Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Badegraue 1086 DB

• Badesgraua 1169 P

• Balbegraue c.1130 LeicSurv

• Balbegrave 1247 Abbr l.13 CustRo

• Balbgrave l.13 ib

• Babbegraua 1177,1178 P 1182 et freq

• Babbegraue 1199,1200 1281 Peake 1294 Wyg

• Babbegrave 1227 Fees 1275 Hastings 1351 IpmR 1352 Pat 1371 Cl 1377 Pat

• Babegraue 1190 P Hy3 Crox

• Babegraua 1191 P 1192 1193 ib

• Babegrave 1262 Fine 1286 Pat 1344,1372 Nichols

• Babgrave 1299 Ipm 1312 Banco 1385 Pat 1402 FA

• Babgraue 1352 LCDeeds 1352 WoCart 1449 Ct 1478

• Bagrave 1499,1500 Ipm 1507 Nichols 1605 LML

• Baggraue 1502 MiscAccts 1576 Saxton

• Baggrave 1502 Pat 1507 Nichols 1510 Rental

Etymology

Probably 'Babba's grove', v. grāf . This is a purely OE  p.n. with what appears to be a masc. pers.n. Babba which is recorded independently on several occasions (v. Searle 78). Ekwall (DEPN s. n .) suggests that if the two forms with d are reliable, the pers.n. might rather be an otherwise unrecorded OE  fem. pers.n. Beaduburg ; but confusion with the OE  masc. pers.n. Badda seems a likelier explanation for these spellings, and the unique gen.sg. formation Badesgraua may be discounted.