberi 1096–1101 1280 ib

• Grauisby 1096–1101(1280),1153–60(1280) Chest

• Grauesbi(a), Gravesbi(a) 1153–60 (1285) Ch, Chest

• Gravesbi(a) in Wirhale 1283 Chest

• Gravesby 1153–81,1188–91,1285,c.1310 ib

• Gravesbeia 1153–60 17 ib

• Greuesby 1249–1323 Chest 1347,1357 ChFor 1432 Rental

• Grevesby 15 Orm2 1552 Sheaf 17

• Greseby 1271 ChFor 1341 Eyre 1360 Tourn 1374 ChCal

• Gresebie 1553 Pat

• Gresby 1271 ChFor

• Gresby 1639 Sheaf

• Griseby 1280 Cl

• Groseby 1329 Plea

• Greauesbury 1352 Morris

• Grasby 1513 ChEx

• Grebesey 1535 VE

• Gruesby 1538 Orm2

• Greaseby 1579 Dugd 1819 Orm2

• Greasby 1621 1656 NotCestr 1724

• Graysby 1610 Speed

• Graisby 1648,1668,1727 Sheaf

• Graceby 1724 NotCestr

Etymology

'Stronghold at a wood', v. grǣfe , burh (dat.sg. byrig ). The final el. is replaced by ON  býr, and OE  grāf alternates with grǣfe . Other interchanges of burh and býr occur in Whitby 198supra , Irby 264supra . Brownbill's derivation (Sheaf3 2 (299) and correspondence with Allen Mawer 30 August 1925) from OE  (ge)rēfa, 'reeve, officer', is to be discounted. DEPN suggests an alternative first el. græf 'a digging, a grave, a pit, a trench', but it seems unnecessary to suppose this, and the form Groseby requires grāf unless -o - is a scribal error for -e -. Bryant's map, 1831, shows Greasby Hall , (also 1849TAMap 181) and Old Hall , v. ald , hall .