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.

Grandborough

Major Settlement in the Parish of Grandborough

Historical Forms

  • Grenebeorge c.1060 KCD962 1250
  • Grenesberga 1086 DB
  • Grenebur' 1242 Fees875
  • Greneburne 1284 FA
  • Greneberne 1285 QW
  • Grenebury Hyii Ch 1301
  • Greneborewe 1302 FA
  • Grenebourwe 1316 FA
  • Greneburgh 1330 Pat
  • Grenbourn 1348 Pat
  • Grenesbor(o)w c.1400 StAlb
  • Grenborough 1535 VE
  • Granborowe Eliz ChancP
  • Granborowe 1614 Grandborough
  • Grandborow 1653 ib
  • Gainborough 1675 Ogilby
  • Granborough 1766 J

Etymology

v. grene , beorg . 'Green hill.' Cf. L. i. 247, 'Probably from a swelling hill or rising ground on which the village is built.' Cf. OE Gnomic Verses 34, 'beorh sceal on eorþan grene standan.'There has been much uncertainty as to the suffix from the earliest times and we hear in the 14th cent. (Hist. St Albans , Rolls Ser. ii. 253) that the Sheriff of Bucks was required to hold an enquiry as to the identity of Grenesbury and Grenesborow . The jurors declared on oath that the two were one and the same and not different vills. For the form cf. Grandborough (Wa).

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site