Rayne
Major Settlement in the Parish of Rayne
Historical Forms
- (æt) Rægene c.995 ASWills
- (æt) Hrægenan c.1000 ib
- Ræine 1066 KCD824 14th
- Raeyne 1066 WDB
- Raines 1086 DB 1166 RBE
- Reines, Reynes 1195 P
- Reynes Parva 1204 FF 1294 Ipm
- Reynes alias Renes 1315 Ipm
- Raynes 1334 ib
- Rayne 1121–36 WDB
- Rein(e), Reyn(e) 1218 FF 1235 Cl 1271 Ipm
- Reyn(e) Parva or Wellys 1475 EASix
- Reymes, Reimes 1218 FF 1227 Fees 1236 Cl t.Hy3 FA 1287 FF
- Rennes 1219 FF
- Renes t.Hy3 RBE 1285 Ass 1294 FF
- Rodnes, Rednes 1285 Ass
- Reign(e) 1475 EASix
- Reign(e) Parke 1538 HMCx
- Raigne 1561 EASix
- Well Reyney 1512 ib
- Lyttel Rayney 1534 ib
- Little Rane 1549 FF
- Little Rayne alias Little Rignes 1557 ib
- Welles (t. Hy 2 ib. 401)
Etymology
If the h is inorganic this may be a Celtic river-name. Cf. Regen as a river-name in Förstemann (ON ii, 559). If so it was the old name for the stream now known as Pod's Brook above Braintree and as the river Brain below that town. “Little Rayne, in contradistinction to Great Rayne, now Braintree” (M ii, 400). v. supra 4, 415–16. Reymes is due to confusion with the name of Roger de Ramis , Raimes , the Domesday lord; Wells from Robert de Welles (t. Hy 2 ib. 401).