Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Girnishe 1593,1599 PR

• Girnes(s) 1604,1719 ib

• Girnas 1619 ib

• Girnness 1697 PR(Bm)

• Guerness Wood 1859 OS

Etymology

Guerness Gill & Wood [ˈgə:nes], Girnishe 1593, 1599 PR, Girnes (s )1604, 1719 ib, Girnas 1619 ib, Girnness 1697 PR(Bm), Guerness Wood 1859 OS. This is probably 'fishing-trap headland', v. næss , denoting a headland on the east shore of Hawes Water, which was much more prominent before the level of the lake was raised. The first el. would be a metathesised variant of OE  grin 'trap', perhaps here 'a fishing trap', probably recorded as OE  giren or geren , which has been suggested for Garn , a fishery on the Severn (Gl iii, 203); cf. Ekwall, Studies 154.