Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Grenesbi 1086 DB 1146 RAi c.1150 Dane 1156–62 YChiv l13 Dane Hy2 P 1197 Cur 1198 CurR 1198 HarlCh l12 Cur 1202 Ass 1202 FF 1202 P 1207 ChancR 1208

• Grenesbia 1136–45 YChiv

• Grenesby 1207 OblR 1225 Cur 1251 Ch

• Grenebi 1178 P 1197 P 1193 P 1198 P

• Greinesbi c.1115 LS 1150–60 Dane p1150 HarlCh 1156–58 1170–98 Revesby l12 Dane 1202 Ass 1205,1210 P 1218 Ass

• Greinesby 1235–47 RAi Hy2 Gilb 1409 Ass 1202

• Greynesby 1242–43 Fees 1254 ValNor 1281 Ipm 1290,1296 RSu 1297 CoramR 1303 FA 1315 Orig 1316 Pat 1332 SR 1352 Ipm 1428 FA 1483 Pat 1503 Ipm

• Grainesbi 1147–53 Dane c.1156 Kirkst 13 RBE 1166 LN Hy2 Gilb l12 1409

• Grainesbia 1212 Fees

• Grainesb' 1238–41 ib

• Grainesbie a1567 LNQv 1576 LER 1589 NCWills

• Grainesbye 1613 BT

• Grainesby 1672 ib

• Graynesby a1155 NCot e13 FF 1245 RH 1276 RSu 1295 Pat 1297 Ipm 1315 Cl 1315 FA 1316 Pat 1316 BT 1588

• Graynesbi 1333 Pap

• Graynesbie c.1577 Terrier 1586,1591,1597 BT

• Graynesbye 1623 Hill

• Graynysby 1475 Pat

• Granesby 1390,1393 Pap 1427,1461 Pat 1526 Sub 1530 Willsii 1535 VEiv 1554 Pat

• Granesbye 1576 Saxton 1610 Speed

• Granysby 1428 FA 1509 Ipm

• Granysbe 1562 BT

• Cranesbi (sic) 1165 RBE

• Graynsby 1556 Mad 1591,1665 BT 1668 Terrier

• Graynsbye 1563 BT 1662 ib

• Grainsbye 1562 1601 LCS

• Grainsbe 1570,1597,1601,1608 BT

• Grainsbie 1594,1597 1601,1611,1628 Terrier 1632 BT

• Grainsby 1633 1638,1679 Terrier 1682 BT 1690 Haigh 1692 BT

Etymology

'Grein's farm, village', v. bȳ , as suggested by Ekwall, DEPN s.n. ON  Grein , OEScand  Grēn is a byname belonging to ON  grein , ODan  gren 'a branch' and is discussed by Insley, SPNNf 142. Gillian Fellows-Jensen, SSNEM 50, suggests that it may rather be the appellative ON  grein 'a fork (of a river)', with a secondary gen. in -es . This word survives in dialect as 'a small valley forking off from another' but there is nothing in the topography of Grainsby which would support this sense.