Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Gretlintone 1086 DB

• Grellinton 1177–93 YCh1520

• Grillington(a), Grillingtun, Gryllingtun l.12 Sawl58 l.12,1212–19 Puds 1379 PT

• Grenlington 1250 DodsN 1251 Ch

• Grinlington, Grynlington 1258 YI 1316 Vill 1333,1336 FF 1343 MinAcct

• Grunlington 1285 KI

• Crengleton 1423 MinAcct

• Grenedelington 1303 KF

• Gryndlyngton 1434,1438 YDi

• Grenelton 1402 Pat 1594 FF

• Grenelton in Bouland 1402 Pat

• Grynleton 1472 Pat

• Grynelton, Grinelton 1620 PRWd

• Grindelton, Gryndilton 1497 Cockers 1562 WillY 1594 Comm

• Grindleton, Gryndleton 1560 NCWills 1593 FF 1691 Puds

• Grundleton 1577 WillY 1644 PRBlt

Etymology

All the spellings can be accounted for by taking the first el. as OE  grendel 'a gravelly place or stream' (cf. EPN i, 208–9 s.v. grand 'gravel', grendel ). This el. seems to survive in the name of Greendale infra , and it would describe the stream now called Grindleton Brook.The medial -ing - here presents the same problems as in Rimington 176supra . It could be the r.n. forming suffix -ing2 , the stream being called Grendling , or it could be the connective -ing 4 , which would indicate an obvious association of the farmstead with the stream, 'farmstead near the Grendel ', v. tūn . In this case, if the form for Greendale infra can be relied on, the second of the alternatives (that is, -ing 4 ) seems preferable. The early spellings with Grell -, Grill - have an assimilation similar to that in Swillington iv, 94supra , those with Grin - have the normal late ME raising of e to i before the nasal combination, and the Grun - spellings represent a common dial. change of -i - to -u - after r -. The loss of -ing - is late and spellings without it need not be taken as representing a simple nexus of Grendel and tūn .