Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Glenthuþe 675 BCS 13th

• Glenthuthe 1259 Ass 1373 Turner

• Glantehuthe 1329 Chertsey

• Glanthuthe 1373 Turner

• Glanthithe 1548 LRMB

• Glanhithe 1514 Turner

• Glanty greene 1605 LRMB

• the Glante 1642 Rental

Etymology

In PN NbDu (3–4), under Glanton and Glantlees, the suggestion was made that in these p.n.'s, as in Glentham and Glentworth (L), one might have a lost OE  *glænte , corresponding to Dan  glente , Swedish glänta , 'hawk.' Such a possibility is strengthened by the existence of this name. We have in Scandinavian ON  gleða (Dan  dial. glæde ), Swedish glada , 'hawk, kite,' from a root *glid , *glad , side by side with the forms glentey glänta from a nasalised form of this root, and it may well be that we had similarly in OE  the common glida , 'kite, glede,' and a form glænte , from a nasalised root denoting the same or some similar bird. The sense is clearly the same in all cases, viz. that of a bird with swift gliding flight. Hence, probably, 'hythe or landing-place frequented by hawks or kites,' v. hyð .