Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• uilla de Gretham 1235 Ass 1242×3 c.1290 Ann c.1300 ib

• manerium de Gretham 1303,[1303]1308,1309,1310(p) Bek 1311 RPD 1311×2(p),1313×4 GD 1349 Lond 1365,1368etfreqto1377 Halm 1370 Spec 1375×6 ManAccts 1382 Hatf 1407–8,1410(p) Lang 1431,1436 Wills 1438×9 Vis 1468etfreqto1622 IPM 1558,1581 Wills 1630 CC

• Gretham' c.1290 Ann

• Gretham 1339(p),1342etfreqto1384(p) Spec 1346 Ct 1348 GT 1351 Lond 1406 Pont 1576 Saxton

• Gretheam 1370 Spec

• gretham 1558 Wills

• Grethame 1558 ib

• gretham 1593 Ct

• Gretam 1242×3 Ass

• gretam 1370 Spec

• Grytham 1382 Hatf

• Greteham 1420 Spec

• Greatham 1581 Wills 1613,1622,1638 IPM 1717 Hud 1778 Eldon

• greattome 1608 Man

• Greetham 1630 CC 1693,1702 NbDu

• Gregtham 1631 NRCbox15

Etymology

'Homestead on gravel', OE  grēot + hām, cf. Greatham Hampshire SU 7730, Greteham 1086, Sussex TQ 0415 Gretha (m )1086 DEPN s.nn. “Cheerfully situated on a rise of dry gravelly soil” (Surtees), “most of the parish is gravel on a subsoil of Keuper marls”, VCH III 242.