Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Brantingbia c.1130 LeicSurv

• Brantingby Hy2 Dugd 1209×35 RHug m.13(1404),13(1404) Laz 1262 FineR 1314 Banco 1322 Hastings

• Brantyngby 1305 Banco 1316 Ch 1414 WoCart 1449 Ipm 1488 VE 1535

• Brantyngbye 1539 Deed

• Brantingebi 1190×1204 France 1212 P

• Brantingeby 1156 Ch 1318

• Brentingbi l.12 Dane Hy3 Rut m.13(1404)(p),13(1404) Laz

• Brentingby e.13 1404 Rut e.Hy3 Laz m.13 Ass 1404 Crox 1261 Fine Hy3 Speed 1542 1610

• Brentyngby m.13(1449),l.13(1449) WoCart 1272 Cur 1307(1449),1309(1449) WoCart 1449 1473 CCR 1549,1557 Pat

• Brentyngby iuxta Melton' 1306 WoCart 1449

• Brentyngby iuxta Thorpe Ernald 1338 Banco

• Brentingebi 1170 P e.13(1404)(p),13(1404) Laz

• Brentengebi 1171 P

• Brentingeby 1214 Cur 1276 RH 13 Laz 1404

• Brentyngeby 1228×43 Blore 1428 FA

Etymology

A name which presents several problems. The late OE  pers.ns. Branting and Brenting are both recorded independently. Branting is present in DB (v. Feilitzen 207) while Brenting appears as a surety in the Medeshamstede (Peterborough) charter BCS 1130 of c.980 (not included in Anglo -Saxon Charters by P.H. Sawyer). If the p.n. were simply a compound of one of these late OE pers.ns. with bȳ 'a farmstead, a village', it would be difficult to make a positive choice between them because of AN interchange of a and e (v. Feilitzen 44).

Ekwall DEPN s. n. Brentingby notes the recurring forms with -inge - spellings and suggests that possibly we have here 'the bȳ of Brant's people', the whole based on an early OE  -ingas formation *Brantingas .The creation of a p.n. consisting of an English folk-name compounded with a Scand habitative generic would be unusual (but note Tealby, L 3131–36 and the possible example of Beckingthorpe in Bottesford supra ).However, there is no reason to posit -inga - > -inge - here. The -inge - spellings could be the result of strong Scand influence on the genitival structure of either of the late OE  pers.ns. Branting /Brenting . Such influence is a common feature of Lincs. p.ns. For example, Audleby (with Aldwulf ), L 288 and Barnetby le Wold (perh. with Beornnōð ), L 2 8 both show a consistent genitival e rather than the usual es . Autby (perh. with Æðelwald ), L 4 167 has es in its DB form but subsequently has only e . Ekwall (Selected Papers 66) believes that spellings with medial e as in Adulvebi (Audleby) stem from an original Scand  gen.sg. in -ar - > -a - and that such names were created by Scandinavians, even where an OE pers.n. occurs as first el.

Finally, there is the possibility that the first el. of Brentingby may be an early OE  p.n. *Branting /*Brenting , compounding brant 'steep' with the p.n.-forming suffix -ing , hence 'the steep place, the steep hill' (cf. Brenting (e )960 BCS 1054 (S 683) in Hampshire). Brentingby stands on a steep slope above the flood-plain of R. Eye. Note the similar possibility of an early base for Beckingthorpe in Bottesford supra , while Wyfordby which adjoins Brentingby is certainly an earlier English topographical p.n. with bȳ suffixed, cf. Blackfordby in West Goscote Hundred.

In sum, Brentingby may be explained either as 'Branting's or Brenting's farmstead, village' or as 'the farmstead, village at *Branting (i.e. 'the steep place')', v. bȳ , (brant , -ing 2 ).