English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Grazeley

Major Settlement in the Parish of Grazeley

Historical Forms

  • (on) grægsole (burnan andlang burnan on) grægsole (hagan) c.950 BCS888 c.1240
  • Greshull' 1198 P 1269 FF
  • Greyshull' 1241 Ass
  • Greishulle, Greysulle 13th ReadingC
  • Greyshulle 1294 SR
  • Greysulle 1327 ib
  • Greyshall 1539–40 ReadingA
  • Greyshull 1659 PubLib
  • Greseley, Greshill', Greynghull' 1284 Ass
  • Grasley 1662–3 PubLib
  • Gresly als Greshall 1758 ArchJ
  • Grassley (Green) 1761 Rocque
  • Grazeley (Green) 1790 Pride

Etymology

'Badgers' wallowing-place', v. grǣg 2 , sol . The second el. was confused with hyll and lēah . The village of Grazeley is in Shinfield; the civil parish (which does not include the village) owes its existence to arrangements made in the 19th cent. (VCH iii, 261, 276).