Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Grevette 1288 Ass 1296 SR

• atte Byrchette 1292 FF

• ate Ryschette 1332 SR

• ate Wytheghette, de Stokette 1332 SR

• atte Okette 1327 SR

• Haselett 1248 Ch

• Byrchette 1327 SR

• Heselett 1327 SR

Etymology

Grevatt's was the home of John atte or de Grevette (1288Ass , 1296 SR). We have a similar name in Grevatts in Bury infra 125 and the same name is probably found in slightly different form in Gravatt's in Rudgwick infra 158, which was probably the home of Stephen de Granet (sic) in 1296 (SR), and as the first element in Greatwick infra 210. This would seem to be OE  grafett , found in a Hampshire charter (BCS 674), which must be an et -derivative from the stem of grafan 'to dig.' For such derivatives we may compare OE  bærnet from bærnan , 'to burn,' stan -hīewet , 'quarry' from hēawan , 'to hew,' and sænget (v. PN Wo 37). There were probably forms græfet and grafet in OE, which would account for the ME variants. These names though similar in form should be distinguished from a group of names in this county which contain a suffix of quite different origin.We have four examples of Naldrett and one Naldred, Rushout, Burchetts (3), Birchetts (2), Betchetts, Haslett and Reditts , which from the ME forms are clearly seen to be derivatives of OE  alor, rysc, bierce , bece , hæsel , hreod with a suffix -ette .Elsewhere we have Burchetts in Abinger (atte Byrchette 1292 FF) and Rushett in Leigh (ate Ryschette 1332 SR), ate Wytheghette , de Stokette (1332 SR), all in Surrey, and unidentified atte Okette 1327SR (Ha), Haselett 1248 Ch (W), Byrchette 1327SR (Ess), Heselett 1327SR (K). The general sense of these names is 'collection of' alders, rushes, birches, withies, oaks, beeches, hazels, reeds. The suffix is the Germanic suffix -itja found in collective names of similar formation in ODu. Mansion (Oud - Gentsche Naam-kunde 77–8) notes Feret from ferh -, 'fir' or 'oak,' Fursitium from fursi -, 'furze,' and Fliterit from flither , 'elder.'Whether all the examples found in England are early formations it is difficult to say. Their extensive use may have been assisted by confusion with certain other suffixes. The OE adj .-suffix -iht found in such words as stǣniht , 'stony,' hrēodiht , 'reedy,' would give in ME  forms closely similar to those of the ett -nouns. There were also OE  nouns like þiccett , 'thicket,' emnet , 'plain,' itja - derivatives of the adjectives þicce and efn , of which we have a further example in Ruffet infra 375 (from rūh , 'rough') and the Latin suffix et (um ), which has survived in Plashett infra 356, and is frequent in medieval documents in such words as alnetum , 'alder-grove,' which may not have been without influence in encouraging developments of this kind. The highly local distribution of the suffix however, as so far observed, suggests that it may go back to very early days.